The Princess Wears Phillipa Lepley for State Dinner

The Princess of Wales wowed in a couture ensemble by British designer Phillipa Lepley at tonight’s state dinner honoring the United States. 

The banquet was in St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle. Below, a formal posed photo of the King and Queen with President and Mrs. Trump.

The Prince and Princess. 

Tonight’s dress code was white tie. More on that comes via this BBC story. 

The dress code for the state banquet is white tie, and the Prince of Wales, 43, did not disappoint. He was decked out in formal regalia and his orders, and wore an elegant Windsor tail coat.

Meanwhile, King Charles’s regalia was in keeping with the high pomp and pageantry that we would expect of a state banquet. The King, 76, completed his look with a royal blue sash – a colour that matched Camilla’s embroidered dress.

The host and guests as they walked into dinner. 

Princess Anne is seen here with the US Ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephen. Her husband, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, is escorting a member of the US delegation whose name I have not yet discovered.  

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as they headed into the banquet. 
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Here you see the King and President at their seats and the Princess walking to hers.

She was seated between President Trump and Michael Boulos, who is married to Tiffany Trump. You can just see Apple CEO Tim Cook in the lower left of the photo.

We learn more about tonight’s menu from The Mirror’s coverage. 

The sumptuous menu, written in French as is the custom, consists of Hampshire watercress panna cotta with parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, followed by organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes, with a thyme and savoury infused jus, and then bombe glacee cardinal, which is a vanilla ice cream bombe with Kentish raspberry sorbet interior with lightly poached victoria plums.

In a tradition started by the King, a new cocktail is created specially for each state dinner and incorporates a nod to its VIP guests. Buckingham Palace said the tipple, a UK/US twist on the classic whisky sour, “blends the smoky depth of Johnnie Walker Black with the bright citrus of marmalade”.  After dinner hosted by the King and Queen, guests will be served Warre’s 1945 vintage port, in recognition of Mr Trump’s role as the 45th, as well as the 47th, president of the United States and because it is the closest vintage port year to his birth year. 

Both King Charles and President Trump delivered remarks. The King spoke first. 

The bond between our two nations is indeed a remarkable one. Forged in the fire of conflict, it has been fortified through our shared endeavours and burnished by the deep affection between our people. Tested time and again, it has borne the weight of our common purpose and raised our ambition for a better world.

So in renewing our bond tonight, we do so with unshakeable trust in our friendship and in our shared commitment to independence and liberty.

Therefore, as we celebrate this unparalleled partnership, allow me to propose a toast – to President Trump and the First Lady, and to the health, prosperity and happiness of the people of the United States of America.

More about the President’s remarks from The Telegraph’s article. 

He dropped his voice low and spoke slowly in the tone he reserves for the most important of matters as he praised his host. “For many decades, His Majesty the King has epitomised the fortitude, nobility and the spirit of the British monarchy and the British people,” he said.

“The lionhearted people of this kingdom defeated Napoleon, unleashed the Industrial Revolution, destroyed slavery and defended civilisation in the darkest days of fascism and communism,” he said. “The British gave the world the Magna Carta, the modern parliament and Francis Bacon’s scientific method.”

The President also spoke about the Princess of Wales. 

Speaking at Windsor Castle, the president said: “Melania and I are delighted to visit again with Prince William and to see Her Royal Highness, Princess Catherine – so radiant and so healthy – it’s so beautiful. It’s really a great honour, thank you.”

He raised a “remarkable son”, Mr Trump said, addressing the Prince and Princess of Wales as “William and Kate”, with a daughter-in-law “so radiant, so healthy and so beautiful”.

Another view of the President and the Princess. 
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Here is a video posted by Kensington Palace showing both engagements from the day, the welcome ceremony and tonight’s banquet. 

A day to remember in Windsor for the State Visit of @POTUS 🇺🇸🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/vOWGlh6sOA

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 17, 2025

For tonight’s state occasion, the Queen chose an embroidered gown by Fiona Clare in royal blue silk marocain, a dense, heavy fabric with a pebbled surface often used for eveningwear. She also wore the Belgian sapphire tiara and the Diamond Festoon Necklace, diamond earrings and bracelets, and her Order of the Garter sash and star and King Charles’s royal family order. First Lady Melania Trump was in an off-the-shoulder gown by Carolina Herrera.

More from Vanessa Friedman’s NY Times column. 

…Melania Trump let her hair down and appeared at St. George’s Hall for the white-tie banquet in an off-the-shoulder yellow Carolina Herrera gown with long sleeves and a lavender silk belt. 

Now, for our look at what Kate wore. We begin with the couture Phillipa Lepley ensemble featuring a full-length, hand-embroidered, champagne gold Chantilly lace evening coat over a silk crepe gown. 

The ‘Darling’ coat features hand-embroidered roses with couched gold cording, accented with French knots and satin-stitched blooms. In these images, I hope you can see the rose motif and slightly puffed shoulders.

It appears much like this design from the Phillipa Lepley site, though the Princess has opted for a more natural waistline with the Darling coat than the Empire-style shown in the photo.

This is the second time we have seen the Princess in Phillipa Lepley. The first instance came during the 2022 Caribbean tour, when the Princess chose a Phillipa Lepley design for a reception in the Bahamas.

More about the designer from this Times of London story.

One of London’s most in-demand wedding dress makers, Phillipa Lepley has been selling gowns on the Fulham Road for over three decades. Lepley’s dresses are all bespoke and handmade at the brand’s atelier in Chelsea. The designer grew up in Nottinghamshire, where she was introduced to fashion through her grandmothers, one of whom was a court tailoress. 

The Princess accessorized with her Maud Pearls Clutch ($745) by Anya Hindmarch. The bag was first carried at a military passing-out parade in Jamaica in March 2022.

She also brought back her Aquazzura Fenix pumps in gold, with a pointed toe and side cutouts. 

The Princess wore the Royal Family Orders of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, as well as her sash and star of the Royal Victorian Order.

The Princess’s hair was down, unlike some tiara occasions, when she wears it up.

We saw the return of the late Queen’s Diamond Frame Earrings and the iconic Lover’s Knot tiara, now a signature piece for the Princess.

Here you see the late Queen wearing the earrings for the Order of the Garter in 2013.

The Court Jeweller notes, “The pair features a cluster stud with a floral motif, from which a pendant of four graduating diamonds is suspended. The pendant is surrounded by a diamond frame.” These images from previous engagements offer a much better view of the earrings.

A glance at some of the occasions when the Princess has worn the Lover’s Knot tiara. 

If you missed the day’s first post covering the welcome ceremonies at Windsor, you can read it here. 

I’ll leave you with one photo, this one from the Kensington Palace social media accounts. 

A gentle reminder that we do not discuss politics here at WKW, including any reader comments. 

VIDEOS: 

The Royal Family Channel’s coverage of tonight’s state dinner.

 This brief video from Phillipa Lepley offers a stellar look at the silver version of the Darling coat.