The Princess wore a deep green gown by Andrew Gn for tonight’s state dinner honoring the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu. 
The banquet was held at St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle due to the extensive remodeling and refurbishment project at Buckingham Palace. Below is a photo of the King, Queen, President Tinubu, and the First Lady. 
The Duke of Edinburgh, Princess, and Prince William. 
The Duchess of Edinburgh wasn’t in attendance tonight. I do know she has been traveling quite a bit, most recently to New York and Italy.
In this image, you can see the Princess Royal on the right, and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, seen on the left. You can just make out the Duchess of Gloucester. 
The King, Queen, and guests of honor as they walked into dinner.
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Prince William and a guest, whom I was unable to identify. 
The Princess Royal and Sir Tim.
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The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
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A brief video showing their walk into St. George’s Hall.
Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, The Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, attending the Nigerian State Banquet at Windsor Castle, this evening! ✨👑♥️ pic.twitter.com/0jyBc1vsgm
— Princess Anne & Sir Tim Laurence ✨ (@TheLaurences_) March 18, 2026
More on tonight’s dinner from ITV’s coverage:
Mr Tinubu’s stay is the first incoming state visit by a Muslim leader during Ramadan since 1928 when King George V hosted King Amanullah Khan of Afghanistan.
The President broke his fast privately at sunset before joining the Royal Family for the banquet. The First Lady is a Christian and an ordained Pentecostal pastor.
For the first time in living memory, canapes were offered ahead of the dinner to offer sustenance to Muslim guests who were unable to partake in iftar – the breaking of their fast.
Here, you get a sense of the massive table in the hall, which measures more than 150 feet; more than 140 candles were used for the dinner. 
More about the preparations and the flowers from this People story.
Palace staff started work setting up the table on Sunday and continued to make preparations until shortly before the dinner began. Among the last things to be added were the magnificent flower arrangements using blooms from the gardens at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Savill Garden in Windsor. Any flowers that cannot be reused after the banquet will be donated to Floral Angels, Queen Camilla’s patronage, which delivers flowers to hospices, elderly care homes, shelters and more.
In this photo, I believe guests are standing for the countries’ national anthems. 
ITV reports the menu included:
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Soft-boiled quail egg tartlet with watercress, kale, and a basil sabayon
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Filet of turbot, lobster mousse wrapped in spinach, beurre blanc sauce, sprouting broccoli with hollandaise sauce, fricasse of peas and broad beans, Jersey Royal potatoes
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Iced blackcurrant souffle with red fruit coulis
Almost one thousand knives and forks were used for tonight’s table service. 
The Princess laughing with a member of the Nigerian delegation. 
The Daily Mail has details on tonight’s beverages in this article.
English sparkling wine was used for the toasts for those who were drinking alcohol, and the menu did not include meat.
You can see President Tinubu drinking orange juice in this photo, and the Princess sipping on water. 
King Charles and President Tinubu delivered remarks. The Telegraph offers more on the King’s speech.
The King’s banquet speech, customarily a mixture of serious diplomacy and jokes, included the “Yoruba wisdom” of “rain does not fall on one roof alone”, the Hausa saying “when the music changes, so does the dance” and the Igbo “knowledge is never complete, two heads are better than one”.
Speaking of a “tea and jollof” reception he hosted at St James’s Palace last week, the King entered the famous debate over which country is home to the best rice dish: “I was firmly assured that the jollof was only the best: Nigerian, of course… or perhaps Ghanaian or Senegalese. Diplomatically, I cannot remember.”
Sky News offers about one minute of the speech in this video.
‘Last week, I was delighted to host a jollof and tea party at St. James’s Palace. I was firmly assured that the jollof was only the best. Nigerian of course.’
King Charles welcomes Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu at Windsor Castle for his two-day state visit… pic.twitter.com/Dd5TEZS71J
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 18, 2026
Now, for a quick review of what some royal guests were wearing, beginning with the gentlemen, all of whom sported the formal red Windsor uniform, with its distinctive scarlet collar and cuffs on the jacket.
The Queen was in a cream embroidered gown by Fiona Clare, the late Queen’s Belgian Sapphire Tiara with matching earrings, and a diamond necklace that belonged to her mother.
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Princess Anne wore an evening coat dating back to at least 1969, with thanks to Royal British Fashion for that insight, and a bandeau tiara. The Court Jeweler reports that her earrings were an 18th-birthday gift from her parents.
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The Duchess of Gloucester was in a wonderful shade of deep blue. The Court Jeweller reports she wore Queen Mary’s Iveagh Tiara, with stacked necklaces and bracelets, and diamond clips from a tiara belonging to her mother-in-law. Pop over to TCJ for full details.
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We now turn to our look at what Kate wore. 
Her dress very much looks like a bespoke version of Andrew Gn’s Chiffon Pleated Gown in a bespoke color, with thanks to Laura and UFO No More for a speedy ID.
The 100% silk design is from the designer’s F/W 2021 collection, featuring a high neck, puffed blouson sleeves, pleating at the front neck and all around the waist, and a concealed back zipper. The Princess did not wear the pearl-buckled belt shown with the off-the-rack version of the style. 
As many readers may know, green is one of the two primary colors seen in Nigeria’s flag—more from this GB News story.
The colours carry clear meaning; green represents Nigeria’s rich natural wealth, especially its forests and agriculture, while white symbolises peace and unity.
Middleton Maven connected with the designer online. More from her Instagram post.
Andrew Gn confirms that he created this gown for the Princess of Wales in 2022, before retiring in 2023. He describes it as part of a belief in “heritage design” — beautifully made pieces to be treasured and passed down to the next generation, much like jewelry.
Below, the designer at the conclusion of his 2019 runway show.
More about Mr. Gn from Women’s Wear Daily.
While he’s dressed everyone from Queen Rania of Jordan to Lady Gaga, the genial designer has kept a relatively low public profile so far, preferring to cultivate close personal relationships with his customers. Early in his career, trunk shows introduced him to society doyennes such as Lynn Wyatt, Blaine Trump and Susan Gutfreund.
We first saw her wearing the glittering gems with an Erdem gown for the 2015 100 Women in Hedge Funds dinner.
Born to immigrant parents in Singapore in 1966, Gn (pronounced “gin” with a hard “g”) was encouraged to travel and ultimately studied in Paris, New York City, and Milan before founding his Paris atelier, The House of Andrew Gn, in 1995. What “began simply in his apartment with an assistant and a sewing machine,” Slinkard says, grew into a 28-year business that produced 80 collections and some 10,000 ensembles. One of the few independent fashion houses to succeed financially, the atelier (which closed in 2023) is known for rich ornamentation, impeccable materials, and the artist’s disparate global aesthetic
Making its North American debut, Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World illuminates the designer’s life and legacy, showcasing nearly 100 stunning works, including clothing, accessories, original illustrations and digital media. The experience is divided into thematic sections highlighting the designer’s signature blend of Western aesthetics, art history and Asian decorative art and design.
ASW
Wednesday 1st of April 2026
I can deal with anything with the dress. The eye makeup is what floored me. It's almost Goth.
Joanne
Wednesday 25th of March 2026
“The visible outline of a female body is both unacceptable and in some cases against the law in some countries.” This statement was in one of the comments,as I’m sure has been seen. I was not unaware of this attitude,or law,in some countries.But I find it,to be honest,sickening.It’s one thing to recognize a visiting country’s flag by wearing a dress in one of its colors.It’s quite another,I believe, to expect women in the host country to adhere to this belief and/or law. If a woman wants to be completely covered,that’s her choice,of course. But this isn’t how this sentence read,to me.I’m expressing my opinion, and I don’t think I have said anything offensive.Of course,everyone is free to have their own opinion about what was written.
maggie
Saturday 4th of April 2026
@Joanne, I agree completely. The statement is very disturbing. I think that we all have a responsibility to push back against this sort of thinking and by “we” I include Catherine and the BRF. Patriarchy and misogyny are two of the main reasons the world is in such a mess and when we normalize minimizing and hiding women we are supporting both patriarchy and misogyny. Members of the BFR are involved in a number of charities including spousal abuse and abuse of women as acts of war. If they are going to say they are against these things, IMHO they should also be proactive about speaking out against traditions and cultural practices that minimize women. Showing up to State Dinners covered from head to toe (when that is not your usual evening or even State banquet style) is helping to perpetuate harm.
Joanne
Thursday 26th of March 2026
@Zell,☺️
Zell
Thursday 26th of March 2026
@Joanne,
Joanne, thank you so much for your reply, and also, you wrote something here that I completely agree with:
"All of my grandparents came to the United States in the early 20th century,to escape religious persecution. I’m very grateful to them for their courage in doing so, and the idea of women,or any human beings are violating the law because of the way they dress is repugnant to me."
Joanne
Wednesday 25th of March 2026
@Zell,thank you for your reply. I think what I found so disturbing about that statement is that there are countries where it is against the law for women to dress in a certain way.And,the idea that this kind of thinking should be acceptable for diplomatic reasons.All of my grandparents came to the United States in the early 20th century,to escape religious persecution. I’m very grateful to them for their courage in doing so, and the idea of women,or any human beings are violating the law because of the way they dress is repugnant to me. I very much appreciate Susan for letting me express my opinion.And I enjoy reading your thoughtful and interesting comments ☺️
Zell
Wednesday 25th of March 2026
@Joanne,
Here's a slightly different perspective on all of this, I think...
Joanne, much like yourself, I don't personally hold such beliefs, and so, I wouldn't ever feel compelled to dress in order to adhere to them (unless I was visiting a temple or church or other place of worship, where these beliefs are held, and I would want to dress in a way as to show sensitivity to those beliefs, as a guest).
With Catherine, however, as Princess of Wales, it is different. Even though she is on her own "home turf," so to speak, I'm sure the last thing she wants to do is come across as culturally insensitive to her guests.
And so, she wore a relatively modest gown, but, it is also a gorgeous gown, that would be perfectly fine for almost any fancy engagement.
(Also, there is definition to the upper part of her gown, as the bodice area is rather fitted).
Honestly, to me, the Andrew Gn gown is a marvelous gown! It is made with Gorgeous silk chiffon, and I don't think such a delectable swishy, flowy material would be shown off to good advantage, in a very tight gown (such as the green velvet gown of last Christmas, that Catherine wore.
And here is something else to consider:
King Charles and Prince William can wear exactly as they would already wear, as they need not make any kind of concessions in their wardrobe.
That Catherine might have, (and, if she did, she did so with a lot of grace and dignity and Skill !)
- all of this shows me how amazing she is at diplomatic dressing.
One can be sensitive to certain beliefs, as a form of civility, while absolutely Not sharing them.
And, Catherine did have it on hand, several years prior to this state dinner.
As the saying goes, Ginger Rogers had to do everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in heels.
The lovely Catherine, the Pricness of Wales, ie a modern day "Ginger Rogers," as I see it, making it all seem so effortless when it is anything but that. She knows that no matter what she wears, many may love it but many will not. Had she worn a tight gown or a really fitted gown, the headlines would probably give her a hard time for that.
So, she wore a gown that is modest enough but still very very lovely. Women, after all, shouldn't have to feel like they Always must be in something revealing. That's maybe the other side of the coin, especially in the Western world....or if I'm wrong do give your thoughts. This is just my own take.
Bonnie A
Wednesday 25th of March 2026
Late entry here after a busy week...
I love the gown. It is a deep, dark, rich beautiful green that suits the Princess and compliments the guests by nodding to their flag and culture of personal modesty. It is also made with ample, gorgeously soft silk and has elegent, flowing folds. I imagine it makes a beautiful swishy noise as it moves. The sheer sleeves catch some light and further depict soft texture.
I concept of 'heritage design' resonated with me. As I was just thinking the gown is is somehow both timeless and evocative of Princesses in centuries passed. Including with a look of structure about the torso that I associate with olden day corsets.
I agree with others that the wavy hair out competes with the dark colour and folds of the dress. But to have her hair styled as such at these events is Catherine's way and adds something of a fairytale Princess effect. The choice of blue earrings was unexpected.
maggie
Tuesday 24th of March 2026
I have been giving this, and Catherine’s other recent outfits some thought and I am wondering if she has decided that she no longer needs a stylist? I have always thought that she is not really into fashion. That is not to say that she dressed badly pre stylist, but that she is not a fashionista type. It appears to me that she is very interested in raising her family and working hard for her charities. She is intelligent and kind. She likes nice clothes, but is not obsessed with them. With the combination of her longtime stylist leaving and her diagnosis, maybe she is hoping to keep the focus off her clothes and on more important things? The problem I see with that, is that poorly styled outfits get more attention than brilliantly styled ones. If her plan is to take the focus off her clothes, then, IMHO, this is not the way to do it. Recently there have been little niggly things with each outfit that a competent stylist would have flagged early on and corrected.
I am happy she appears healthy and happy. She can obviously wear whatever she wants. I just hope that styling misses don’t start to overshadow her work.
JoanM
Tuesday 24th of March 2026
@maggie, 100% agree and well said.
JoanM
Tuesday 24th of March 2026
@maggie, 100% agree and well said!
Daphne
Monday 23rd of March 2026
This comment sounds grouchy and I apologize. I'm usually in awe of the perfection of the Princess' coordinated "look". The problem here is that here this appears to be an accumulation of disparate elements. The lovely tiara, which here looks oversize for the hairdo. The hair, fighting for attention with the details of the upper part of the dress. The outstanding sapphire earrings, here completely swamped by the hair and lack of color coordination with the dress. The makeup, terribly aging. I cannot get one complete overview, it's an addition of elements. It is a disappointment, given her usual superlative coordinated look. I do wonder if a shortened version of the dress might make an elegant day dress for a formal reception? And I so admire how the couple act with such decorum and charm and support the king and queen.
maggie
Tuesday 24th of March 2026
@Daphne, you don’t sound grumpy! I agree completely. I think back to, for example, Charlotte’s Christening. The perfection of the complete look was just amazing. Even in cases where Catherine has worn outfits I don’t really like, the styling and cohesiveness of the outfit is always perfect. Lately, that is not there and this particular outfit is such an obvious example of that. (Add all the usual disclaimers here that Catherine is certainly not required to dress to please anyone but herself and certainly shouldn’t be expected to produce perfection every time.)