Dior diplomacy: Princess Catherine’s French fashion statement
Colour-coded outfits and brooches are the usual tools for female members of the royal family to pay tribute to visiting nations, but for the first French state visit to the UK since 2008, the Princess of Wales relied on the power of a single label.
Greeting French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte at RAF Northolt in north-west London, a 30-minute drive from Windsor Castle, Princess Catherine made her debut in French luxury label Dior.
Princess Catherine in Dior greeting French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.Credit: Getty
Catherine wore the pale pink 30 Montaigne Rose Des Vents Bar Jacket from one of Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri’s last collections for the label before she was replaced by Northern Irishman Jonathan Anderson this year.
Dior was a favourite label of Princess Margaret, who wore a dress from the label for her 21st birthday, and Catherine’s mother-in-law Princess Diana, who carried the brand’s Chouchou bag so frequently that in 1996 it was officially renamed the Lady Dior bag. Fittingly, Catherine wore Diana’s Collingwood pearl-drop earrings beneath a matching pink hat with ribbon detail by Jess Collett, tilted with French insouciance. A pearl necklace from Queen Elizabeth’s collection completed the pretty summer look.
The French first lady was content to let her hosts take centre stage in an understated and appropriately chic tailored cream dress with gold accents. Queen Camilla wore an emerald green midi dress by Fiona Clare with a matching hat by Irish milliner Philip Treacy.
At the state dinner held at Windsor Castle – as Buckingham Palace is being renovated – Catherine continued the dress diplomacy in a caped red gown by Sarah Burton, the British designer who made her debut as creative director of the French fashion house Givenchy in March.
Burton famously designed Catherine’s dress for her wedding to Prince William in 2011, while she was creative director at Alexander McQueen.
Wearing the Lover’s Knot Tiara with its 19 hanging pearls set in silver and gold, another favourite of Princess Diana’s, Catherine’s appearance at the dinner is another sign of her easing back into public life after her cancer diagnosis last year.
Last month Catherine withdrew from a planned appearance at Royal Ascot as she continues to balance royal commitments with her recovery.
With Catherine in red, Queen Camilla in an ivory silk and crêpe gown by Fiona Clare, and Brigitte in a cobalt blue caped dress, the trio paid tribute to the shared colours of the French tricolour and the Union Jack.
Camilla accessorised with the Belgian Sapphire Tiara, which she first wore at the state banquet for South Africa in November 2022.
While Catherine’s Givenchy and Dior selections paid tribute to French fashion, the always dapper King Charles made sure that he demonstrated his style credentials in his speech.
“We have exchanged ideas, fashions and music. When Monet painted London’s fogs, when Jane Birkin, ‘la plus française des britanniques’, sang, or when Thierry Henry scored at Highbury, these were perfect combinations,” the King said, name-dropping Birkin, the inspiration for the most famous handbag from French fashion house Hermes.
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