Kate Middleton pairs her Jenny Packham gown with the Queen’s diamonds, naturally
See more Kate Middleton style »
After two Kate Middleton-less months, our favourite duchess is finally back in the spotlight! Last night Kate attended a gala at the National Portrait Gallery, which is one of her official patronages, and the event was her first official engagement for 2014. Clearly we’re not the only ones taking note of all this official-ness: the Queen loaned Kate an impressive diamond necklace for the evening, one we’ve been fantasizing about since photos first emerged via the Twitter accounts of royal reporters.
The necklace (which looks like it would be right at home on the neck of another fabulous Elizabeth) was a wedding gift, given in 1947 from the Nizam of Hyderabad. Queen Elizabeth—who was just a princess at the time—selected the necklace from Cartier and it’s essentially diamonds on top of diamonds on top of even more diamonds, which is likely why it’s her favourite piece to wear for official portraits.
Kate obviously looked stunning in the necklace, which stood out against the ink-blue Jenny Packham gown she wore last night. The dress was a recent repeat—she first wore it in October—but thanks to the bright lights of the gala, we were able to see the dress in much better detail. Also glowing was Kate’s complexion, thanks to a week of sunshine on a recent Middleton family trip to Mustique with Prince George. And there’s more of that to come: The Cambridges are heading on a royal tour of Australia in a few short months. Bring on the daily photos!