Kate Middleton Just Wore a Gown Inspired by One of Princess Diana's Go-To Dresses
Last night, Kate Middleton stepped out in a second glamorous look during her and Prince William's royal Caribbean tour, and in classic Kate fashion, she snuck in several subtle tributes with her outfit for a state dinner at King's House, the official residence of the Governor-General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen.
For starters, her glittering Jenny Packham ballgown was swathed in a deep shade of emerald green, paying homage to the color of her host country Jamaica's flag. Meanwhile, her matching emerald and diamond jewelry was on loan from the Queen, and she wore a brooch featuring a portrait of the monarch pinned to her dress. A nod that wasn't so obvious was one made to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, who reached for a very similar gown time and time again during her time as a royal.
Like Diana's dark green taffeta gown designed by Graham Wren for Nettie Vogues, which she wore for her official engagement photos to Prince Charles and on at least two other occasions, Kate's dress featured a cinched waist and a tulle skirt. Though, instead of puff sleeves, Kate's version included a modern off-the-shoulder neckline.
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Kate and Will's official visit to the Caribbean has been met with backlash from locals protesting the U.K.'s history of colonialism. Three countries that couple are visiting on their tour — Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Belize — all have Queen Elizabeth as head of state. Last year, Barbados broke ties with the Queen and voted in its first president, and Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness also revealed that his country intends to follow suit.
"Jamaica is a very free and liberal country and the people are very expressive —and I'm certain that you would have seen the spectrum of expressions yesterday," Holness told The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, referencing their warm welcome in Trench Town that was followed by a protest calling for slave reparations in Kingston. "There are issues here, which as you know, are unresolved, but your presence gives us an opportunity for those issues to be placed in context, to be out front and center and to be addressed as best we can. But Jamaica is, as you would see, is a country that is proud of its history and very proud of what we have achieved," he continued. "And we're moving on and we intend to… fulfill our true ambitions and destiny to become an independent, developed and prosperous country."
