The Princess of Wales is reportedly not expected to attend a major royal event next month which will possibly be the last tiara moment of the year.
The tiaras in the royal collection are breath-taking to behold and fans are only treated to a few glimpses of them each year at very specific occasions. These include any State Banquets and the Diplomatic Reception that is held annually at Buckingham Palace each winter. This year the reception was brought forward from December to November, where we saw Queen Camilla wear the late Queen Elizabeth’s magnificent Aquamarine Ribbon tiara for the first time.
The Princess of Wales didn’t attend this year and now it’s been suggested that whilst she will participate in certain aspects of the State Visit of the Amir of Qatar in early December, she’ll miss out on what will likely be the final tiara-wearing opportunity of 2024.
There will be a State Banquet on 3rd December and according to Town&Country, Kensington Palace has allegedly said that the Princess of Wales is not expected to be there that evening. Buckingham Palace did confirm, though, that the Prince and Princess of Wales would be there to greet The Amir and Sheikha Jawaher at their residence.
They will be doing so on behalf of the King, with the Palace adding that, "The Prince and Princess of Wales will travel with Their Highnesses to Horse Guards Parade, where The Amir and Sheikha Jawaher will receive a Ceremonial Welcome."
The State Banquet is likely going to be the last royal event held in 2024 where the dress code is formal enough for the women to bring out their fabulous tiaras. If Kate doesn’t attend then this means that it will probably be at least 2025 before she wears another jewel-encrusted headpiece.
Over the years we’ve seen her wear four different tiaras - the Cartier Halo Tiara, the Lotus Flower Tiara, The Lover’s Knot Tiara and the Strathmore Rose Tiara. At the State Banquet held during the visit of Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol last year, it was the Strathmore Rose Tiara that she stepped out in, marking the first time she’s ever worn this piece which once belonged to the Queen Mother.
Whilst some fans will no doubt have loved to see Kate at the banquet in December, her reported decision not to attend makes sense given that she is still gradually resuming royal duties after completing cancer treatment.
The Princess of Wales will already be taking a big role in welcoming The Amir and Sheikha to the UK and she made it clear in her heartfelt message back in September that she wouldn’t be returning to a full schedule immediately. Kate declared that she was looking forward to "undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when [she could]."
Just a few days after the State Banquet the Princess of Wales has a particularly high-profile event in her calendar as Kate’s Together at Christmas carol service will be filmed at Westminster Abbey on 6th December. Her Royal Highness confirmed earlier this month that it would be back for the fourth year running and Kensington Palace revealed that this year the service will provide a "moment to reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives."
They added that the service will "shine a light on individuals from all over the UK who have shown love, kindness and empathy towards others in their communities".
