Just days after marking their wedding anniversary, the Prince and Princess of Wales have another reason to celebrate with their royal relatives King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Kate and William took part in a family reunion on the 80th Anniversary of VE Day on 8 May, alongside Princess Anne and Duchess Sophie. As usual, the royal style set made a glamorous appearance, but all eyes were on Kate, who has rarely been pictured at big royal events since completing her preventative chemotherapy treatment in 2024.
© James Veysey/ShutterstockThe Princess looked striking in a deep purple Emilia Wickstead coat dress featuring a belted waist and a pleated skirt, effortlessly completing her look with a matching Sean Barrett hat adorned with a bow and tan Ralph Lauren heels. She had previously worn the same outfit in 2022 to meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Accessorising to perfection, she wore ruby drop earrings and pinned a gold brooch that appears to be the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm brooch to her lapel, featuring Air Force wings.
© James Veysey/ShutterstockLaura Taylor from Lorel Diamonds revealed Kate's choice of ruby jewellery may have been deliberate, thanks to the stone's symbolism. "Kate often uses jewellery to send a subtle message, and today’s choice of rubies feels both intentional and sentimental. Rubies are traditionally linked to love, strength and protection, so wearing them on a national day of remembrance adds a meaningful and emotional touch to her outfit.
"It feels like a respectful tribute to those who served, using one of the few tools available to her to honour the moment without breaking royal protocol."
She noted that while the royal has previously worn the halo necklace, which she estimated to be worth £20 - 25k, the £25 - 30k earrings appear to be new. "The previous pair had two halos of diamonds and a yellow gold setting. Today’s version is much more refined, with just one halo, a double diamond drop above the ruby, and a third diamond set on the lobe. They are either brand new or adapted from an existing design. Either way, it’s likely Kate chose this more understated version with the tone of the day in mind."
Kate's jewels
© PA Images via Getty ImagesTobias Kormind, MD and Co-Founder of 77 Diamonds, revealed the royals, including Kate, had lots of "sentimental" jewels that could have made an appearance.
"With a wide range of events set to take place to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we can expect to see a rich variety of significant jewels worn by the senior royal women. Each chosen piece will not only reflect personal sentiment but also pay tribute to the enduring spirit of the wartime generation.
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"The VE Day procession in particular offers the opportunity to showcase a mixture of historic brooches, symbolic pieces linked to military service, and heirlooms with strong personal and national meaning."
He noted the aquamarine and diamond clip brooches gifted to Queen Elizabeth II by her father, King George VI, in 1944. Her Late Majesty wore them during her televised address marking the 75th anniversary of VE Day in 2020.
Kate's new hair
© Getty ImagesKate's hair, which has long been the subject of headlines across the world, looked as bouncy as usual on Monday, without one strand out of place. After stepping out at Aros Hall in Mull on 29 April – exactly 14 years since her royal wedding – with noticeably lighter locks, the Duchess of Rothesay continued to show off her long 'bronde' hair, which had been lifted for summer.
Following her 43rd birthday in January, Kate was pictured with long, bouncy tresses in a birthday portrait. Professional hairstylist Tom Pike confirmed her hair looked longer and in great condition.
"Essentially, Kate has upgraded the style known as the 'Hollywood wave'. To achieve this, you would use either a smoothing cream or a nice blow-dry spray. Blow dry your hair smooth, then using a large barrel wand, twist the hair around the tool, taking slightly thicker sections as you work. Once this is done, gently brush it out," he told HELLO!.
"The way that Kate's done it is slightly differently; she's parted her hair at the back and then pushed it forward, so it looks like you've got that real, I call it a 'royal wave', but it just looks like you've got that real deep wave in the hair. It's beautiful."
