The Princess of Wales led the glamour as she hosted a Buckingham Palace garden party with her husband and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh on Tuesday – with the royal ladies sporting very similar looks.
Kate, 37, looked elegant in a £1,275 blue lace creation by Elie Saab, which she first wore to Royal Ascot in 2019, while Sophie also proved thrifty in a recycled Suzannah gown, which she wore at Royal Ascot in 2022.
Kate’s custom gown features macrame lace, a pussybow neckline, tulle skirt and embroidered polka dots on the sheer panels.
The royal added a dazzling diamond and blue topaz ‘Lola’ earrings from Kiki McDonough, Gianvito Rossi heels and a silver Elie Saab clutch bag.
Her brunette locks were styled in a sleek, intricate updo while her hat contained another floral headpiece.
The Princess of Wales led the glamour as she hosted a Buckingham Palace garden party with her husband and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh on Tuesday
Meanwhile Sophie stunned in a deeper shade of blue with a frilled midi-dress with a full skirt and looked just as regal alongside Prince Edward and the rest of the family.
Her gown was crafted from broderie anglaise, the shirt-inspired design incorporates a ruffled bib, waist belt and fit-and-flare silhouette.
The royal paired the gown with court shoes and she swept her blonde locks up into a Jane Taylor hat.
Today’s garden party invited 500 ‘coronation champions’ from across the country into the grounds of the royal residence to celebrate their volunteering achievements after they were rewarded by Queen Camilla in the Coronation Champions Awards in February 2023.
Kate and Prince William were the picture-perfect couple as they greeted guests in the grounds of the royal residence in a post-coronation celebration– with even Princess Anne making an appearance.
As the royal couple walked down the steps outside the Palace and into the garden, the Princess of Wales beamed at her husband, who appeared to be drawing her attention to something.
Their appearance alongside Edward and Sophie comes as King Charles reportedly wants to reform the monarchy to a ‘slimmed-down’ operation as royal experts claims his official Coronation portraits showed ‘the people who the King can depend on’.
Kate, 41, looked elegant in a £1275 blue lace creation by Elie Saab, which she first wore to Royal Ascot in 2019
Thrifty royals! Both Kate and Sophie recycled their dresses from looks they have previously worn to attend Royal Ascot (left, Kate in 2019; right, Sophie in 2022)
Yesterday royal expert Richard Fitzwilliam told MailOnline that King Charles had likely chosen very carefully how his coronation portraits were staged, with a very important position for Princess Anne – who was also present at today’s garden party.
Mr Fitzwilliams said: ‘This one is a strong forceful portrait of a monarch who knows his own mind and is very experienced.’
He added the Princess Royal’s proximity to the King in the group portrait ‘is no accident’, adding the fact she is ‘experienced and hard-working’ will have been noticed by Charles.
Noting the family shot included only four people under the age of 70, Mr Fitzwilliams said this will be a ‘challenge’ for the King in the future, who will need to decide ‘how slimmed down he wants the monarchy to be’.
As they teamed up with the Scouts yesterday, the Waleses got to work filling in holes and driving diggers – with the children treated to s’mores as a reward for their hard work.
The Princess of Wales greets Aldith Grandison, 93, and her daughter Jay Cee La Bouche during the party
As Kate said hello to Ms Grandison, she took the 93-year-old’s hand and smiled while they chatted
Kate, dressed head-to-toe in blue, chatted to guests at the garden party
While Kate directed her children and got stuck in to help out herself, she opted for a practical yet chic baby blue ‘Liberty’ Frill Neck Silk Shirt from Really Wild Clothing, costing £129.
The shirt was paired with her black G-Star Raw skinny cargo trousers, which she previously wore in khaki to take part in emergency drills with the Irish Guards after becoming colonel of the battalion.
On her feet, she wore very sensible and hardy Blundstone 550 Chelsea boots.
It has been an extremely busy few days for the Prince and Princess, who shone at King Charles’s coronation on Saturday at Westminster Abbey.
Kate, along with eight-year-old Princess Charlotte, sported a stunning ivory silk crepe gown from Alexander McQueen to attend the event, and both opted for dazzling floral headpieces.
On top of her gown, which was embellished with the flowers of the four nations, Kate wore the Royal Victorian Order mantle.
To attend the coronation concert on Sunday evening, the Princess wore a crimson £2,280 Alexander McQueen suit.
She and her family danced the night away as acts including Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie performed for the royals and thousands of fans who were lucky enough to get tickets to the concert, held at Windsor Castle.
Princess Anne wore a cream dress and coat combinationcomplete with a paisley pattern and cream gloves
Kate’s stylish updo was reminiscent of her Coronation ceremony hairstyle as she attended the garden party
The Princess of Wales beamed and laughed as she appeared to spot a familiar face in the crowd of guests
Kate looked deep in conversation as she chatted with the Scout members, as President of The Scout Association
And expert lip reader Jacqui Press revealed to FEMAIL what she believed Kate had said during a comedy skit which featured characters from The Muppets.
As Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog larked around on stage, they stopped to chat with the concert’s host, Hugh Bonneville.
The two characters walked up to the host, telling him they were ‘looking for their seats,’ explaining they were expected in the royal box.
Miss Piggy then exclaimed she couldn’t believe she didn’t have a castle yet, and asked Bonneville if he was single.
Kate Middleton particularly loved the skit, exclaiming: ‘that’s funny!’ as she sat next to her daughter Princess Charlotte.
Hugh Bonneville’s quip at Miss Piggy, calling her a ‘pig in a dress,’ particularly amused Prince William, as the royal repeated the words under his breath with a laugh.
The Princess’s stiletto pumps didn’t seem to faze her in the slightest despite the fact she was walking on grass – with barely a hair out of place on her head
William, 41, wore a top hat and tails as he attended the garden party and looked eager to meet guests
Following an incredibly busy few days for the Wales family, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight and Prince Louis, five, are back at school today, after their father joked he’d struggle to get them up this morning.
Speaking in Slough yesterday, William admitted his children were ‘so tired’ after three days of royal engagements – and no doubt the parents are feeling it too.
When Kate and William were spotted meeting royal fans in Windsor on Sunday afternoon ahead of the coronation concert, William told a royal fan who enquired about Charlotte that his exhausted eight-year-old was resting at home after the coronation.