Kate Middleton wears Princess Diana's brooch to meet Sultan of Oman

A reception was held in Windsor, Britain, on Tuesday, October 20, in honor of the state visit of Sultan Haysam bin Tariq of Oman. The welcoming ceremony was attended by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales. According to The News, the visit is taking place at the invitation of the British monarch and will last until October 22, 2026.

The official part and the image of the Princess of Wales

The official part began with the fact that Prince William met the Sultan at his London residence Grove House. According to The National, after this meeting, they traveled together to Windsor for an official greeting by the king at the royal rostrum on Datchet Road. This visit was the first state visit by the Sultan of Oman to the UK since 1982, when Queen Elizabeth II hosted Sultan Qaboos.

The image of Kate, Princess of Wales, attracted special attention from the media, who called her appearance a master class in diplomatic style. For the event, she chose a long fitted coat in a coniferous shade from Alexander McQueen designed by Sarah Burton and a hat from the Juliette Botterill Millinery brand. According to Town & Country, Kate's dark green outfit combined with Queen Camilla's red dress became a conscious diplomatic gesture and a reference to the colors of Oman's national flag - green, red and white.

The symbolism of the historical Princess brooch

An important detail of the image was the historical brooch "Three Feathers" (Prince of Wales Feathers Brooch), decorated with 18 classic-cut diamonds, emeralds and ostrich feathers emerging from a golden crown. According to The Royal Watcher, the decoration contains a heraldic sign with the motto "Ich dien", which means "I serve". The relic of the late 19th century was often worn by Princess Diana, although she often used it as a pendant on a diamond thread.

The history of jewelry goes back more than 160 years. The brooch was presented to the future Queen Alexandra of Denmark in 1863 by the Ladies of North Wales Society in honor of her wedding to Edward VII. Later, in 1981, Queen Mother Elizabeth presented this brooch to Lady Diana Spencer in honor of her engagement to Prince Charles. As Tatler points out, the choice of this accessory highlighted Catherine's status as the Princess of Wales and was a tribute to her predecessors who held this title.

Compliance with the royal protocol at the reception

Despite the heavy rain, the Princess of Wales took part in the official part at the outdoor venue. The French edition of Paris Match described her appearance as "brilliant" despite the difficult weather conditions. The press also noted Kate's strict adherence to royal protocol. HELLO! journalists They called her deep curtsy when greeting the Sultan of Oman exemplary, noting the accuracy of the tilt, grace and smoothness of movements.

Previously, the Three Feathers brooch had already been used by the Princess of Wales as a symbol of her official title. This time, the appearance of the relic at a state-level reception also highlighted Kate Middleton's official status.

It is worth noting that Sultan Haysam bin Tariq's current visit follows a private meeting with King Charles III, which took place in Windsor in July 2025.