With only one 2025 Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace left, I hoped that the Princess of Wales would make an appearance at the final event. So imagine my excitement when Kate joined Prince William in hosting it on 20th May.
She marked her return to Garden Parties in style with an outfit that would easily count as one of the best wedding guest dresses. Not only was it one of the season’s most on-trend colours - butter yellow - but I had ear-marked this for a possible re-wear ahead of the Easter weekend.
The Waleses marked Easter privately, but I predicted that she’d opt for a blue ensemble if she did attend the Easter service at Windsor Castle. However, I really wanted to see this Emilia Wickstead beauty brought back out of her wardrobe. Now it has been and the Princess of Wales paired it with some very special earrings.
Shop Butter Yellow Dresses
Also available in a fiery orange tone, this butter yellow dress is affordable and selling fast. It's one of those pieces that is especially fabulous for holidays, as it's breezy and has a split up one side. The gathered detail at the waist reminded me of Kate's dress and the zip is discreet.
If there's one fabric that I associate most with summer it's linen and this dress is made from 100% linen for a breathable finish. The soft yellow colour is beautiful and it features fluttery short sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. I'd wear this with tan or white sandals - or gold for a touch more glamour.
This linen blend dress feels quite formal and would make a great outfit for a wedding, party or other special event. The pleated bodice and frills on the straps are fabulous and the material is designed for minimal creasing which is always a bonus. Throw on with a neutral blazer and heels and add a woven clutch like Kate's.
Kate’s dress is her favourite midi-length, with delicate ruching at the waist and a high crew neckline. Part of what makes this design so elegant is precisely how pared-back it is.
There are no patterns, frills or adornments. The dress is ultimately a long-sleeved pencil dress, but it is so much more than that description suggests.
If you’ve been scouring for spring outfit ideas or what to wear when summer finally arrives then you might have noticed quite how popular butter yellow is right now. It’s warm-toned and relatively neutral for a pastel colour too.
Kate’s had this yellow dress in her collection for several years and the only other time she’s worn it was for a Service of Thanksgiving during the Platinum Jubilee weekend in 2022.
Shop Accessories Like Kate's
As well as beige, this box clutch also comes in black and a natural straw tone and it's an affordable addition to your accessories collection. It comes with both a detachable short chain and a longer one so you can adjust how you wear it, though I think it's great just as a simple clutch.
Crafted from soft suede with a pointed toe and manageable kitten heel, these shoes would look lovely with so many summer outfits. There are several colours available, though the neutral sand colour is very versatile. Wear with a butter yellow dress or with jeans and a white linen shirt during the day.
These silver marquise diamond-style drop hoop earrings are subtle enough to be worn everyday as well as for big occasions. They're made with an easy hinge and have a row of pavé set diamonds or crystals depending on which finish you pick. They're available in solid sterling silver, 18ct gold plated sterling silver or solid 9ct gold with genuine diamonds.
She was ahead of the trend once again and at the Garden Party she also re-wore the same yellow hat and Forever New woven clutch, with beige Gianvito Rossi slingback heels.
When the future Queen finds a combination that works for her, she sticks to it, and she showed exactly how to style butter yellow. Keeping your accessories neutral will help to mellow out a striking shade and butter yellow works especially well with beige, tan and cream because they’re paler and also have warm undertones.
Jewellery-wise you’d think that yellow gold would be the Princess’ go-to with a yellow dress but I couldn’t help noticing that she had her Robinson Pelham wedding earrings on instead. These are white gold and diamond and the acorn-drop design is a tribute to her family.
Ahead of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s wedding day in 2011, a new Middleton Coat of Arms was granted to her father Michael. It features three acorns which represent Kate, Pippa and James and reflects West Berkshire where they grew up as it’s surrounded by oak trees.
The senior royal has worn these earrings only a few times since Michael and Carole Middleton gave them to her as a wedding gift. Kate’s choice to wear them at the Garden Party stood out to me as a nod to her family and Prince William at this big occasion.
Last year the Princess of Wales didn’t attend any of the Royal Garden Parties as she was undertaking cancer treatment. Her return was wonderful to see and her outfit was as stylish and well-considered as ever.
