This evening, William and Kate joined the Queen, senior members of the British Royal Family, and many Indians "from various fields of work including performing arts, fashion, food, literature and sport." The fête was launching the UK-India Year of Culture 2017, a celebratory year focused around the 70th anniversary of India's independence.
For those lucky enough to be invited to the bash, they received this very formal invitation from the Palace:
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via Ali Pretty |
Preprations for the evening were underway throughout the day and Rebecca English, as well as the Palace, shared tantalizing pictures and videos in the run-up to show time. Rebecca shared this snap of the enviable canapés prepared in the kitchens below-stairs at BP:
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via Rebecca English, DailyMail Reporter |
According to the BP Twitter there were 5,00 canapés ranging from "Raj Puri and Soya Gujjia to Salmon Blinis and Crème Brûlée." It was a night sure to impress as musicians and dancers greeted arriving guests:
Here the Duchess of Cambridge stands with Rebecca Deacon as she chats to chef Vikas Khanna, one of the presenters on Master Chef: India:
Can you imagine these two at a house-party in Norfolk, or hosting a cocktail party at Anmer or KP? They look like such a hoot. William is quite a sharp guy and absolutely hysterical. I was chatting with someone who attended the Taste of Norfolk fundraiser and her stories about his comments and jokes were a scream.
The Palace put on a top-notch party, including a display that featured a shawl that Gandi knit (wove?) himself for the then Princess Elizabeth. William looked eager to learn a little bit of family history:
It is always fun to see the Cambridges play the supporting role to the Queen. It seems to transform them from the serious senior royals to "the kids" learning from the pro, which is cute.
Princess Eugenie, one of my favorite royals, was also on hand tonight in a chic black and white cocktail dress:
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via Rebecca English Twitter |
Kate chose a metallic Erdem cocktail dress which held its won in the glamour of Buckingham Palace. It is sold out, but came in several shades when it was first released. It features sheer sleeves with metallic threading in a floral design, pink silk lining, and a pleated skirt. Really, it is a super-charged lace dress, with the metallic really gives it an extra kick.

Miss Twinkle-Toes, aka HRH the Duchess of Cambridge, debuted new shoes from Oscar de La Renta. These scalloped pumps add quite a bit of bling to her already glittering dress, but I am a huge fan, despite the competing shimmer. They look relatively muted in most pictures, but I am sure they packed a punch in person, as they do in several photos with good flash. The fact that she is wearing Oscar de la Renta is another little boost to the flame of hope that Kate will wear another Oscar de la Renta feature ensemble in the near future.
It has been noted that Kate diplomatically blended her Canadian/British dress with earrings from India--a nice nod to the theme of the evening. This earbobs, as Scarlett O'Hara would term them, are by Indian designer Anita Dongre.
You are already familiar with Anita Dongre from the Cambridges' trip to India in 2016. Kate's
Gulrukh Tunic Dress was one of her designs.
Tonight's Erdem reminded me of a number of Kate's dresses. It seemed to borrow the metallic of the Collette Dinnigan, the lace and silhouette of the Ascot D&G, and the pinky/glitter of the ARK gala dress:
The verdict tonight was a big win. Kate was magnificently beautiful. This dress is a mixture of so many of her favorite features, from the pleated skirt to the metallic lace, and midi length. At the same time, it was a new mix of old favorites, which gave it a fresh twist. I love how it seems to be the lace Collette Dinnigan (one of my ALL TIME faves) + the D&G minus that ruffle. The more I look at it the more I love it. Very feminine and delicate, but appropriate for the venue and the company.
Adding new and bold shoes and a polished half & half hair style pulled her together beautiful. (Never underestimate the power of the coiffure to make or break you) This is absolutely a dress I would pass up on the rack, but Kate just made it shine--no pun intended. Super gorgeous, Kate!
We have another event tomorrow as Kate visits the Ronald McDonald House. Sweet dreams to you all!