State Visit Of The President Of The People's Republic Of China - Day 2 (Photo : Getty Images)
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended on Tuesday the state banquet in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Madame Peng. Kate Middleton wore the Lotus Flower Tiara that Queen Elizabeth lent her.
ABC reports that it was the same tiara that Kate wore at the 2013 Diplomatic Reception and the third time she wore one. Since their guests were Chinese, Kate wore a red Jenny Packham gown. She also had diamond chandelier earrings and a diamond bracelet.
Time notes that the tiara has been with the British royal family since the 1920s, originally owned by Queen Mary who passed it on to Queen Elizabeth.
Red is a color preferred by Chinese because it represents luck, good fortune and joy. The mother of Prince William, Kate's husband, owns a Cambridge Lovers Note Tiara given by the Queen to the late Princess Diana. There were speculations that Kate would wear it because of her royal title, Duchess of Cambridge.
Food served include fillet of West Coast turbot with lobster mousse, Balmoral venison in Madeira sauce, braised cabbage and potatoes, and butternut squash. The music was a combination of traditional Chinese folk songs and contemporary classics like the Beatles' hits "Eleanor Rigby" and "Nobody Does it Better" and "The Spy Who Loved Me," the theme from the 1977 James Bond movie.
The Queen said Xi's visit is a milestone in the "unprecedented year of cooperation and friendship" between China and UK. She gave the Chinese president a pair of Royal Crown Derby candlesticks and Shakespeare's sonnets in a leather box.
She visited China 30 years ago, which Queen Elizabeth says she has fond memories of her trip, accompanied by Prince Philip. She recalls visiting the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors. In March 2015, Prince William visited China.
