Kate Middleton's Emerald Dress Had a Subtle Nod to Princess Diana

Every year, the British Fashion Council honors a luminary with the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design and, this year, Kate Middleton is the one doing the honors of presenting the award. When she arrived at London's Design Museum for the ceremony, she wore a flowing emerald-green dress that featured a gold-buckled belt, which seemed to echo the statement-making wide belts that Princess Diana loved so much when she would make public appearances.

Kate's tea-length dress had three-quarter sleeves embellished with small bows. The dress also had a high collar and flowing silky fabric that looked hammered to give it texture and shine. The very Diana-esque belt had gold buckles and was in the same jewel-tone fabric as the dress. Kate finished her look with gold earrings, a box clutch, and coordinating suede heels, which is her usual matchy-matchy M.O. when it comes to her shoes.

In the past, the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design has been handed out by other royal women. Back in 2019, Camilla Parker Bowles had the honor and Princess Anne had her turn in 2020. Last year, Sophie, Countess of Wessex was the guest of honor. Past recipients have included designer Richard Quinn, Bethany Williams, and Rosh Mahtani. Every year since 2018, the award has been presented to "young designers that are both talented and making a difference to society through either sustainable practices or community engagement."