Kate Middleton returned to the Royal Albert Hall for the 2025 Festival of Remembrance on Saturday evening.
The Princess of Wales looked elegant in a black dress by Alessandra Rich, worn with a handmade poppy. More on the fashion later in the post.
This year’s performance was particularly notable as Prince George made his debut, joining his mother for the poignant ceremony for the first time.
Doesn’t he look so grown up now!
I’d half expected the youngster to attend, with William travelling back from Brazil and Princess Anne being overseas on tour. I thought the Royal Box would look a bit thin on the ground.
The Prince is now 12 years old, the recommended minimum age on the Festival’s ticketing website.
The King and Queen led the royal party this evening, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Actress and singer Hannah Waddingham hosted this year’s concert, which paid tribute to the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces.
The annual festival honours the sacrifices made by the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces community, and those who have lost their lives in conflict.
This year, the festival commemorated the theme ‘Service Not Self‘ through storytelling, personal testimony and musical performances.
The event opened with the traditional Entry of the Standards, followed by a royal fanfare to mark the arrival of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Musical performers Sir Rod Stewart, Sam Ryder, Keala Settle, Blessing Offor, and The Wellermen took to the stage throughout the evening. They performed alongside military bands, including the Central Band of the RAF, the King’s Colour Squadron, and the Bands of His Majesty’s Royal Marines.
Actor Douglas Booth delivered a recital of High Flight during a segment honouring the RAF and the Battle of Britain.
Host Hannah Waddingham performed We’ll Meet Again in tribute to the veterans who secured peace 80 years ago.
This year’s festival commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, honouring the courage and sacrifice of those who fought and lost their lives.
It also celebrated 25 years since the Armed Forces lifted the ban on gay, lesbian and bisexual personnel serving openly with a special “pride” segment.
The ceremony concluded with the Act of Remembrance—the Last Post, a two-minute silence beneath a gentle poppy fall, and the Reveille.
The evening ended with a united chorus of God Save the King.
Kate’s Outfit
As always, the Princess dressed with care for the occasion, choosing a black tailored dress by Alessandra Rich, a vintage-inspired piece finished with a bow.
Kate wears the designer’s ‘Envers Dress‘, a long black dress that features a crisp white lace-trimmed collar, decorative bow at the neckline and a structured peplum waist.
The piece is finished with buttons on the front, long cuffed sleeves and a gently flared skirt. I think Kate is wearing a slightly longer version than the model.
As with all of Alessandra Rich’s clothing, the Envers dress is crafted in Italy.
The dress is still available at MyTheresa, currently reduced from $2,470 USD / £1,685 GBP to $1,729 USD / £1,179 GBP, in limited sizes.
The MyTheresa dress is made from satin, according to the listing. It looks like it was also available in silk at one time. I’d expect Kate is wearing silk, but obviously that’s impossible for me to know for certain. Just a hunch!
As most of my regular readers will know, the Princess is a huge fan of Alessandra Rich. She has built an impressive collection from the brand in the past few years. She’s worn numerous dresses by the Italian label, and has also chosen Alessandra Rich footwear on a couple of occasions too, including the ‘Fab’ slingback pumps.
Let’s move on to Kate’s handbag now, it’s her trusty Mulberry Bayswater wallet in black suede—a long-time favourite in her wardrobe.
The sleek bag features a slim silhouette and is finished with the brand’s signature gold postman’s lock.
Sadly, the bag is out of production and isn’t currently available to buy. Your best bet is the pre-loved/resale market, or you might consider a similar style from Mulberry’s current line (the Darley is a good option!).
The Princess has owned this particular clutch for over a decade and has carried it to more than sixty public engagements to date, making it one of the most-worn accessories in her wardrobe.
She also owns this bag in two more colours: conker, a deep, rich maroon colour, and buttercream, a light cream shade.
The Princess is a loyal Mulberry fan, frequently turning to the British label for her bags. She’s also worn Mulberry clothing on multiple occasions.
On the white collar of her dress, the Princess pinned a handcrafted silk poppy, designed by Izzy Ager for Lock & Co. The piece is created from glass, silk and natural fibres.
A closer look at the piece, courtesy of Lock & Co.’s website:
Izzy has recently graduated from the Royal School of Needlework in Hampton Court Palace. She uses traditional Raisedwork and Goldwork techniques to handcraft the poppies—both used for Royal ceremonial garments and military uniforms.
Each poppy takes around 12 hours to make and is modelled on a real flower.
You can buy the exclusive and limited-edition design from Lock & Co. Hatters for £500, with profits donated to the Royal British Legion.
Let’s move on to jewellery now. The Princess pinned the HMS Glasgow brooch underneath her poppy.
You might remember this piece from earlier in the year. Kate wore the brooch to the official naming ceremony of HMS Glasgow in May (she is the ‘sponsor’ of the ship).
It was designed by the Scottish family-run jewellers, James Porter & Son.
Crafted in sterling silver and hallmarked in Edinburgh, the brooch’s design merges tradition with symbolism. At its heart sits a finely detailed depiction of St Kentigern, Glasgow’s patron saint, framed by the curved leaves and spiked form of a thistle, the Scottish emblem. The thistle’s bloom is replaced by a crown—a subtle nod to royal heritage. The silhouette is designed to echo the strength and elegance of HMS Glasgow’s crest:
The design was inspired by the crest of HMS Glasgow and aimed to capture something of the ship’s strength, the city’s identity, and the beauty of Scotland’s natural landscape.
James-Porter.co.uk
You can read more about the brooch here.
The Princess also accessorised with a silver-coloured cross pendant that she’s owned for more than a decade.
The exact origin remains unknown. Kate’s worn the necklace on several occasions during her time in the Royal Family, but we’ve never been able to identify the piece. It appears to be set with diamonds.
We could identify her earrings though—the ‘Bahrain pearl drops’ that originally belonged to Queen Elizabeth II—a fitting nod to royal tradition during the Remembrance weekend.
Each earring features a large, round pearl suspended beneath a diamond-set cap, hanging from a round brilliant-cut diamond stud with a marquise-cut diamond link.
A closer look at the stunning earrings on another occasion:
The earrings were a wedding gift to the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 from the ruler of Bahrain, who offered several natural pearls from the Gulf as part of his present. These were later used to create this exquisite pair of drops, designed by Garrard. Queen Elizabeth II wore them throughout her reign, and they have since been passed down for use by other senior royals.
The Princess of Wales has worn them frequently since 2016. They’ve become one of her go-to choices for events of remembrance, funerals and national reflection.
Pearls have long held a special place in royal mourning tradition. Queen Victoria popularised the custom after Prince Albert’s death, favouring pearls as a discreet alternative to diamonds during her long widowhood. Since then, generations of royal women have continued the tradition.
Lastly, the Princess finished tonight’s look with a pair of simple pointed black heels. Theexact pair still to be confirmed. They’re likely to be her Gianvito Rossi 105 pumps, or the Stuart Weitzman pair she’s been favouring recently.