The Princess of Wales chose an ensemble by French fashion house Christian Dior for today’s ceremonies marking the start of the state visit by France to the United Kingdom. 
The Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte at RAF Northolt as they began their three-day visit.
Below, the President greets the Princess of Wales.
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The Prince of Wales and President Macron. 
The BBC reports, “It is the first state visit by a French president since 2008, and the first by a European Union political leader since Brexit.”
This is not the first time the two couples have spent time together. Here you see them at a G7 reception in June 2021. 
Another scene from today’s airport welcome. 
This video, posted by Kensington Palace, gives you a look at the RAF Northolt arrival.
Bienvenue Président @EmmanuelMacron 👋🇫🇷🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/XQQufqx8Og
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 8, 2025
The group then traveled to Windsor’s town center for a welcome by the King and Queen. 
The visit is being hosted at Windsor Castle because of the ongoing renovations at Buckingham Palace. The last state visit held at Windsor was in 2014 when the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, visited.
It was a sunny day with temperatures in the upper 70s. 
More from The Telegraph’s coverage.
The King and Queen warmly welcomed the Macrons on the dais at Windsor, with the French president kissing Camilla’s hand. As they stood chatting, Emmanuel Macron placed his hand on the King’s back, and gave it a few affectionate rubs.
Mr Macron and the King later chatted enthusiastically as Household Cavalry made their way down the road and the open-top carriages arrived.
The Prince and Princess appeared to be relaxed and enjoying the ceremonies.
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Here is a quick video of the Prince and Princess via The Daily Mail’s Rebecca English.
Lovely to see the Prince and Princess of Wales at today’s ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle having a very animated chat 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/JIfp09y13O
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) July 8, 2025
Prince William helping the Princess down the steps as everyone headed to their respective carriages for a ride to Windsor Castle. 
The King and French President traveled through Windsor in the 1902 State Landau. 
The Queen and Mrs. Macron rode in the Semi-State Landau. 
The Prince and Princess in the Ascot Landau, with Rachida Dati, the French Minister of Culture, and Sébastien Lecornu, the French Armed Forces Minister. 
Another view of the Prince and Princess. 
And the scene at Windsor Castle as the carriage procession arrived.
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The Princess of Wales at Windsor Castle. 
The King and President inspecting the Guard. 
Following the ceremonies outside Windsor Castle, everyone gathered inside for a luncheon, where more members of the royal family joined them. Below, the group as they walked to lunch. 
Next on the agenda, viewing a Royal Collection exhibition of art and literature with connections to France.
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We learn more from The Telegraph’s coverage.
After enjoying a private lunch in the Castle’s State Dining Room, the King and Queen escorted their guests into the Green Drawing Room, where they viewed treasures including a 1632 Second Folio of 36 Shakespeare plays, complete with notes in the margin written by Charles I.
You can just see the Edinburghs on the left in this photo of people looking at items in the exhibit. 
The Prince and Princess examining some of the objects in the Green Drawing Room, where the exhibit was shown. 
More from Hello’s story.
The Princess of Wales, a former art history student, jokingly remarked: “I should know” when viewing a portrait of young Louis XIV.
She also admired Charles I’s annotated Shakespeare folio, praising the beautiful French handwriting. Kate expressed her appreciation for its history with an “Oh wow” and a smile at William.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh looking at pieces from the collection.
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Normally, I would cover the ensembles worn by some of the other women at today’s events, but we have just learned the Princess of Wales will attend tonight’s state dinner, so I need to get this published. Hopefully, I will be able to come back and update with more photos and that information.
Now, for our look at what Kate wore, a blend of French and British brands. We begin with the Christian Dior ensemble. 
The Princess wore the storied French fashion house’s 30 Montaigne Bar Jacket ($5000) in a blend of silk and wool. The name references Dior’s historic address at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. The jacket is described as “an emblematic style from the New Look collection, first created by Christian Dior in 1947.” The fitted design is a single-breasted style with notch lapels, angled hip pockets, and silk lining.
A closer look at some of the jacket details: the lapel, pocket, front button, and cuff. 
Here is a look at the 1947 original.
We learn more from The Telegraph’s Tamara Abraham in this story.
This particular iteration, the 30 Montaigne Rose Des Vents, was from 2024, designed during the tenure of Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s only ever female creative director who announced her departure from the storied house in May.
It is now helmed by Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, the first creative director in Dior’s 78-year history to be responsible for both men and women’s clothing.
The skirt appears to be a 2020 style, the “Tulle Pleated Midi Skirt” in 100% polyamide with a mesh overlay. (The color representation in these photos is a little off, I think.) Thank you to Princess of Wales Closet for her ID work on this piece.
The Princess debuted a new hat by British milliner Jess Collett, who designed the headpieces worn by the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte for the King’s coronation. 
It looks like a bespoke version of the Rita Boater, shown below in black and white, and also in scarlet (£995). As the name suggests, it is a classic boater style, described as being “Worn comfortably on a discreet hairband.” 
The Princess brought back her Gianvito Rossi Praline Pumps ($437 on sale) in the 85mm height, about a 3.5″ heel. It is a signature style for the brand with a pointed toe and a leather sole. It is also available at Saks ($795) and at Neiman Marcus ($795). 
She carried her Bayswater Wallet Clutch by Mulberry in ‘buttercream’ suede. (Our photo shows the item in leather.)
The Princess’s jewelry included the Collingwood Diamond and pearl earrings that were initially created by Collingwood Jewelers for Diana, Princess of Wales. Her three-strand pearl necklace is from the late Queen Elizabeth’s collection. 
Coverage of tonight’s state dinner may be seen here. 
Below, a video from Kensington Palace after the daytime engagements.
From discussions on our shared future to moments of reflection on historic ties, it was an honour to help strengthen the enduring partnership between France and the UK alongside Their Majesties and Président @EmmanuelMacron today. pic.twitter.com/elXYX2drHK
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 8, 2025
