On Tuesday night, Princess Anne made a glittering entrance as she attended a state banquet hosted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace in honour of the Emir of Qatar’s UK visit. 

The Princess Royal, 74, looked beautiful in an ornate satin gown embroidered with swirling floral details. The cream ensemble, which featured a fit-and-flare bodice and romantic puffed sleeves, has been in the royal’s wardrobe for more than three decades. 

The King’s sister also wore a blue sash and full-length white gloves. Her cream dress was adorned with a special touch –  the Ribbon Brooch –  adorned with diamond-set tassels and a central diamond cluster that her brother bought her as a wedding present in 1973. 

The royal rarely deviates from her signature bouffant hairstyle, and Tuesday’s occasion was no exception. 

Princess Anne neatly pinned her raven hair into a chignon, elevating her ensemble with the diamond-encrusted Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara. The tiara has a special significance for the royal, as it was a wedding gift from her late grandmother, the Queen Mother.

© PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

State banquets are one of the few occasions where royalty still wear tiaras, with the art of wearing crown jewels reserved for only the most special of occasions, and for royal ladies after marriage. 

The Princess Royal couldn’t wait for her wedding day before she wore a tiara, and at age 18, she wore a breathtaking Cartier Halo tiara, for a night at the cinema with Princess Alice, of all places.

© Getty

The diamond headpiece, made up of a band of scrolls, was famously worn by the Princess of Wales on her wedding day to Prince William in 2011.

Tiara-wearing was far more common in Princess Anne’s youth, with trips to the theatre, film premieres and charity dinners providing the perfect setting for royalty to wear their most precious jewels.

HELLO!’s Royal Correspondent, Danielle Stacey adds: “These days tiaras are usually reserved for white-tie occasions, such as state visits and the annual diplomatic reception. But back in the early years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, it was common for the royals to wear the jewels to film premieres and galas.”