On Monday evening the Queen hosted a state banquet at Buckingham Palace to welcome the US President and his family to the UK for their state visit, and as expected the evening was a vision of elegance and sophistication.
Hosted in the Palace’s Ballroom, it took Palace florists and attendants four days to set up for the lavish banquet, set to host 170 distinguished guests.
And while it’s common for everyone to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the glamourous gowns the royals choose to wear for these formal events, there was one particular element of the night that really caught everyone’s attention – the colour white.
Indeed, white was a running theme for the royals on Monday, with The Queen, Princess Anne, Duchess Camilla and Duchess Catherine, all donning the hue for the special occasion.
And while it’s not out of the ordinary for the Queen to wear white, with three other senior members of the royal family following suit, was there a special meaning behind it?
Well, there could be a few reasons.
One reason could be what the colour represents, explains a colour expert to Hello!.
“White of course is the colour of peace and the colour of new beginnings,” Gabi Winters from Chromology tells the publication.
“So coincidentally the psychological meaning behind this uncommon colour choice is very fitting when it comes to renewing and celebrating diplomatic ties between different nations.”
And considering First Lady Melania Trump, opted for an alabaster Dior gown herself, which she accessorised with white elbow-length gloves, it could definitely be the case.
“It’s a fully reflective colour that creates simplicity, clearing the way forward,” Gabi adds.
“Scientifically speaking white contains an equal balance of all the colours of the spectrum, so naturally, white’s most fundamental feature is equality, neutrality and independence.”
Kate turned heads when she arrived in her breathtaking floor-length Alexander McQueen gown, opting for one of her favourite tiaras, The Lovers Knot, as her statement accessory.
The occasion also marked the first time she sported her blue, red and white sash of the Victorian order, after the Queen honoured her with the title of Dame Grand Cross in April.
And it’s the vibrancy of the sash that has people thinking there could be a much more simple reason for opting to go with white for the occasion: it goes with everything!
When asked by someone on Twitter whether it was a requirement for the royal ladies to wear white to the state dinner, editor of Majesty Magazine, Joe Little replied: “The Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall more often than not wear white for a state banquet, which works best with sashes and jewels.
“There are no hard and fast rules. In the past the Duchess of Cambridge has worn red or blue, but now she has a Royal Victorian Order sash to wear.”
Indeed, Sophie, Countess of Wessex chose to pair her sash with a lavender gown by Bruce Oldfield, which she accessories with a very special tiara – her wedding day tiara!
The Anthemion Tiara was commissioned especially for the Countess, which was made from a number of antique pieces from the Queen’s personal collection.
The state dinner at Buckingham Palace brought the first day of President Trump’s three-day state visit to a close, after a long day of engagements with several members of the royal family.
The following day he hosted a much more intimate, reciprocal dinner at the US ambassador’s residence, Winfield House, where Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla were the guests of honour.