The Lover’s Knot returns: the Princess of Wales’s tiara for Oman’s first state visit since 1982

Windsor Castle hosted its latest state banquet on Tuesday evening, October 20, for the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, on the first day of a three-day visit. It is the first Omani state visit to Britain since 1982, and the Princess of Wales marked it with a familiar choice.

The look

• Tiara: the Lover’s Knot, made for Queen Mary and later worn by Diana, Princess of Wales.
• Jewellery: the Greville Diamond Chandelier Earrings.
• Gown: a pale yellow Elie Saab design, according to GB News.
• Seat: at the top table, between King Charles and the Sultan.

The Princess Royal also wore a tiara for the evening, Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara.

A pattern at state banquets

The Lover’s Knot has become the princess’s go-to for the biggest diplomatic dinners. She wore it to the banquet for French President Emmanuel Macron in July 2025 and again for President Donald Trump’s state visit in September 2025. The notable exception came in December 2025, when she chose Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet for the banquet honouring German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Royal watchers read these choices as deliberate. Repeating one heirloom piece at the most formal events ties the princess visually to the late Princess of Wales, who wore the same tiara often, and keeps attention on the occasion rather than on a parade of new jewels.

The visit

The Sultan’s programme runs from October 20 to 22, with Windsor at its centre. The first day included a ceremonial welcome by the King and Queen, a carriage procession and a military ceremony in the castle’s Quadrangle before the evening banquet.

Sources

• GB News: Princess of Wales in Diana’s tiara at the Oman state banquet
• Royal Watcher: Oman state visit to Britain
• DiLei: programme for the Sultan’s visit (Italian)
• AOL: Lover’s Knot tiara at the French state banquet, July 2025
• Fox News: tiara at the Trump state banquet, September 2025
• The New Daily: Oriental Circlet at the German state banquet, December 2025

Photos

• “Windsor Castle along the river on a sunny day” by Image-Source, Envato Elements (featured image)