The Princess of Wales is being hailed for delivering a “masterclass” after her first appearance at a state banquet in more than 18 months.

Kate joined her husband, Prince William, and other royals at a glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle on Tuesday (local time) in honour of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte.

She wore a dark red silk evening gown, custom-designed by Sarah Burton for the French design house Givenchy, for the occasion. Burton famously also designed the princess’s wedding dress.

Kate teamed her full-length gown with the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara and a pair of dangling diamond earrings once owned by Queen Elizabeth II.

Britain’s Telegraph newspaper described the choice of gown as “a masterclass in royal style and subtle diplomacy”, while Vogue noted Kate was making a “clear statement of fashion diplomacy”.

“A design by a British woman for a French fashion house, it serves as a sartorial symbol of the symbiotic relationship between the two European countries,” it wrote.

Kate and William joined about 160 guests that included politicians, diplomats and celebrities such as Sir Mick Jagger and Sir Elton John.

They dined on summer vegetables, chicken with asparagus and iced blackcurrant parfait, along with champagne and a gin-infused cocktail called L’entente, after the “entente cordiale” struck between Britain and France in 1904.

Kate was seated next to Macron, with footage from the night showing the pair in animated conversation.

Earlier, she and William had greeted the French couple when they arrived in London for the first state visit to Britain by a French president since 2008. It is also the first state visit by a European Union leader since Brexit.

For that, Kate wore a dress by French design house Christian Dior – her first official outing wearing the label.

The prince and princess then accompanied the Macrons to Windsor Castle in horse-drawn carriages, through streets bedecked in Union Jacks and French tricolour flags, to officially greet the King and Queen.

Kate last attended a state banquet in 2023. Then came her much publicised abdominal surgery and lengthy cancer treatment.

Tuesday’s appearance followed a rocky few weeks for the princess. Three weeks ago, she cancelled a visit to Royal Ascot at short notice, with Kensington Palace

Palace sources said at the time that Kate was trying to find the right balance as she fully returned to public-facing engagements.

Last week, on a visit to Colchester Hospital, she opened up about having to put on a “brave face” throughout her cancer ordeal, describing it as a life-changing experience.

Speaking to staff, patients and volunteers, Kate emphasised the importance of support after treatment.

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment, treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal’, but actually the phase afterwards is really … difficult,” she said.

She noted that while patients may no longer be under clinical care, they often still struggled to “function normally at home”.

The Princess of Wales’ next public appearance is likely to be at Wimbledon. She is the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s patron.