Familiar or Mysterious - All Royal Jewels at the State Banquet for Sultan of Oman

Four royal tiaras, historic diamonds, lesser-seen family jewels, and one mysterious purple necklace that immediately raised questions. The British royal family welcomed the Sultan of Oman to Windsor Castle with a magnificent state banquet, but the evening was particularly fascinating for jewelry admirers. While Catherine, Princess of Wales, attracted enormous attention in her yellow gown, Queen Camilla surprised us with a jewel whose origins remain unknown, and two other royal ladies brought jewels that deserve a much closer look. On October 20, 2026, King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman for a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom. It was the first state visit by an Omani ruler to Britain since 1982, reflecting the long-standing diplomatic and strategic relationship between the two countries. The Sultan was formally welcomed at Windsor, where the Prince and Princess of Wales joined the King and Queen for the ceremonial reception, military honors and carriage procession. Later that evening, the royal family hosted a magnificent state banquet in St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle. Approximately 160 guests attended, including senior British officials, diplomats, and members of the Omani delegation. The king delivered a speech celebrating the relationship between the two nations, while the banquet incorporated details inspired by Omani hospitality. But for royal jewelry enthusiasts, the real excitement began when the royal ladies arrived. And the first person to attract widespread attention was Catherine, Princess of Wales. For the banquet, Catherine selected a flowing, pale yellow gown by Lebanese designer Elie Saab. The dress featured a softly pleated skirt, an elegant high waist, and a dramatic cape that moved beautifully as she entered the hall. With such a delicate color, Catherine chose a familiar combination of historic diamonds and pearls. Her tiara was Queen Mary's Lover's Knot, one of the most recognizable jewels in the British royal collection. The headpiece was commissioned by Queen Mary from Garrard in 1913, inspired by a 19th-century tiara, once owned by her grandmother, the Duchess of Cambridge. Of course, this tiara is no surprise for us, but tiara events are so rare that this time it was a real feast for our eyes. Although she has access to other historic tiaras, the lover's knot remains particularly associated with her public image. And for the Sultan of Omens banquet, Catherine once again demonstrated why the combination of pearls, diamonds, and a softly colored gown remained so effective. But her earrings were just as historically interesting. Catherine wore the magnificent Greville diamond chandelier earrings, one of the most elaborate pairs of diamond earrings also much loved by Queen Elizabeth II. While their story begins in the jewelry box of Margaret Greville, they became widely known only after she bequeathed them along with the rest of jewels to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and the interesting facts states they weren't the same shape we see them now, as the earrings were later modified to make them even more impressive. And what I like in this ensemble, their long diamond drops provided a striking contrast to the round pearls suspended from her tiara. And there was another familiar jewel on Catherine's wrist. Catherine also wore Queen Mary's diamond choker bracelet, an extraordinary example of a historic jewel that once could be worn around the neck, and I wonder if Queen Mary ever felt comfortable in it, as it looks very tough to wear. And between, the first person who revived this jewel as a bracelet was Queen Mother in 1975 for a series of portraits, and the next person who made it shine was Princess of Wales, and as we see, she wore it quite a few times, and with these same earrings. And then there was a jewel that may be overlooked, but its mission was a big one, the diamond brooch she once received from King Charles, which helped secure a royal Victorian order sash, while she also displayed King Charles III's royal family order. The new family order, featuring the king's portrait, is an important distinction awarded personally by the monarch to female members of the royal family. But while Catherine's jewelry was largely familiar, Queen Camilla's appearance raised a completely different set of questions. Queen Camilla chose a deep purple evening gown by Fiona Clare, a rich color that provided a beautiful setting for her jewels. And I must admit this time, Queen Camilla looked elegant. Her choice of dress was a good one. And this time, she selected one of Queen Elizabeth II's most beloved tiaras, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. Its elegant diamond festoons, upright spikes and classical design have made it one of the most recognizable British royal tiaras. But its popularity among the crowd comes not from design, but from its very beginning. It wasn't a royal commission, but a gift for the then Princess Mary with money donated by ordinary people. But although the tiara was immediately recognizable, her necklace was not. and that is where the evening's greatest jewelry mystery begins. Beneath the historic diamond tiara, Camilla wore an elaborate necklace featuring large purple gemstones connected by delicate swags of small white seed pearls. The necklace was unlike any of familiar jewels that could be reworked to make this one, so it was entirely new for our eyes. But what I noticed, the purple gemstones appeared unusually vivid in the evening photographs. At first glance, they resembled amethysts, but their precise identity has not been confirmed. Could they be purple tourmalines? There is another possibility worth considering. Could this necklace be a previously unseen diplomatic gift? During Queen Elizabeth II's reign, visiting Middle Eastern rulers presented valuable jewelry to the British monarch. Some of those gifts were worn at state banquets, while others remained in the royal collection for years before making their public debut during the next state banquet. Oman itself has a long-standing tradition of exchanging ceremonial gifts with the British royal family, so the appearance of an unfamiliar necklace at the banquet for the sultan naturally invites the idea. Was it a jewelry gift from Sultan of Oman? But here is what I also think about. While the necklace's general style really remind me of luxury jewels of Middle East, but the seed pearl swags do remind me of older style jewels. Although the necklace was unfamiliar, Camilla's earrings were immediately recognizable. She wore the historic Kent Amethyst earrings, part of the celebrated Amethyst collection associated with the Duchess of Kent, mother of Queen Victoria. These jewels entered the British royal collection in the 19th century, and are among the oldest surviving colored gemstone ornaments associated with the family. The earrings feature large purple amethysts, surrounded by diamond settings, making them a natural choice for Camilla's richly colored gown. And did you notice how British royal family intensively revives amethyst jewelry this year? And it's a good sign for jewelry watchers, as it means family reaches for forgotten jewels to bring them back. She also selected two historic Art Deco bracelets from the collection of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. These Cartier bracelets belong to a group of five that can be worn separately or combined into a bandeau, once worn by Queen Mother. However, up to now, no one chose to style them again into bandeau. One bracelet is set entirely with diamonds, while another features sapphires, and diamonds. Between, Camilla has worn them frequently since becoming queen, as they offer a rich diversity in gems to fit different gowns. But if her necklace was the evening's biggest mystery, Princess Anne's jewelry offered a different kind of surprise. The Princess Royal arrived in a gold-toned evening gown, the choice visibly inspired by the Middle Eastern ornaments. Her tiara was Princess Andrew's meander tiara, one of the distinctive jewels in her personal collection. The tiara originally belonged to Princess Alice of Battenberg, mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and features a continuous Greek key pattern, diamond wreaths, and a central diamond ornament. But the real surprise was not the tiara. Anne wore an unusual pearl and diamond demi-parure, consisting of a necklace and matching earrings with gold settings. The design features clusters of pearls arranged with diamonds in a decorative drop pattern that differs considerably from the conventional pearl necklaces frequently worn by British royals. Its construction and distinct arrangement drives comparisons with jewelry from the Middle East, although its history was never recorded. Moreover, we see it only for the second time. The Demi Parure can be traced in photographs to its first public appearance when Princess Anne presented an award to Audrey Hepburn. That makes it a jewel with several decades in existence, but well hidden by Princess Anne. And I am not surprised, as there are much more jewels in her jewelry box we rarely see. She has more earrings, brooches, and colored gemstone Demi Parure's we almost know nothing about. So was it a personal gift, a diplomatic present, or a private purchase? Well, we may never know for sure. Anne also wore a gold floral brooch to secure her garter sash, adding another personal ornament to her formal ensemble. But the Duchess of Gloucester had perhaps the most cleverly arranged jewelry of the entire evening. The Duchess of Gloucester selected a pale evening gown and one of the most impressive tiaras in the extended British royal family. Queen Mary's honeysuckle tiara was created by Wolfe and Company for Garrard in 1914, using diamonds from an earlier tiara that Queen Mary had received as a wedding present. Its design features diamond honeysuckle motifs surrounding a removable central ornament, and that's where its glamorous mystery starts. The family have several gems to put in, and the one that's shown was the beautiful pink gemstone. It is commonly identified as pink topaz, although photographs sometimes lead viewers to confuse it with kunzite or pink tourmaline. But what we know for sure, another pink topaz is used as a centerpiece of her diamond swag necklace, creating a harmonious appearance with the tiara. But there was another detail that could easily escape notice. At first glance, the front of the Duchess of Gloucester's gown appeared to feature three elaborate decorative buttons. But look more closely. Those were not ordinary buttons. They were three diamond flower brooches from her remarkable jewelry collection, arranged vertically along the front of the dress. For this banquet, she used them almost like jeweled dress fastenings. It was a subtle but wonderfully effective detail, less seen in royal circles. And I wish we could witness more interesting jewelry arrangements in the future, but for sure, Duchess of Gloucester's appearance at Windsor was a perfect example of how royal jewelry can remain interesting, even when the same historic tiaras have been seen many times before. So, the Sultan of Oman's state banquet brought together four magnificent tiaras and some of Britain's most historic royal jewels. But Queen Camilla's mysterious purple necklace remains the evening's greatest unanswered question. Was it an antique jewel rediscovered in the royal collection, a private acquisition or perhaps a diplomatic gift? Let's wait if we ever can get this question answered. And now a question for you. Which jewelry ensemble impressed you most? And what tiara you have expected to see this time? Tell us in the comments and subscribe to Jewelry Legends for more extraordinary stories from the Royal Jewelry Vaults.