20 Times Kate Middleton Bedazzled Us With a Sparkly Look
When it comes to bringing the sparkle, our girl Kate Middleton can hang with the best of them. Whether she's shining her way through a formal event or just adding a little glitter to an everyday outfit, it's hard to ignore the way that Kate lights up a room, and sometimes, she even gets a little help from her wardrobe. As a member of the royal family, she has a lot of opportunities to wear glitter, bling, and sequins (and her tiara, of course), and when she decides she really wants to sparkle, she pulls it off better than anyone else.
More recently, Kate's stunned in a sparkly red dress for the UK-Africa summit reception, and since seeing her in that gown, we've really been thinking about other times where she made a little glitter work for her. And as it turns out, that's happened plenty of times.
It's not always an obvious sparkle, either -- sometimes, it's just a touch of diamond earrings that really bring out a little extra something about her outfit. But then, there have been those occasions when she shows up on the red carpet or at an event in a full-on glitter dress, and those have been some of our favorite Kate style moments ever.
Read on for all of Kate's most sparkly looks. We already know that the Duchess of Cambridge always dresses to impress, but these outfits really take everything to the next level.
Lady in Red
Kate brought the fire (and the glitter) when she wore this sparkly red gown to a reception she and William held for the UK-Africa Summit in early 2020. It was their first official event after Harry and Meghan had stepped down as senior royals, and Kate definitely did a good job distracting everyone from the members of the family who were missing from the event. That dress is perfection.
A Diamond Pendant
Let's start by taking this all the way back to 2011, when Kate sat in on some Canada Day events and really brought the sparkle, even though she kept it as low key as possible. Yep, she was wearing Canada colors with that white dress and red hat, but we can't stop focusing on her diamond pendant, which is so pretty -- and somehow looks totally low key on her.
These Earrings
Out to see a show at Royal Albert Hall? Sorry, folks -- all anyone can focus on is Kate's earrings, which are mighty impressive. Of course, her entire look is gorgeous, because that color is beautiful on her, and we'll admit we actually kind of miss her side bangs. But the bling she's bringing on her ears? Definitely a piece of her jewelry that we wish we could borrow!
Understated & Elegant
What's a formal event without making sure the proper accessories are in order? We don't even want to begin to imagine what Kate's earrings must have cost, but we're willing to bet that they were worth every penny for how pretty the duchess looks wearing them. We love how she kept it simple with her hair and gown that evening, letting the earrings be the star of her outfit.
All Shine
Another formal event, another opportunity for us to drool over Kate's sparkly earrings. This time she attended an Olympic concert, and she certainly made sure that, once again, her earrings were the statement piece of the evening. Yes, she wore a very pretty green dress, but who cares when her ears are that sparkly? We need to raid Kate's jewelry collection before our next formal event.
The Sparkliest Shoes
This time, when Kate brought the sparkle, she brought it on her feet -- and we're definitely never going to forget the shoes she wore to this particular evening out at a gala! Sure, her cream colored dress may have been a bit plain (even though she was having a notably good hair night), but if it had been anything else, those shoes wouldn't have been given the room to shine that they deserved.
This Bangle
We're loving everything about this outfit that Kate's wearing -- that neckline is perfection on her, and don't even get us started on how cute she looks with that belted waistline! But what really sticks out to us is, as always, the sparkle, and this time, that came in the form of her accessories. Her necklace definitely counts, but we're also loving that bangle on her wrist. Low key but still gorgeous.
All Sequins
Kate wore this pretty powder blue dress when she went to an event while pregnant with Prince Louis. We have no idea if this dress actually counts as maternity wear, but with this sparkle factor, does it even matter? Kate looks gorgeous in this color -- and with all the shine this dress is giving her. There's no better way to show off a baby bump than with plenty of pizazz.
An Unforgettable Necklace
Kate wore this beautiful ensemble for the Sun Military Awards back in 2011, and is it just us or did she really bring it that night? Not only is her hair on point and that black gown looking amazing on her, but that necklace? Holy wow! It's so sparkly that it's the first thing our eyes are drawn to when we look at her, but on a whole, Kate was looking hot that night, and we're sure that she knew it.
A Simple Sparkle
A formal event is absolutely not required to bring a little sparkle into an outfit, as Kate is proving when she dressed up this particular outfit with some seriously pretty diamond earrings. They're very elegant but low key at the same time, and even though Kate was wearing an outfit filled with bright colors, the clustered diamonds stood out on their own without overpowering the rest of her look.
Pretty Blue Dress
Yet another time that Kate truly shined in a sparkly, powder blue dress. This time, the occasion was a visit to Northern Ireland, and even though this kind of shiny is a bit less in everyone's face than a dress covered in sequins or glitter might be, it still brought the sparkle in its own way. Being that Kate herself is so gorgeous, we'd say it was a perfect combination.
The BAFTA Awards
During the BAFTA awards in February 2020, Kate wore a gown she's already worn, but we'd never know it, seeing her shine on the red carpet like this. The gold accents on her dress did all the sparkling for her, even though Kate did sparkle on her own, as usual. The necklace and accessories she wore with it completed the look so well. She looks so good!
The Tiara
There's no way we can have a proper conversation about Kate Middleton and sparkles without throwing a tiara pic into the mix! It's very, very rare that Kate sports a tiara (it's only been a handful of times since she joined the royal family, after all), but when she does, it's hard to look away from all the sparkle that's going on, especially when she paired it with those gorgeous earrings.
This Insanely Pretty Piece
This photo was taken back in 2014 when Kate attended the Portrait Gala, and boy oh boy, did she know how to become the talk of the night! Once again, she's stunning in black, but that necklace might be the most blingy, distracting statement piece we've ever seen -- and we mean that as a total compliment! We don't want to imagine how heavy it must have been for her to wear, but it sure looks like it was worth it.
A Matching Set
Although Kate certainly looks incredible in bigger, sparklier pieces like a large statement necklace, she looks just as pretty when she mixes it up a bit with smaller pieces too, like she did in this photo. Once again, she's wearing a pretty bold color, but she doesn't overpower it with her sparkles. Both the earrings and the necklace are shiny without being in anyone's face, and this look came together so nicely.
Totally Blinged Out
Kate wore this look to the Tusk Conservation Awards, but we've gotta admit that she looks more like an award herself -- and we mean that in a very good way! Her glittery gown might be the sparkliest one she's ever worn in her career as a royal, and although she kept it low key with her hair and her accessories, we do have to note how much we love that bracelet with it.
Just Like an Emerald
We were seriously impressed with all of Kate's looks while she was on her royal tour in Pakistan with Prince William last year, but this one might have been our favorite -- and it was most certainly her sparkliest of the trip. This emerald green gown is so perfect for any formal event, and we love that she paired it with those earrings that complimented the dress so well. Too pretty!
Shiny in Blush
It isn't too often that Kate wears a soft pink color like this one, but when she does, we always remember how much we love her in it -- especially when it's combined with a bit of sparkle like this one! Her dress totally speaks for itself, without much help from any accessories, because it totally doesn't need them! The pinks and silvers are just too pretty on Kate -- and she looks so happy.
All Green
Another shot captured of Kate on the red carpet at the BAFTA awards (this time taken in 2018), and yet again, she looks absolutely stunning for the event. This green dress looks great on her, yes, but what we are really focusing on are her very sparkly necklace and the matching earrings. Again, it looks like these are some pretty heavy accessories, but Kate wears them with such style.
Her Wedding Day
As much as we absolutely adored the lace dress that Kate wore when she married Prince William (seems like so long ago now!), there's a special place in our hearts for the gown she wore for their evening reception. That sparkly belt added the exact right amount of bling to her beautiful dress, and when combined with her jacket, she looked like a gorgeous bride.