Kate Middleton steps out dripping in jewels

ANY royal who isn't Prince Harry or Meghan Markle has been largely overlooked during the couple's whirlwind tour of Australia over the past week, but Kate Middleton has pulled out the big guns to shift our attention back to London.

The Duchess of Cambridge - along with her husband, Prince William - stepped out for a glitzy state dinner at Buckingham Palace in honour of the King and Queen of Norway on Tuesday night, wearing a bold blue Alexander McQueen gown and a jaw-droppingly glamorous diamond-and-pearl tiara.

Kate was dripping in jewels. Photo: John Stillwell/PA Wire

Kate paired the luxury accessory with pearl drop earrings and a diamond and pearl necklace - and a bold yellow brooch, featuring a tiny portrait of the Queen. According to Town and Country magazine, the yellow badge indicates Kate has been given the Royal Family Order - and probably very recently, as she reportedly hasn't worn it in the past.

Wearing a portrait of your grandma-in-law as an accessory is only weird if you’re not a member of the Royal Family. Photo: John Stillwell/PA Wire

She looked exceptionally regal. Photo: John Stillwell/PA Wire

The tiara probably looks familiar - Kate's already worn it on a few occasions, including a dinner for Spain in 2017, and a Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace in 2016.

Accessorising for a big event becomes a lot easier when you’ve got access to the Crown Jewels. Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

But as keen royal watchers will have quickly noticed, the "Lover's Knot" tiara is also the iconic tiara favoured by the late Princess Diana after her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.

Diana wore it a number of times. Photo: Tim Graham/Getty Images

The diamond encrusted Garrard tiara, featuring a number of large pearls, was commissioned by Queen Mary and remains in Queen Elizabeth II's personal collection, although she's clearly fine with loaning it out to relatives.