For the state banquet on Wednesday evening, the Princess of Wales wore a couture gown by British designer Phillipa Lepley with a full-length gold Chantilly lace evening coat.
The coat featured hand-embroidered roses with couched gold cording, accented with French knots and satin-stitched blooms.
The 43-year-old, who is sporting a new, blonder hairstyle, completed her look with the Lover's Knot Tiara.
"Formal state banquets are one of the rare occasions when royals wear tiaras," said Kwei.
"Kate is wearing her favourite tiara, which is no surprise. It was a favourite of Princess Diana, and originally belonged to Queen Mary."
"This is a really show-stopping dress and for me it really fits with the theme of this state visit being extra," royal expert Victoria Murphy added.
She noted that gold isn't a colour we see Catherine wear a lot.
"But when she has worn it in the past, for example for [film] premieres, it has always been a real red-carpet moment," she said.
The dress code for the state banquet was white tie, and the Prince of Wales, 43, did not disappoint.
He was decked out in formal regalia and his orders, and wore an elegant Windsor tail coat.
"This is William at his most formal," said Murphy.
She noted that on day-to-day engagements, the younger royals, in particular, can often be quite informal - but for an occasion like this, they pull out all the stops.
"The formality is all part of honouring the visiting guest," she said.