Kate and Sophie twin in blue as they represent the King at Buckingham Palace garden party

The Princess of Wales looked regal in powder blue this afternoon as she hosted a Buckingham Palace garden party with her husband and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

Kate, 41, and Prince William, 40, were the picture-perfect couple as they greeted guests in the grounds of the royal residence in a post-coronation celebration. Duchess Sophie, 58, also chose a blue dress to join in with the fun while Prince Edward, 59, was smart in a top hat and tails.

The mother-of-three accessorised her Elie Saab dress and hat combo, which is a repeat of an outfit she once wore to Royal Ascot, woth dazzling diamond teardrop earrings and a clutch. Meanwhile her hair was styled in a sleek, intricate updo while her hat contained another floral headpiece – harking back to her show-stopping Coronation look.

She was oozing glamour once again today after donning a more practical outfit yesterday while she joined The Big Help Out efforts with her children.

Today’s garden party invites 500 ‘coronation champions’ from across the country into the grounds of the royal residence to celebrate their volunteering achievements after they were rewarded by Queen Camilla in the Coronation Champions Awards in February 2023.

The Princess of Wales looked regal in powder blue as she attended the special Coronation garden party at Buckingham Palace with Prince William

As Kate greeted the champions and thanked them for their hard work, she looked regal in the dress and hat combo, which was a slightly more jazzed-up look from her appearance at the Slough Big Help Out yesterday.

As they teamed up with the Scouts, the Waleses got to work filling in holes and driving diggers – with the children treated to s’mores as a reward for their hard work. 

While Kate directed her children and got stuck in to help out herself, she opted for a practical yet chic baby blue ‘Liberty’ Frill Neck Silk Shirt from Really Wild Clothing, costing £129.

William and Kate hosted the garden party where they are meeting Coronation champions, being rewarded for their volunteering efforts

William and Kate hosted the garden party where they are meeting Coronation champions, being rewarded for their volunteering efforts

The Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh - with Sophie also opting for blue

The Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh – with Sophie also opting for blue

The Princess, 41, dazzled in the recycled Elie Saab dress which she previously wore while attending Royal Ascot in 2019

The Princess, 41, dazzled in the recycled Elie Saab dress which she previously wore while attending Royal Ascot in 2019

Another floral headpiece! Kate's hat featured a powder blue material rose, harking back to her dazzling floral headpiece at the Coronation

Another floral headpiece! Kate’s hat featured a powder blue material rose, harking back to her dazzling floral headpiece at the Coronation

The shirt was paired with her black G-Star Raw skinny cargo trousers, which she previously wore in khaki to take part in emergency drills with the Irish Guards after becoming colonel of the battalion.

On her feet, she wore very sensible and hardy Blundstone 550 Chelsea boots.

It has been an extremely busy few days for the Prince and Princess, who shone at King Charles’s coronation on Saturday at Westminster Abbey.

Kate, along with eight-year-old Princess Charlotte, sported a stunning ivory silk crepe gown from Alexander McQueen to attend the event, and both opted for dazzling floral headpieces.

On top of her gown, which was embellished with the flowers of the four nations, Kate wore the Royal Victorian Order mantle.

To attend the coronation concert on Sunday evening, the Princess wore a crimson £2,280 Alexander McQueen suit.

She and her family danced the night away as acts including Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie performed for the royals and thousands of fans who were lucky enough to get tickets to the concert, held at Windsor Castle.

And expert lip reader Jacqui Press revealed to FEMAIL what she believed Kate had said during a comedy skit which featured characters from The Muppets. 

As Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog larked around on stage, they stopped to chat with the concert’s host, Hugh Bonneville.

The two characters walked up to the host, telling him they were ‘looking for their seats,’ explaining they were expected in the royal box.

Miss Piggy then exclaimed she couldn’t believe she didn’t have a castle yet, and asked Bonneville if he was single.

Kate Middleton particularly loved the skit, exclaiming: ‘that’s funny!’ as she sat next to her daughter Princess Charlotte.

Hugh Bonneville’s quip at Miss Piggy, calling her a ‘pig in a dress,’ particularly amused Prince William, as the royal repeated the words under his breath with a laugh.

Following an incredibly busy few days for the Wales family, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight and Prince Louis, five, are back at school today, after their father joked he’d struggle to get them up this morning.

Speaking in Slough yesterday, William admitted his children were ‘so tired’ after three days of royal engagements – and no doubt the parents are feeling it too.

When Kate and William were spotted meeting royal fans in Windsor on Sunday afternoon ahead of the coronation concert, William told a royal fan who enquired about Charlotte that his exhausted eight-year-old was resting at home after the coronation. 

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