The royal family welcomed guests to the annual white tie Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening – dressed in all their finery to greet foreign ambassadors based in the UK at the formal event. The Queen was joined by the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and theDuke and Duchess of Cambridge for the annual party, which invites members of the Diplomatic Corps to enjoy an evening at the palace each Christmas.
Traditionally, not many photographs from inside the reception are released, though this year we've got more than a sneak peek inside the glitzy event! The official dress code for the event is 'white tie' – so the Queen, Duchess Camilla and Duchess Kate looked as radiant as ever in their pale gowns, and Prince William and father Prince Charles were suitably smart in white bow-ties, too. Of course, there was also plenty of sparkle on display, with the three royal women dazzling in their stunning tiaras – scroll down to see all the pictures…
The Queen smiles as she greets guests at the reception. She wore the Queen Mary Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara - one of her favourites that she wears often.
Isn't Her Majesty's white and gold tiered gown beautiful? It's made by her favourite dressmaker Angela Kelly. She also wore white gloves, a metallic gold handbag and matching shoes.
Kate chose her favourite headpiece, the Lovers Knot Tiara, for the reception, teaming it with a pretty pair of pearl earrings. The pearl-encrusted piece was made in 1914 and given to William's late mother Diana by the Queen as a wedding gift in 1981.
A full length shot of Kate's Jenny Packham gown - what a beauty! It is a new custom-made design that the Duchess has never been seen in before - this photograph shows the pretty back detail, which features tulle draping over the shoulders.
A close-up of Duchess Camilla, who looked beautiful in the Greville Tiara, made by Boucheron. It's one of her favourites - she teamed it with beautiful pearl earrings and a pearl choker necklace.
Charles and Camilla chat happily to guests at the event.
Another shot of the Queen arriving at the reception, with Charles, Camilla, Kate and William behind her. Here, you can see Camilla's stunning Bruce Oldfield gown, in one of her favourite silhouettes for formal events.
A close-up shot of Kate's sparkling tiara. Interestingly, the Lovers Knot tiara was made using pearls that were taken from the original version of the Queen's Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, which Her Majesty wore for the reception. Both tiaras were made by the House of Garrard.
Another beautiful shot showing the back of Kate's pretty floor-length gown.
The Duchess accessorised with a sparkling box clutch bag, too. Here, you can see she is also wearing a bangle bracelet.
Kate chats enthusiastically with guests at the party. She kept her makeup soft and natural, as ever.