NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
Kate Middleton<\/a> and Prince William<\/a> shared a rare photo of themselves holding hands behind the scenes of the state banquet held at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, Sept. 17.\n<\/p>\n The Prince and Princess of Wales posted the snap on their Instagram Stories with the text, “behind the scenes” written on top.\n<\/p>\n The rare public display of affection came as the royal family hosted President Donald Trump<\/a>, first lady Melania Trump<\/a> and members of the U.S. delegation, in Windsor, England. Princess Kate, 43, wore<\/a> a cream and gold lace gown, while the Prince William, also 43, wore a classic black suit decorated with his military honors.\n<\/p>\n Kate’s gown was designed by Phillipa Lepley, and her tiara, a favorite of the late Princess Diana<\/a>, is known as the Cambridge Lover\u2019s Knot, Vogue<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n Princess Kate also wore earrings that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth<\/a>, as well as the Royal Family Order of King Charles III and the Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II, along with the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order star and sash.\n<\/p>\n The Princess of Wales later sat beside Trump, 79, at the state dinner.\n<\/p>\n With 160 honored guests at the banquet, everything from the silverware to the seating was strategically arranged in advance. The processional pairings for the opulent event surprised some royal fans and political followers alike.\n<\/p>\n The procession of the honored guests began with\u00a0King Charles<\/a>, 76, and Trump, followed by\u00a0Queen Camilla<\/a>, 78, and Melania, 55.\n<\/p>\n Kate Middleton and Prince William hold hands during the State Banquet on September 17, 2025.<\/p>\n The Prince and Princess of Wales\/Instagram<\/p>\n Behind them walked\u00a0Prince William, accompanied by Paula Reynolds, a longtime energy executive, who currently serves as the Chair of the National Grid, the U.K.’s high-voltage\u00a0electric power transmission\u00a0network.\n<\/p>\n Kate followed, accompanied by\u00a0Michael Boulos<\/a>, a Gen Z business executive who is married to\u00a0Tiffany Trump<\/a>, the president’s younger daughter.\n<\/p>\n Tiffany \u2014 the only child Donald shares with ex-wife\u00a0Marla Maples<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 was also a part of the procession; however, she was assigned a spot in the lineup five places after her husband<\/a>, walking in with Apple CEO\u00a0Tim Cook<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n At the actual banquet table, Boulos, 28, was seated beside Kate\u00a0\u2014 with Tiffany, 31, sitting four seats down from the Princess of Wales between Cook and David Owen, the spouse of biotech CEO Dame Emma Walmsley.\n<\/p>\n