The Princess of Wales has become the focus of a new viral video as footage from one of her most glamorous red carpet appearances has resurfaced on social media site TikTok.
Kate's public profile and appeal has grown since her marriage to Prince William in 2011, and saw a peak in interest earlier this month after Kensington Palace announced that the princess had undergone a "planned abdominal surgery" which resulted in her hospitalization for nearly two weeks.
On January 29, the princess was discharged from The London Clinic where her operation took place 13 days earlier and returned to her home in the grounds of Windsor Castle which she shares with William and their three children: Prince George (10); Princess Charlotte (8); and Prince Louis (5).
Though the palace said the princess was making "good progress," Kate is not expected to appear again in public for two months while she continues to recuperate.
This has left royal fans resharing some of their favorite Kate appearances from past years, a highlight of which was her glamorous red carpet moment at the 2022 charity premiere of Tom Cruise's hit movie, Top Gun: Maverick, in London.
Uploaded to TikTok by user royalfamilyfanpage5, on January 28, footage of Kate walking the carpet with William and Cruise has been viewed over 110,000 times on the platform so far.
The clips highlight Kate's outfit for the evening which was widely praised by the fashion press at the time. The princess opted to wear a sleek evening gown in black with a wide white band at the neckline created by French fashion designer Roland Mouret.
The princess styled the dress simply, opting for a modern sleek hairstyle tucked behind the ear to highlight a pair of drop diamond earrings with star motifs.
@royalfamilyfanpage5 Wonderful Princess Get Well soon ❤️🙏 #katemiddleton #princewilliam #princessofwales #princeofwales #royalfamily #kingcharles #queencamilla #princessdiana #tomcruise ♬ original sound - SPΞΞD ΞDU🐉
Following the event, Mouret made a rare comment about one of his most prestigious clients, paying tribute to her choice of style.
"She represents the way a woman grows, the way a woman stands not behind but beside. That sense of equality she has created—she's powerful," he told Britain's The Sunday Times.
"I design with her in mind," he said. "It makes me feel proud to be able to do things that can help her. To make things that she feels protected in at that moment when the world is looking at her, I've done a little part in protecting her."
The video also shows a clip of Kate being helped up a flight of steps by movie star Cruise, which resulted in a flurry of viral posts and videos after the evening.
Some social media users suggested Cruise had committed a royal faux par by being so tactile with the princess, others praised him for the gentlemanly gesture.
The new clip compilation has received in excess of 4,000 likes so far and numerous comments, many of which have praised Kate and her fashionable appearance.
"Nah because this look was iconic," wrote one user. "The little diamond star earrings are so chic."
"ABSOLUTELY STUNNING," posted another, with a further comment reading: "Glowing."
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
