The Duchess in Flowing McQueen Gown and the Queen's Jewels for Glittering Dinner!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge concluded their first day in Norway with a glittering dinner held in their honour at the Royal Palace in Oslo.

The royals posed for photos before dinner. From left to right, Princess Martha Louise, King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Prince William, Duchess Kate, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette Marit and Princess Astrid.

The Duchess was escorted to dinner by King Harald.

The royals were joined by 104 guests including members of government, leaders in business, those from the Norwegian creative industries and serving members and veterans from the Norwegian Armed Forces.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit in a gorgeous sparkling gown.

The Duchess also sat beside King Harald during dinner.

The event was held in the Great Dining Room.

During his speech, Prince William said: "Thousands of people cross the North Sea in each direction every year. Friendship is the hallmark of what prompts them to make that journey."

William's full speech:

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, distinguished guests. Vi ar veldi glaa for vairer ee Norga

Thank you for the wonderfully warm welcome we have received.  We have a splendid programme and tonight�s dinner will be especially memorable for us. Your Majesties, I bring warm greetings from my grandmother The Queen to you both and to the Norwegian people.  Her Majesty has very fond memories of her three State Visits to Norway, and of hosting visits by Your Majesties and King Olav.

For the United Kingdom, our relationship with Norway is extensive and very special.  We are North Sea neighbours.  We are allies.  We are close partners in all sorts of enterprises.  But above all we are the strongest of friends. I don't know if this story reached Norway but, last year, we had a fine illustration of what good relations between our two countries mean in practice. The story � which is true � is that some under-19 players of the Banks of Dee Football Club in Aberdeen lost control of their football.  The ball ended up in the river, which led to the North Sea.
The ball was later found over 1,000 miles away - on the shores of Vanna, in northern Norway. Kind people in Vanna found the ball, and saw from the markings who had lost it.  These people not only contacted the club � but then travelled all the way to Aberdeen to return the ball in person. The story warmed many British hearts, and made us appreciate all the more how lucky we are to have Norwegians as our neighbours.

Geography and history have made Norway and the United Kingdom not only North Sea neighbours, but the staunchest of allies. In Britain we will forever admire the courageous spirit of Norwegians during the Second World War. King Haakon�s staunch resistance to the Nazis resonated strongly in Britain, a beacon of defiance, as Europe lived through one of its darkest periods. Defending freedom is a core value for both Norwegians and Britons. The cherished symbols of our freedom and friendship are the Christmas trees sent from Norwegian communities to Britain each December.  These remain as warmly appreciated today, as they were 70 years ago when the generous tradition began.

The war years and their immediate aftermath convinced both our countries that we must maintain strong national defences.  Britain and Norway were among the founding members of NATO in 1949.  And in the 21st century, we continue to be in the NATO vanguard, adapting our alliance to the threats of today. British and Norwegian armed forces serve together on NATO missions.  They train together.  They will soon be operating the same sophisticated fighter aircraft and maritime patrol aircraft.

The relevance of our alliance is demonstrated by the part our countries are playing in the coalition that is countering the challenge of Daesh.  We have also stood together to try to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan and Sudan.  And we have not shrunk from tackling daunting humanitarian tasks in countries such as Syria.

The number of pressing global matters is growing not diminishing. From climate change, to sustainable development, to ensuring the effectiveness of international institutions � the views of the United Kingdom and Norway are similar and often identical, as is our determination to act together to meet these challenges. Our economic partnership is hugely valuable to both of us.  The UK is one of Norway�s most important export markets; and notably Norway is the UK�s most important energy supplier.  Norwegian oil, gas and renewable energy all keep British kettles boiling � and you can imagine how important that is to a nation of tea-drinkers.  I learned earlier today that you power 22 billion cups of tea each year in the UK!
In a range of other sectors, I am delighted to say that British companies are doing excellent business in Norway.  We want these economic ties to grow.

We both face environmental threats to our future success.  We are both maritime nations whose prosperity has been shaped by the sea.  We are now both thinking about how we protect our oceans from the terrible damage done by human pollution. We share the same goals of de-carbonising our economies, building smarter cities, and being prepared to take full advantage of the next wave of technological developments.

Your Majesties, we are so pleased that our visit to Norway is allowing us to meet so many Norwegians who are thinking about our joint future. Norway has been, and will continue to be, enormously important to Britain both as a friend and a partner.
Thousands of people cross the North Sea in each direction every year.  Friendship is the hallmark of what prompts them to make this journey.  Catherine and I are delighted that, now, we too have made that journey; we too have experienced the warmth of that friendship on this very special visit. Your Majesties, thank you for your hospitality. We look forward to our two countries' friendship deepening even further in the years to come.

Toosen takk

Kate listens to speeches.

Richard Palmer notes King Harald referred to the Duchess as Kate.

King Harald said:

�Dear William, dear Kate, I admire the way you carry out your duties and the way you support he majesty Queen Elizabeth. The Queen and I know from our own experience how valuable it is to work together with the younger generation and how important it is to support one another on this rather unusual profession of ours.�

Time for a toast.

The King's daughter, Princess Martha Louise posted this photo on her Instagram account just before dinner began.

At the end of this video you can see the royals arriving.

I think, without question, when it came to Kate's evening wear during the tour she saved the best until last. The Duchess looked regal in a flowing blush Alexander McQueen gown with cape detailing and crystal flower embellishment around the neckline. For me this is the very definition of a gown fit for a princess, and Kate looks every inch the future queen.

There's only one item I would add to complete the look...ahem...

A closer look at the embellishment.

The Duchess added the Queen's sparkling diamond pendant earrings to the look. Her Majesty's Jewel Vault reports: "This pair of diamond pendant earrings includes a pendant of separate stones hanging within a diamond frame. These appeared at the 2012 State Opening of Parliament, but have no publicly known provenance as of yet." Kate has worn them on several occasions.

Kate also wore the Queen's wedding gift bracelet.

Prince Philip gave the beautiful piece to his wife as a wedding present. It is encrusted with diamonds from a tiara which belonged to Philip's mother.

Kate carried the Jimmy Choo Celeste Crystal & Suede Clutch tonight. The clutch features a distinctive crystal-trimmed frame.

Kate carried the clutch in burgundy in Sweden.

And it appears Kate wore her Oscar de la Renta Cabrina pumps.

It was a big night for Alexander McQueen. Back in London, Kate's future sister-in-law sported a black trouser suit by the brand. With the two looks side by side one can see why McQueen is a masterful fashion force. From a sweeping gown fit for a princess to a sophisticated tailored black suit, the brand truly does it all. You can read more about Meghan's appearance on my other blog.

In her piece for The Telegraph, Bethan Holt writes: One night, one designer, two very different looks:

'Tonight the two women both appeared at separate evening events in different countries in entirely different outfits- but by the same designer.

For the duchess it was very much business as usual with a caped gown by Alexander McQueen, the design house which created her wedding dress in 2011 and which has been a cornerstone of her official wardrobe ever since, at a dinner held in the Cambridges' honour by the Norwegian royal family in Oslo. Adhering to her tried and tested formula of flowing chiffon and delicate embellishments, the choice won a rapturous response from her armies of style acolytes on social media. 

Back in London, it was a suit for the Suits star. Markle was attending her first evening engagement as fianc�e of Prince Harry as the couple honoured members of the military at the Endeavour Fund Awards. But rather than sticking to the usual royal protocol of an appropriately feminine dress, the former actress wore a black tuxedo jacket, cream silk shirt and cigarette trousers which were also by McQueen; under creative director Sarah Burton, the British label is as renowned for its meticulous tailoring as its exquisite couture-level craftsmanship.'

A look at the itinerary for the final day of the tour:

Friday, 2 February, Oslo -

• The final day of the tour will begin at the Hartvig Nissen School, which was the location for the hugely successful Norwegian television programme 'Skam'. Skam is a drama series highlighting teenagers and the challenges young people can experience growing up, such as identity issues, bullying, relationships, sexual assault, and eating disorders. Following on from the theme lines of the show, the characters started their own social media profiles to engage with the audience watching directly, creating an international following and fan base. At the school, William and Kate will meet the stars and producers of Skam to hear more about the series, and will then meet students to learn about the effect Skam had on bringing these issues out into the open, and the role played by social media.
• Later that morning, The Duke and Duchess will travel to Skaugum, the official residence of The Crown Prince and Princess of Norway, for a private lunch.
• The Duke and Duchess will firstly visit Holmenkollen's most iconic landmark � the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. With panoramic views over the city, the ski jump is truly impressive in its size, and has capacity for more than 70,000 spectators. Here, they will walk through the Holmenkollen ski museum and then watch a demonstration from some of Norway's top under-18 ski jumpers, before meeting them at the top of the ski jump. No country has won more Winter Olympics medals than Norway, and as excitement builds around the forthcoming Games in South Korea, Their Royal Highnesses are looking forward to learning more about how the Norwegians have maintained this record. 
• The Duke and Duchess will then attend an event organised by the Norwegian Ski Federation, at which Their Royal Highnesses will see a group of local nursery children taking part in an afternoon ski school session on the slopes. The Duke and Duchess will join children taking part in a number of outdoors activities, from experiencing Sami tents, to roasting sausages on an open fire. Their Royal Highnesses will also speak to some of the ski instructors that deliver sessions throughout the year to keep children active and engaged with sport as well as visit the adjoining nursey.
• From Holmenkollen, The Duke and Duchess will depart for the airport, and on to London. 

To catch up on today's engagements in snowy Oslo, click here to view the post!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Kate's gown. Do we have a winner? I think so.