Kate wears pink for Buckingham Palace garden party

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, meets guests during a garden party at Buckingham Palace on May 29, 2012, in London.

/ Getty

(CBS News) Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, took on another royal first on Tuesday when she stepped out for a Buckingham Palace garden party.

She joined Queen Elizabeth II and 8,000 guests for tea and cakes on the palace grounds, ahead of this weekend's Diamond Jubilee celebrations marking the monarch's 60 years on the throne.

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Kate wore a familiar outfit for the affair - the same pink Emilia Wickstead dress she wore two weeks ago at Windsor Castle for a lunch for visiting royals from around the world, held in honor of the queen's jubilee.

She paired the dress, which reportedly retails for $2,000, with a hat by Jane Corbett and her trusted L.K. Bennett nude heels, according to the Daily Mail.

Guests reportedly enjoyed unseasonably warm weather on Tuesday at what was the second palace garden party of the year. Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were also among the members of the royal family at the party.

The band struck up Britain's national anthem as the queen and Prince Philip appeared at the top of the steps, the Mirror reports, and applause broke out as the royals made their way towards the waiting guests, who were invited after nominations by institutions, charities and businesses. Among the guests was fashion designer Sarah Burton, who designed Kate's Alexander McQueen wedding dress last year.

One person who was not in attendance Tuesday was Prince William. According to reports, he remained at the Royal Air Force base in Anglesey, Wales, where he is a search-and-rescue pilot.

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Buckingham Palace garden party

[aquariousminus1]

Wearing the light pink twice in a row? Baby girl on the way???

[nohater]

females with hats just look dorky. perhaps it's because hats aren't worn by females here in the USA. males don't even wear hats today here in the USA.

[rightofwrong]

Oh No, she wore the same outfit twice! The scandal!