Kate Middleton Nearly Trips at the ‘Digger’ Premiere — Her Adorable Reaction Has Everyone Talking!
Red carpets are unforgiving, especially when the dress has a train. On Tuesday night, London’s Leicester Square gave the Princess of Wales a gown mishap, and the way she handled it has been the talk of the evening.
The occasion was the world premiere of Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger‘, held at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square. The screening doubled as this year’s Royal Film Performance, an event organized by the Film and TV Charity, with proceeds going to the cause. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the satirical black comedy stars Cruise as oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, who races to prove himself humanity’s savior before the disaster he unleashed destroys everything.
Kate arrived with Prince William in a floor-sweeping purple Jenny Packham dress with a train, and it was the train that caused the trouble. As the couple made their way in alongside Marcus Ryder, chief executive of the Film and TV Charity, and the organization’s chair, Claire Tavernier, Tavernier accidentally stepped on the gown after they stepped off the escalator. Kate briefly lost her balance.
@elizabeth.royals The Princess of Wales nearly fell this evening after someone stepped on her dress. #princesscatherine #katemiddleton #princeofwales #fyp ♬ suono originale – kum.ae
Video shared by The Royal Family Channel shows how close it was. Kate didn’t fall, and Tavernier immediately stepped back and raised a hand in apology. The princess quickly recovered and burst into laughter.
As Tavernier apologized again, Kate reportedly gave her an empathetic grin, appearing to reassure her, and carried on walking. Fans on X praised her class, with one saying she handled it perfectly and another calling her reaction genuine and kind.
The gown drew attention for other reasons too. Kate paired it with Princess Diana’s earrings and the Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir necklace, a piece featuring pearls, diamonds and amethysts that Queen Alexandra gave Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon as a wedding gift in 1923. Prince William wore a black velvet jacket.
The mishap didn’t dampen the mood. Cruise personally helped Kate down the steps to the cinema and greeted her with a kiss on each cheek. The group chatted and laughed for several minutes longer than planned, and Ryder joked that his one job was to introduce the royals before Cruise beat him to it.
The evening was also a reunion, since the couple had previously attended the UK premiere of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ in May 2022. Cruise thanked them from the stage, saying, per Variety, “we love them and we really appreciate what they do for the arts.”
A new trailer for ‘DIGGER’ has been released.
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 9, 2026
In theaters October 2. pic.twitter.com/kTEeFZI14E
Kate has had a strong year in fashion terms, having recently secured the No. 1 spot on the 2026 best-dressed list. The plum Jenny Packham gown only adds to that streak, even if it briefly tested her footing.
‘Digger’ is due to reach screens internationally on September 30 and in North America on October 2. Moments like this one ensure the premiere will be remembered for more than the film itself.
What did you think of Kate Middleton’s reaction to her near-trip at the ‘Digger’ premiere?
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