Duchess of Cambridge Shines at 007 Premiere as She Turns 40

As the latest 007 film, No Time to Die, premiered, all eyes were on the stars in attendance.

However, it was the Duchess of Cambridge who stole the show in a stunning gold cape-shouldered Jenny Packham outfit.

Her appearance was so impressive that the film's star, Daniel Craig, complimented her, saying, “you look jolly lovely.”

It is quite an achievement for a one-time home county's girl to receive praise from James Bond himself.

As Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, turns 40 this Sunday, she has matured into a bona fide style icon.

Although she once claimed, “I am not a clothes horse,” Kate has become as lauded for her appearance as her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

From the start, her appearance has mattered, and she has almost always gotten it right.

Kate's fashion sense is said to have caught Prince William's eye when they were both at university.

She wore a totally see-through dress on a charity catwalk, with her modesty protected by black lingerie.

Our future king is rumoured to have said, “wow, Kate's hot.”

However, she has never worn anything quite so daring since.

Kate's off-duty uniform of jeans, tweed jackets, and Penelope Chilvers tassel boots has hardly changed over the years.

Unlike her California-based sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, she manages to come across as a woman of the people.

Kate has a thrifty reputation for recycling dresses and often wears reasonably priced items that soon sell out.

Kate had a long, slow apprenticeship into membership of the royal family, and the same could be said of her emergence into the showstopper we see today.

She has always had a good figure and excellent legs, but these have rarely been too much on display.

However, the Middleton style, at first very dominated by the high street, began to make its way into the national consciousness.

As the queen braces for a difficult year with Prince Andrew's legal woes and Prince Harry's upcoming memoir, she will rely on the Duchess of Cambridge more than ever.

The queen already hugely values Kate's work for the royal family, which has become increasingly high profile in recent years.

Kate's appearance and fashion sense have made her an elegant role model for a younger generation hoping they too might one day find their prince.

There are whole websites devoted to Kate's outfits, along with hints about where to find a cheaper version.

Sometimes Kate even wears the cheaper version herself.

As Kate turns 40, it's a tricky time for any woman, especially one who lives much of her life in the limelight.

But Kate has matured into her look to become a bona fide style icon.

She has become as lauded for her appearance as her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

Here's hoping for many more years of new wardrobes and continued success for the Duchess of Cambridge.