In 2024, she greeted the Emir of Qatar in an Alexander McQueen coat, a look also seen as a thoughtful nod to Qatar’s national colors. Between 2022 and 2024, she repeatedly wore her classic burgundy Roland Mouret suit on four occasions, including during the Boston trip and the Shaping Us Symposium. In 2023, she opted for a burgundy Karen Millen trench dress during a visit to Birmingham.

Balancing Fashion and Duty

The Princess is fully aware of the attention her wardrobe draws but remains careful not to let it overshadow her work. A Palace source told The Times: “There is an absolute feeling that it [the public-facing work] is not about what the Princess is wearing…

She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people, and the causes she is spotlighting. There will always be an appreciation of what the Princess is wearing from some of the public, and she gets that. But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing?”

The Kate Effect

Despite her efforts, Catherine’s fashion choices inevitably spark headlines. A close friend shared that the attention on her wardrobe has been “enormously frustrating and difficult” for her, particularly in the early years of royal life.

They explained, “What was enormously frustrating and difficult for her, especially in the early days, was that she was going out and doing the work she was interested in and was hugely important to her, and people just talked about what she was wearing.”

Still, this fascination with her style has earned the nickname “The Kate Effect,” as whatever she wears nearly always sells out within days.