Today, the future Queen of England turned 42 years old. Born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Berkshire, England to Carol and Michael Middleton on this day in 1982, she is now the Princess of Wales and wife to the heir apparent.
Since stepping into this new role upon the accession of King Charles III to the throne in 2022, the princess has undergone a style shift. In celebration of her 42nd birthday, I look back at the Princess of Wales’ top five fashion moments over the past year.
There’s no question that the Princess of Wales has upped her fashion game during her last trip around the sun.
“We’ve seen an interesting evolution in the Princess of Wales’ style in the last year as she really finds her footing within her new role,” said Christine Ross, Royal expert and host of Us Weekly‘s ‘Royally Us’ podcast.
“The appearance of several boldly-hued trousers suits marked the occasions when the princess means business, while her more formal style has taken a turn for the vintage. The Princess of Wales opted for silhouettes reminiscent of the 1950s and 1980s throughout the past year during times of historical significance, such as the Commonwealth Day Service or presenting awards at Wimbledon.”
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
- In pictures: 'The Crown' costumes, sets and props shown ahead of auction
Kate has always let her clothes do the talking, but these style statements are getting louder and more self assured as she grows into her role as the Princess of Wales. Here are her most ionic fashion moments in 2023:
LADY IN RED
That red. That leg. Kate was a viral sensation in November when she wore a red Catherine Walker dress (first seen at a December 2021 carol concert) with matching red cape, red Gianvito Rossi heels, a red Miu Miu bag, a Jane Taylor hat and Princess Diana’s sapphire and diamond drop earrings.
She certainly stood out from the pack and fitness commentators everywhere scrambled to tell us step-by-step how we too could get our calves as toned as the Princess of Wales.
CORONATION QUEEN
The Princess of Wales, alongside her mini-me Princess Charlotte, had an adorable and super-stylish fashion moment at King Charles' coronation in May. Kate decided not to wear a tiara but instead opted to twin with daughter Charlotte in a long white Alexander McQueen gown with a Jess Collet floral diadem and Princess Diana’s earrings.
Charlotte also donned the brand’s ivory dress with a coat cape, whilst Kate wore formal red and blue robes of the Royal Victorian Order over her gown. Kate’s gown was made from ivory silk crepe with silver bullion and thread work embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs — symbols of the countries of the United Kingdom.
KATE MEANS BUSINESS
The Princess of Wales rocked a collection of trouser suits this year that signified she is firmly in her power dressing era. In a selection of hues and silhouettes, she wore these on numerous Royal engagements. Whether she was working on her ‘Shaping Us’ campaign for early childhood or attending the Rugby World Cup, trouser suits were her go-to.
Her more business-like approach to her wardrobe reflects her more significant role in the Firm – the closer she gets to the Crown, the more gravitas we can expect to see in her fashion choices. This purple Emilia Wickstead suit she wore for the inaugural Shaping Us National Symposium in November is a personal favourite of mine – a lesson in sartorial elegance.
FORMAL AND FABULOUS
From the BAFTA Awards to Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan's wedding, to the diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace, and to the Royal Variety performance, the Princess of Wales’ formal style gave us all the glitz and glamour we expected and nothing less.
This year, we saw more dramatic silhouettes like the cape style teal gown by Safiyaa that she wore for the Royal Variety performance, as well as re-wearing iconic looks like the white Alexander McQueen gown she wore for the BAFTAs which had its first outing in 2019.
For me, her most to-die-for look of the whole year was the Ellie Saab maxi gown she wore in Jordan for the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa. The colour, the floral embroidery, the sleeves – just chef’s kiss.
RECYCLING JEWELS
Through the Princess of Wales' style evolution, one thing we have seen consistently in Kate’s love of re-wearing jewellery. Sapphire and diamond earrings that were owned by Princess Diana often have an outing. Kate’s favourite tiara, the Lover’s Knot tiara that we have seen many times, she wore to the wedding in Jordan last year. Pearl and diamond earrings that were also owned by Princess Diana, another favourite pair of Kate’s, were worn for the Coronation this year.
While it’s wonderful to see these heirloom pieces worn again and again, there’s one particular pair of earrings that the Princess of Wales wore repeatedly that really caught my attention. In October, to mark World Mental Health Day 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales hosted a mental health forum in Birmingham. For the occasion, the Princess of Wales accessorized with a meaningful piece of jewellery.
Kate was wearing Issy Star earrings, small hoops in the shape of stars, gifted to her by Sarah Renton at the Maidenhead Rugby Club in England, earlier this year. The earrings were made in tribute to Renton's daughter, Issy, who died by suicide, and proceeds from them go to support a mental health charity. Two days later she wore them again for an event for SportsAid. We love to see the Princess supporting a worthwhile cause with her fashion choices.
