The royals, especially the women, often wear fabulous outfits to the many events, galas, and receptions they attend. In her everyday life, Kate Middleton, especially, has chosen to wear more casual clothes, which certainly has helped shape her popularity as one of the most famous royal family members.
Besides sporting fabulous look, sometimes the clothes worn by royals can have hidden messages and meanings. It has happened several times before – and just weeks ago, it happened again. For the state visit for the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, and First Lady Kim Keon Hee in November, Kate wore a tiara that hadn’t been used for decades.
And according to an expert, the fact that the Princess of Wales wore it now has a hidden meaning.
Kate Middleton has become increasingly popular ever since she entered the royal family a decade ago. The Princess of Wales and future queen has, through her work and patronages, gotten a special place in many people’s hearts, and in fact, the way she dresses has been somewhat groundbreaking when it comes to royalty.
According to Bethan Holt, Kate Middleton’s style is defined by a mix of casual and formal, youthful yet serious, and down-to-earth and glamorous. The fashion editor stated in an interview that one of the main reasons for Kate’s everlasting style and fashion is how she took time to talk to designers and found a “circle of people” whom she “really trusts.”
Kate Middleton – style & fashion
“Diana was often telling a story with her clothes, and she had a big evolution of her own personal life. Whereas the queen, the whole point of her is to remain basically the same,” Holt said. “The public mood now is much less towards wanting royals that are very distant in their palaces. People want to be able to relate, and I think the royals realize that clothing is a way that they can do it.”
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Bethan Holt described how Kate’s style has changed over the last decade. She believes that the effortlessness in style, which the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana partly also symbolized, always has had a significant impact on the public. It makes her relatable to the people, just like her last name.
“Part of the appeal of Kate – and the royal family was obviously very conscious of this – is that she’s not a blue-blooded princess. I just love that her surname is Middleton – you know, like middle class. It couldn’t be more perfect,” Holt said.
“Her wearing high-street is a way for her to consistently remind people of that, and to show that she is one of us,” she added.
“There’s no better way than saying, hey, you can buy the same Zara jeans I’m wearing right now for £30. She’s had a lot of those [relatable] experiences. She went on a gap year, and she was a girl about town just after university. We saw those pictures of her having a job, and I think lots of women can relate to those things. She’s talked about mum guilt as well, and about the box sets they watch and what takeaway they get.”
The fact that Kate is usually seen wearing more casual, everyday clothing has significantly affected how people view her. Her stylish looks even got a name, “The Kate Effect,” which turned the princess into somewhat of an icon.
The mother-of-three has a laidback style that certainly appeals to the public, and several times, her outfits have been studied by fashion experts. Not necessarily because of how they fit or which shoes match what pants, but rather how certain outfits send a special message to a specific group.
Meaning behind her clothes
Over the last decade, that has happened many, many times. Of course, all the clothes Kate wears have some specific meaning or fit the day’s purpose. But there have been some moments when her clothes have contained hidden, secret messages. Let’s look at some examples.
In 2021, Harry and Meghan decided to leave the royal family for good. The couple moved to Canada and later settled in Montecito, California, and since then, Kate has only seen the two a handful of times. The rumors state that her and Meghan’s relationship is entirely down the drain, and the fact that Harry and William’s bond is nowhere near to being good seems to imply that Harry and Kate’s is just as bad.
However, something happened with Kate’s outfit when Harry and Meghan revealed they were leaving royal life. The now-Princess of Wales, along with Meghan and the Queen, attended all her public engagements wearing beige clothing, which hadn’t been seen before. Kate had pretty much only worn colorful outfits – and even though the now-late Queen Elizabeth had stated she never liked wearing beige, she wore it anyway.
Was it a coincidence? According to the royal expert Elizabeth Holmes, it was not.
Holmes stated it was considered a display of togetherness despite the troublesome time for the monarchy, with two of their senior members saying goodbye.
“To have them in the same shade, I took very much to be a sign of unity,” Holmes said. “And then of course, [The Queen] issued her statement of support to the Sussexes on January 13. Kate in brown on Monday morning was interesting, too, after she had been roped into the coverage.”
“Kate wore two pieces of brown: a khaki coat and a brown turtleneck—both of which were very visible in the shoulders-up shot of her driving the kids to school. It could be a coincidence but I think perhaps not!”
Kate Middleton shows support through her clothing
Another time, when Kate visited medical colleges working in maternal healthcare alongside Princess Anne, the Princess of Wales wore a cream dress with a particular detail. Laces in the shape of pineapples could be seen on the pockets of the clothing, and it had a symbolic meaning.
According to The New York Times, “Pineapples have become a powerful symbol for women struggling with infertility. The fruit appears in the profile photos and Facebook feeds of women in online infertility communities.”
The US newspaper continued, “They are most widely known as a symbol of hospitality and welcoming. But on social media, pineapples are inextricably tied to infertility. On Instagram, the hashtag #PineappleTribe aims to connect women going through IVF.”
The Royal Insta Blog also wrote about the princess’ choice of wearing a pineapple: “Displaying or wearing the pineapple can represent a non-verbal communication of an enormous life event in common or be an active out loud shout of support to raise awareness and funding for the issue of infertility,” it read, as quoted by Hello.
It was clear that Kate wanted to send a message to women who struggled with conceiving and that she stood with them. Through many patronages, Kate has tried to help those struggling with many different things, including mental health.
Her husband, Prince William, has made it his cause to end homelessness in the UK. But while he launched his campaign, Kate was heavily criticized because of – you guessed it – an outfit she wore. The real reason why Kate Middleton is wearing pink outfits.
As of late, a new trend and message have been seen through Kate’s outfits. On several occasions – including when she opened the Young V&A at V&A Museum Of Childhood in London in late June, visited the Foundling Museum in May, and just days earlier attended the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show – the Princess of Wales has appeared in a pink outfit. It’s been a while since that has happened.
“Kate wants the public to know that she’s fun and kind”
Even though many might think it has something to do with the monumental success of the latest Barbie film, there is another theory.
Just as with any other color, pink has a meaning. For example, red is associated with courage and confidence, and pink is associated with love, kindness, and femininity. Fashion expert Samantha Harman expressed her thoughts on Kate’s pink outfits, saying it could result from “a bit of unwanted publicity.” However, according to the expert, it also sends the public a secret message.
“According to color psychology, which the royals do pay attention to, pink is fun, feminine, flirty and romantic,” Harman said. “Kate wants the public to know that she’s fun and kind, and while some might already think that about her, the pink outfits are showing that she’s letting loose a little bit.”
Royal fashion expert Miranda Holder states that the choice to wear pink might be because Kate perhaps wants to appear kind.
“Every style decision, especially what it comes to Kate’s wardrobe, is absolutely considered and deliberate down to the color she wears,” Holder said and added that Kate wants to appear “softer and gentler.”
“[She is] just embracing this color, being fashionable at the moment and enjoying herself.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton recently joined other royal family members at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. The event, where the royals and 170 guests were properly dressed, was a part of the state visit for the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, and First Lady Kim Keon Hee.
Kate wears Queen Mother’s tiara – and there’s a hidden meaning behind it
Kate wore a beautiful dress – but most noticeably, the princess wore a tiara she had never used before.
According to the Mirror, the tiara hasn’t seen the light of day for about eight decades. It is called the Strathmore Rose tiara, which the Queen Mother last wore in the 1930s. She had received it as a wedding gift from her father, the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Kate’s appearance with it marked the only second person to ear it besides the Queen Mother.
Besides Kate looking great wearing the tiara, there appears to be a hidden meaning behind it.
Speaking to People magazine, Lauren Kiehna from the Court Jeweler explains that Kate’s decision to wear the Strathmore Rose demonstrates her connection to the late Queen Mother – who had a very special relationship with King Charles.
“Kate has always signalled that she’d like to emulate the Queen Mother’s royal role and wearing her jewels is an important symbol of that continuity,” Kiehna said. “It’s fitting that Kate — likely with some assistance from King Charles — would choose to wear the tiara exactly a hundred years after the Queen Mother originally received it.”
King Charles was only three years old when his mother ascended the throne. Because she suddenly had to travel the world and participate in official visits and state tours, the Queen Mother, King Charles’s grandmother, became an essential part of his life.
“She was really supportive”
Roberta Fiorito, co-host of the Royally Obsessed podcast, explained that the Queen Mother greatly influenced King Charles and supported his love for nature, music, and arts. Sadly, she died in 2002 at age 101.
“It seems like he felt that the Queen and Prince Philip were a little bit absent from his childhood, but he did have someone who really indulged his artistic side in the Queen Mother. She was really supportive of all that and we know now how that played out: he recites Shakespeare on the fly and loves painting and watercolours. So I think that came from her,” she said.
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