The Princess of Wales has become just as much a style icon as she has a poignant royal figure, captivating royal fans with her unrivalled elegance and effortless dressing.
In her years in the royal spotlight, it's become clear that Kate's approach to fashion is more than just aesthetic. While her flair for fashion is no secret, the wife of Prince William's wardrobe is full of symbolic pieces, sentimental garments and inherited treasures that boast a hidden meaning.
Taking after the late Queen Elizabeth II's stoicism, the mother-of-three has perfected her ability to honour her personal beliefs whilst remaining neutral where publicly necessary. Her secret? Sartorial symbolism.
Be it wearing a national colour to show respect for a host country, or opting for symbolic jewels to honour late loved ones, the Princess often weaves hidden tributes and powerful symbols into her dressing.
While there are too many examples of the Princess' symbolic dressing to count, HELLO! rounds up her most poignant secret style moments in recent years...
United in blue
The world breathed a sigh of relief earlier this year as the Princess of Wales announced she was officially cancer-free in an unprecedented and uplifting family-style video.
In the moving piece, filmed from the Wales family's country home in Norfolk, the Princess alternates between two cloud-blue dresses, while Prince William and their children are also united in blue-hued clothes.
Not only does the colour blue have connotations of health, healing, and stability, but the Wales family united by an unofficial 'uniform' symbolises their unbreakable bond.
During a conversation with Bridgerton's costume designers, John Glaser and his team told HELLO! that the Middleton family were a loose inspiration for the Bridgerton family's baby-blue aesthetic.
Princess Diana's influence
Despite never meeting her, Kate's style is often compared to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
While many of her sartorial choices are no doubt influenced by the former Princess of Wales' indelible mark on fashion, Prince William's wife often goes further with her style, honouring Diana via hidden symbols in her garments and jewellery.
In November 2017, Kate honoured the anniversary of Princess Diana's death with a poppy-print Prada dress complete with a pussy-bow neckline.
Poppies have long been associated with a symbol of lost loved ones, while the pussy-bow tie became one of Princess Diana's most worn styles during her final years.
Green is the new black
In 2022, the Prince and Princess of Wales hosted the second annual Earthshot Prize awards, which celebrates the world's most innovative solutions to the environmental challenges faced by the planet.
Kate floored crowds in the most divine outfit, serving up Hollywood glamour in a fitted green gown from Solace London. The dress was more than just an outfit, but a revolutionary moment for royal style. Princess Kate's gown was rented, with HELLO! confirming that the royal's dress is from the British rental platform HURR.
Choosing to wear a rented dress was an effortlessly fitting choice for the occasion. Kate paired her dress with the late Princess Diana's emerald green choker, supporting a head-to-toe ensemble of pre-loved items as a symbol of sustainability.
Lucky jewels
The Princess of Wales is the proud wearer of the 'Alhambra’ necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels, having worn the timeless four-leaf clover shaped jewels on red carpets, state dinners, and most memorably, at King Charles' Coronation Concert.
The clover motif is closely associated with Van Cleef & Arpels. Luck has always been a central theme for the brand, guiding its design ethos and inspiring many of its signature pieces.
Wonderful in white
In her first outing since taking an extended break from the spotlight during her cancer treatment, the Princess of Wales bloomed in a recycled Jenny Packham gown as she emerged on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the King's birthday parade in June 2024.
Kate didn't speak during Trooping the Colour, but her outfit said a thousand words; her upcycled dress was a testament to her commitment to mindful consumption, even when under the global spotlight.
The royal was the picture of elegance in a bridal-white gown accented with a striped bow, an uplifting colour that symbolises rebirth, purity and hope.
Colour expert Gabi Winters from Chromology told HELLO! that white's most fundamental feature is "equality, neutrality and independence," suggesting that Kate's choice to opt for a neutral colour rather than a brilliant bright for her public return was a nod to her hope for new beginnings.
Princess Kate's fern earrings
In her first official royal engagement since completing chemotherapy treatment, the Princess acknowledged her challenging year by wearing a beautiful pair of Catherine Zoraida Gold Fern Drop Earrings. The royal previously supported the same pair for a children's picnic at the Chelsea Flower Show in May 2023.
Kate's choice of fern earrings carried special significance.
According to the brand, the fern is widely regarded as "a symbol of endurance, resilience and new beginnings," due to its ability to flourish in difficult conditions. Its unfurling leaves also represent new growth and renewal.
A mother's charms
It's not always possible for the Prince and Princess of Wales to bring their children along with them on royal tours given their demanding work schedule and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis' school commitments.
Keeping her children close to her heart during an official tour of Scotland in May 2021, Kate wore a gold necklace by the designer Daniella Draper, which featured her children's initials. The letters G, C and L - representing George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, dangled from a dainty gold chain.
Calming postnatal pearls
Cast your mind back to 2018, when the Prince and Princess of Wales presented their beautiful son Prince Louis on the steps of the Lindo Wing.
Memorably, Kate chose to wear a pair of simple pearl earrings. Pearls are known for their calming properties and are also said to offer protection and attract wealth.
Most meaningfully, myths suggest that pearls keep your children safe while strengthening your relationships, vital for this vulnerable moment post-birth.
