How the Princess of Wales redefined regal power dressing in 2023
Holt: ‘This year Kate has looked sleeker, smarter and more powerful than ever before’ – Getty
There was a time when the Princess of Wales was renowned for wearing pretty dresses, credited with single-handedly flying the flag for dressing in a safe and ladylike way, in a world where platform trainers are trending one minute, then haute hoodies the next.
You’ll still never find Kate jumping on silly fad, but this year she’s looked sleeker, smarter and, yes, more powerful than ever before. If you thought princesses had no need for clothing as armour, then think again.
In 2023, the mother-of-three has become synonymous with immaculate tailoring, a pack-a-punch colour palette and exuding a sharp, businesslike silhouette which is as far a cry from the Disney Princess stereotype as you can get – in fact, sometimes you’d be forgiven for assuming Kate was on her way to close a major investment deal rather than visit a children’s charity.
It’s all a message that she’s approached her first full year in her queen-in-waiting role as the Princess of Wales in the same focused manner a businesswoman might campaign to become a partner in her firm.
The Princess’s year has been punctuated by several standout fashion statement moments, but the one which will truly go down in history was her Coronation gown; a Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen creation which incorporated intricate embroidery as a nod to the floral emblems of the United Kingdom and was topped off by a masterful non-tiara tiara by Jess Collett. The look managed to dominate the style conversation and project grandeur and a democratic touch all at once.
The Princess of Wales in her Coronation gown, a Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen creation – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Then there was the dramatic red cape that Kate wore in late November to greet the president of South Korea. An addition to an existing Catherine Walker and co. outfit, the power-shouldered topper gave the Princess a sense of gravitas and authority which we’ve rarely seen from her before.
The striking red cape the Princess wore to greet the President of South Korea was an addition to an existing Catherine Walker & Co outfit – Getty
Indeed, red was the colour Kate turned to for so many significant events in 2023. A shade that epitomises confidence and look-at-me poise, there was no hiding away in pastels for some of the biggest dates on the royal calendar.
The Princess made a splash at Ascot in a red McQueen dress and giant saucer hat – WireImage
At Royal Ascot, she eschewed the subdued palette she usually chooses for the race meeting and instead arrived in a McQueen red dress and giant saucer hat with red floral adornments. Red was also the Princess’s favoured colour for celebrations during the Coronation weekend, from a longline Eponine coat for a walkabout in Soho to a McQueen suit at the concert in Windsor.
Wearing a red Eponine coat during a visit to the Dog & Duck Pub in Soho ahead of the Coronation – Getty
In red again for the Coronation Concert – Getty
At Trooping the Colour Kate has historically chosen understated or sugary shades, so 2023’s eye-catching emerald outfit with jewelled button embellishments was a notable step beyond her comfort zone. Thought to be a nod to her new appointment as colonel-in-chief of the Irish Guards, the Andrew Gn ensemble also felt like a reference to the style of Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Princess of Wales at this year’s Trooping the Colour (left) and Princess Diana at the Trooping in 1988 (right) – Getty
Kate’s late mother-in-law’s influence has loomed large elsewhere in her wardrobe in 2023, from the boxy mint 1980s-style Balmain blazer worn at Wimbledon to the contrasting black opera gloves worn with a white McQueen gown at the Baftas and the way the Princess and Prince Louis coordinated in blue at Easter in Windsor, recalling a similar visual of Diana and William on the same occasion in 1987.
At Wimbledon in July – Heathcliff O’Malley
“Kate knows quite well, after all these years, how quick and eager we all are to spot comparisons to Diana’s style,” notes Elizabeth Holmes, author of the book HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style and a Substack called So Many Thoughts. “I think those moments are a really lovely nod to the late princess, placing Diana back in the conversation – in the press and on social media, through side-by-side photos – by reminding the world of her fabulous sense of style.”
The Princess and Prince Louis coordinated in blue at Easter in Windsor, recalling a similar visual of Diana and William on the same occasion in 1987 – Getty
Holmes also believes that by dressing like Diana, Kate can create a “a fond way to look back at Diana’s royal tenure that has nothing to do with the drama of her divorce or the tragedy of her death, at a time when The Crown has resurfaced all of that.” On a more personal level, “It also gives Catherine a bit of a boost, as if the new Princess of Wales is taking the baton from the previous Princess of Wales. These Diana moments are often some of Kate’s most fashion-forward ensembles… Diana knew how fashion could offer a boost in these moments, making what is already an anticipated engagement even more exciting.”
The Princess paired black opera gloves with a white McQueen gown at the Baftas – Getty
The Princess has tempered excitement with the creation of a very uniform approach to dressing for some of her more routine engagements. She has developed a serious penchant for Self Portrait dresses, which lend more structure and sophistication than the wafty frocks of a few years ago. Where she has done skirts, they tended to be pared-back, neutral midis worn with polo-necks or plain jumpers.
Skirts have typically been mid-length and paired with plain jumpers or polo necks – WireImage
Overwhelmingly though, this has been the year of the suit for the Princess. Just as Diana came to a point in the late 1980s when she was sick of ballgowns and started wearing tuxedos, so Kate seems to have reached a point where she needed to redefine her regal look. Pulled-together tailoring has been the solution; she now owns suits in a rainbow of shades, from optic white to aubergine, navy and forest green.
Power suit: the Princess at the Shaping Us National Symposium at the Design Museum in November – Getty
On a visit to HMP High Down in September – Getty
This could all have started to look boring, but I’d argue (and some would disagree) that Kate has managed to exhibit the suit’s versatility; in a soft pink one with a pearl-encrusted Camilla Elphick belt, she seemed to be joining the summer’s “Barbiecore” trend, in a white tweed jacket and black trousers (accessorised with a Chanel bag) at the Rugby World Cup in Marseille, she was the epitome of Gallic chic and in egg-yolk orange and black on World Mental Health day, she showed style messaging is still possible with this approach (orange is the symbolic colour of the day).
The Princess’ soft pink suit with a pearl-encrusted Camilla Elpick belt seemed to be a nod to the summer’s ‘Barbiecore’ trend – WireImage
Gallic chic: at the rugby world cup in Marseille – @EnglandRugby
“Kate’s move towards suits this autumn is the most specific style strategy we have seen in her royal tenure, a decided visual shift from the dresses she was known for in her Duchess of Cambridge days,” says Holmes. “I think it signals a desire for a sophisticated new chapter as Princess of Wales, coinciding with higher-profile and more in-depth royal engagements. Nothing sends more of a woman-at-work vibe quite like a smart, tailored suit.” Expect more of this Succession-style prowess in 2024.
The Princess’ egg-yolk orange suit jacket was a symbolic colour choice for World Mental Health day – WPA Pool/Getty Images
In September, it was announced that designer Sarah Burton would be leaving her position as creative director at Alexander McQueen. Although her name has been linked with other design houses – namely Givenchy – Burton currently has no fashion home and therefore Kate is unlikely to be able to call on her to run-up special occasion looks. Given Burton has been by the Princess’s side since she made her wedding dress in 2011, coming to understand the nuanced requirements of a royal outfit, this leaves a significant gap (though Burton will surely eventually find a way to continue dressing the future queen).
Wearing a coat by men’s tailor Chris Kerr for her recent Together at Christmas carol service – Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
In a truly modern part-solution to this problem, the Princess wore a coat by men’s tailor Chris Kerr for her recent Together at Christmas carol service, a sign that this new take on regal power dressing requires outside-the-box thinking and experts from beyond the world of polite society womenswear.
To think the Princess of Wales was once dismissed as predictable, safe and dull. In 2023, she’s shown us that, at 41, her style evolution is at no risk of slowing.
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