This year, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales’s, role within the royal family became even more important, as she transitioned from the Duchess of Cambridge to Queen-in-waiting, and this shift has been reflected in her styling choices. Floral midi-dresses were once Kate’s go-to uniform, however she has now narrowed down her working wardrobe to a collection of sharply tailored trouser suits that she typically wears with a pointed court shoe.
Today, the Princess hosted a conference at the Design Museum in London and stuck to her new royal uniform, wearing a fitted blazer with matching trousers and navy suede heels. This time she put a royal spin on her tailoring via a vibrant shade of purple (that is remarkably similar to a Quality Street wrapper). This bold hue has famously been associated with royalty since ancient times, with natural purple dye historically among the most expensive.
In the 16th century, Elizabeth I refused to allow anyone except her innermost circle to wear purple and it has continued to play an important role in coronations and celebrations with pomp and ceremony ever since. British Vogue’s November 2022 cover featured this deep purple, in tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, which mirrored the March 1952 issue which commemorated the passing of King George VI.
Why would the Princess pick today to wear such a significant regal color? Yesterday the family celebrated the 75th birthday of King Charles II, which was an important moment, given this landmark birthday also falls in his Coronation year. Today’s event is also a notable milestone for Kate, as she delivered her biggest speech to date about her work in early childhood at the Shaping Us National Symposium.
“It isn’t enough to simply wish for a better world,” she told the audience during her speech, which explored the link between early childhood experiences and the adults we become. “Ultimately, we are all part of a delicate, interconnected ecosystem and just as we need to restore, protect and invest in our planet, so we must restore, protect and invest in our societies, communities, relationships and ourselves.”
A trouser suit is an ideal choice for a modern-day princess: it’s polished, practical and also reinforces the message that The Firm is working hard. Given that she was speaking about her future plans and focuses, it figures that she would decide to stick to traditional codes of executive dressing, and continue to dress like a “corpcore” princess in a commanding trouser suit.