Every time Kate Middleton proved she was a ‘true style icon’ – her 50 standout fashion moments

The Princess wore a dress fit for a future Queen Consort for her grand debut as a member of the royal family. Catherine married Prince William in a gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. According to the palace, the Princess chose the “British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing” and “wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen’s work.”

Elizabeth Holmes, author of HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style, has described the dress to HELLO! as “a classic that let [Catherine] shine through.”

Newlywed glow or dazzling sequins? Either way, Catherine shined at the 10th annual ARK Gala Dinner just months after her royal wedding in 2011. The then-Duchess of Cambridge joined her husband at the event wearing a Jenny Packham design.

Amid the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, the Princess turned heads in a show-stopping lilac Alexander McQueen gown as she hit the red carpet at a BAFTA event during her 2011 North American tour.

The gold medal for style goes to the Princess of Wales, who stunned in a teal Jenny Packham gown at the Our Greatest Team Rises – BOA Olympic Concert in 2012.

Catherine brought royal elegance Down Under for Easter Sunday service in Sydney, wearing an Alexander McQueen coat and a Jane Taylor hat during her and William’s 2014 tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Hours after giving birth to her daughter Princess Charlotte, Catherine emerged on the steps of the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital dressed in a floral print Jenny Packham number.

The then-Duchess of Cambridge looked lovely in lace as she made her Royal Ascot debut in 2016 wearing a white dress from Dolce & Gabbana.

The royal stepped out in chic skirt suit by Catherine Walker during her first-ever solo official overseas trip to the Netherlands in 2016.

The Princess turned to her wedding dress designer, Alexander McQueen, for the off-the-shoulder gown she wore to her first BAFTA Awards ceremony in 2017.

The ever-stylish royal looked gorgeous in grey as she stepped out in a Catherine Walker dress featuring a contrasting black collar for a visit to King’s College in March 2019.

Catherine was the picture of elegance in an Elie Saab design paired with a matching Philip Treacy hat at Royal Ascot in 2019.

Catherine sported a black Beulah London jacket and white trousers for a visit to an Army Canine Centre with Prince William during their 2019 tour of Pakistan.

Catherine looked effortlessly stylish at the 2019 launch of the National Emergencies Trust at St Martin-in-the-Fields, wearing a blue belted Emilia Wickstead dress.

Catherine wore a sophisticated green Alexander McQueen coat, which she accessorized with Zeen earrings and a black bag by Aspinal London, for her visit to Bradford in January 2020.

Although it was a somber day, Catherine’s elegance was on full display at Prince Philip’s funeral in a black Catherine Walker coat dress with a bow at the neckline and a Philip Treacy hat.

The royal was radiant in a magenta Alexander McQueen sheath dress for a visit to Connor Downs Academy in Cornwall with Dr. Jill Biden in 2021.

Catherine, who is royal patron of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), looked like a work of art herself, wearing a red and black houndstooth dress by Alessandra Rich, as she paid a visit to the museum in 2021.

Casual never looked so chic. The Princess stepped out in jeans, a Chloé blazer and Veja sneakers at the Natural History Museum in 2021.

Catherine brought regal glamour to the red carpet of No Time To Die in 2021, shimmering in a show-stopping gold Jenny Packham cape gown at the film’s premiere in London.

Wrapped up in a bow! Catherine embraced the festive season in a striking red Catherine Walker coat for her first Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey in 2021.

Catherine has the same dress in black, which she wore to Prince Philip’s funeral. As Elizabeth Holmes has pointed out: “She knows what works and when something works well, she tends to buy it in more than one iteration.”

Catherine looked anything but blue in a Jenny Packham design as she arrived in Belize in 2022. She and Prince William undertook the visit on behalf of Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee.

She may have been on royal duty, but Catherine looked ready for a holiday in a vibrant pink shirt dress by RIXO and espadrilles in the Bahamas in 2022.

The Princess of Wales was the epitome of elegance in an Alessandra Rich polka dot dress, which she paired with a wide-brim hat, at Royal Ascot in 2022.

Catherine opted for polka dots once again, stepping out in another Alessandra Rich dress to watch Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios compete in the 2022 Wimbledon men’s singles final.

The royal wore a smart coat by Catherine Walker during a working visit to Copenhagen with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2022.

The Princess made her annual appearance at Trooping the Colour in 2022 wearing her go-to designer Alexander McQueen with a Philip Treacy hat.

Her Royal Highness wore a belted dress by Edeline Lee to present the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design at an event hosted by the British Fashion Council in 2022.

A summer day at the polo field called for a cornflower blue Beulah London midi dress, which the Princess wore while cheering on Prince William at the 2023 Royal Charity Polo Cup.

At the 2023 Royal Variety Performance, Catherine exuded glamour in a Safiyaa gown featuring an embellished neckline and dramatic sleeves.

The royal was characteristically elegant in a Self-Portrait dress, accessorized with Aquazzura pumps and a black Chanel clutch bag, for the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery in 2023.

Catherine looked radiant in a red Catherine Walker cape, completing the look with a matching Jane Taylor hat and suede pumps, for the start of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee’s state visit to the UK in 2023.

Months after announcing that she had completed her chemotherapy, Catherine joined William at the ceremonial welcome for the Amir of the State of Qatar in 2024. The Princess was dressed in a burgundy Alexander McQueen coat, teamed with a drop beret by Sahar Millinery, burgundy heeled boots, a Chanel bag and a pearl strand necklace that belonged to Queen Elizabeth, for the occasion.

Just when you think the Princess can’t deliver a more elegant coatdress, she goes and tops herself. Catherine stunned in a nautical-looking Suzannah London design for the naming ceremony of the HMS Glasgow at the BAE Systems shipyard in 2024.

To greet President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the start of their state visit to the UK in 2025, Catherine wore a burgundy Emilia Wickstead coatdress with a matching Jane Taylor hat.

The Princess of Wales looked positively regal in a couture gown by British designer Phillipa Lepley with a full-length, hand-embroidered gold Chantilly lace evening coat over a silk crepe gown for a state banquet held for President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in 2025.

The Princess of Wales looked très chic wearing a Christian Dior bar jacket with a tulle midi skirt from the French fashion house at the start of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron’s state visit to the UK in 2025. 

Catherine wowed in a white Self-Portrait design and Sean Barrett hat at the Order of the Garter service at St. George’s Chapel in 2025.

The Princess, who is Colonel of the Irish Guards, exuded elegance in an aquamarine Catherine Walker coatdress and matching Juliette Botterill hat at Trooping the Colour 2025.

For her first state banquet since 2023, the Princess of Wales wore a dark red silk creponne gathered evening gown by Sarah Burton for Givenchy. Catherine completed the regal look with the Lover’s Knot Tiara for the July 2025 state banquet held for French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron.

Catherine, patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, was Centre Court chic in a blue dress by Roksanda at Wimbledon in 2025.

Catherine looked every inch the future Queen Consort at a state banquet for Germany’s president in 2025, wearing a dazzling Jenny Packham cape gown paired with the Oriental Circlet Tiara.

In a stylish nod to the Red Roses, Catherine wore a red Alexander McQueen power suit to meet members of the England Women’s Rugby team at Windsor Castle in 2026.

Princess Catherine looked picture perfect at the 2026 Commonwealth Day Service wearing a Catherine Walker coatdress and matching wide-brimmed hat, finished with a five-strand pearl necklace and the Bahrain Pearl Drop earrings.

Catherine was dressed in a navy coat with a white lapel by Alexander McQueen, which she paired with a matching navy Jane Taylor hat, for the 2026 Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey as part of the ANZAC Day commemorations.

Catherine delivered a masterclass in wedding guest style at Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s 2026 nuptials, stepping out in a blush tweed Roland Mouret dress and a Jane Taylor hat.

Catherine showcased her polished style in Reggio Emilia in 2026, wearing a cornflower blue Edeline Lee power suit paired with a white blouse during her first overseas royal visit since completing chemotherapy.

The Princess was a ray of sunshine in her yellow Roksanda dress at Royal Ascot in 2026.

Catherine supported William at the 2026 Royal Charity Polo Cup, dressed in a summery black-and-white gingham dress from Temperley London.

Catherine looked perfectly poised at Trooping the Colour in a blue Catherine Walker coatdress with white piping, completed with a matching Philip Treacy hat.

Catherine served elegance at Wimbledon in 2026, stepping out in a sophisticated green Emilia Wickstead dress.