Princess Kate gave leopard print the royal style treatment we should all be trying in 2025

The Princess of Wales gave the classic leopard print motif a royal glow-up with a refreshing twist.

The official Instagram account of The Prince and Princess of Wales, recently shared a photo of Kate in fashion’s most adored pattern. This wasn’t your average animal tribute; chic, modern, and much like Elphaba in Wicked her leopard print dress was unexpectedly… green.

The photo shared by the royal household was actually from 2023, when Princess Kate graced the Riversley Park Children’s Centre in Nuneaton for a visit funded by her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. 

Princess Kate wore a breezy silk maxi dress from Cefinn, featuring an abstract green-and-blue “leopard pansy print.” The dress—with its demure long sleeves, dainty black buttons down the center, and flowing silhouette—proved that bold prints can exude elegance when done right. It was a look that was perfectly balanced, playful and polished.

But why does leopard print—in any form—always captivate us? The legendary Hilary Alexander OBE had the answer. In her book Leopard: Fashion’s Most Powerful Print, the late award-winning journalist delved into the print’s enduring allure. “From pharaohs to popstars, from coronations to Coronation Street, from military to mass market, the lure of leopard has endured,” Alexander wrote. “It has featured in the history, culture, and fashion of countless civilizations since the dawn of time. The leopard’s speed, agility, and ferocity, and the beauty of its distinctive rosettes, have captivated men and women from the Stone Age to the Digital Age.”

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And it’s not just fashion historians and journalists who are smitten. Donatella Versace, also quoted in Alexander’s book, sums it up perfectly: “Why do we love to wear leopard-print? So we can feel closer to something that is breathtakingly beautiful, graceful, and precious… and just a little bit dangerous.” Supermodel Claudia Schiffer added her own take, “I feel empowered when I wear leopard-print, which comes as no surprise when you consider that female leopards are the hunters of their pride.”

Thanks to recent runway revivals, leopard print is back in bold new iterations—not that it ever truly left. Zimmermann’s AW24 show gave us ethereal interpretations of the motif, while Marni, Jacquemus, and Dolce & Gabbana’s SS24 collections took it to daring new heights. 

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But what sets Princess Kate’s choice apart is the hue. By opting for green—a colour synonymous with growth and renewal—she redefined leopard print, stripping away any overt sultriness and giving it a fresh, classic edge. It’s leopard, but make it regal.

Sadly, her Cefinn dress is long sold out (are we even surprised?), but the brand still offers other pieces in similar green-hued leopard prints, including emerald variations. It’s proof that this print isn’t just a fleeting trend but a versatile staple ready to evolve with the times.

So, if you’ve been holding back on embracing leopard print, take a cue from Princess Kate. Go bold, go green, and let your inner fashion predator pounce.