Kate Middleton Recycled a Look for Prince Harry's Wedding So She Wouldn't Steal Focus from Meghan Markle

Kate Middleton rewore an outfit she'd been photographed in before for Prince Harry's royal wedding so she wouldn't steal focus from the bride, Meghan Markle.

  • For Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2018 royal wedding, Kate Middleton rewore an Alexander McQueen tailored coat she's worn several times before.
  • Wearing a recycled look wasn't a sign of disrespect—it was actually a thoughtful choice. Kate knew that, if she wore a new outfit, it would increase the attention on her and didn't want to pull focus from Meghan, the bride.
  • Kate famously wore the Alexander McQueen coat to at least two other high-profile royal engagements—Princess Charlotte's christening in 2015 and the Trooping the Colour celebration in 2016.

Kate Middleton knows that people care about her outfit choices. The Duchess of Cambridge's wardrobe is analyzed from every corner of the globe every time she steps outside—and this goes double when she steps out for a big event or especially important royal engagement.

You know, like a royal wedding.

Kate, being the thoughtful, self-aware human that she is, took this into account when she picked out her look for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding in 2018. Knowing that there was bound to be a lot of attention on her look for the day and that said attention would only increase if she debuted a new outfit for the occasion, Kate opted to rewear a favorite piece royal fans had seen her in several times before, her cream-colored Alexander McQueen tailored coat.

topshot princess charlotte and britain's catherine, duchess of cambridge leave the wedding ceremony of britain's prince harry, duke of sussex and us actress meghan markle at st george's chapel, windsor castle, in windsor, on may 19, 2018 photo by ben stansall pool afp photo credit should read ben stansallafp via getty images

(Image credit: BEN STANSALL)

Before Harry and Meghan's royal weddingKate had worn the Alexander McQueen coat to at least two other high-profile royal engagements. First, she wore it to her daughter, Princess Charlotte's, christening in 2015:

london, united kingdom july 05 camilla parker bowles duchess of cornwall, carol elizabeth middleton, catherine duchess of cambridge, princess charlotte of cambridge and michael francis middleton, arrive at the church of st magdalene on the queen's sandringham estate on july 05, 2015 in london, united kingdom photo by bauer griffingc images

(Image credit: Bauer-Griffin)

Then, she wore it again in 2016 to Trooping the Colour:

london, england june 11 catherine, duchess of cambridge, travels by carriage along the mall to the annual trooping the colour ceremony at horse guards parade on june 11, 2016 in london, england photo by julian parkeruk press via getty images

(Image credit: Julian Parker)

Leave it to Kate to recycle an outfit in the classiest way possible.

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london, united kingdom april 21 embargoed for publication in uk newspapers until 24 hours after create date and time meghan markle attends an invictus games reception at australia house on april 21, 2018 in london, england photo by max mumbyindigogetty images

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Kayleigh Roberts
Weekend Editor

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.