Princess Kate Honored Princess Diana, Prince William, and Her New Role in Her Fashion Choice at Trooping the Colour

Kate Middleton in green dress and hat and sapphire and diamond earrings at Trooping the Colour

(Image credit: Getty)

published 17 June 2023

Look closely at the Princess of Wales’ sartorial choices, and there’s nearly always a deeper meaning. Case in point, her look at today’s Trooping the Colour, chock full of symbolism: For her first Trooping the Colour as Princess of Wales (a title given to her by King Charles in September, not long after he became monarch), Kate wore a pair of Princess Diana’s sapphire and diamond earrings—Diana was the most well-known Princess of Wales until Kate herself was given the title 25 years after Diana’s death in 1997.

Kate’s outfit—a green dress by Andrew Gn and matching hat by Philip Treacy—also was a sweet nod of support to her husband, Prince William, People reports. Gn is a designer from Singapore, “and Kate’s choice was a clear nod to her husband Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, which will hold its third awards ceremony in the Asian country in November,” the outlet writes. (Its first year was in London, and its second in Boston.) “Green also nods to her colonelcy of the Irish Guards and one of the colors of the flag of Wales.” Gn, by the way, is also a favorite of Queen Rania of Jordan; Kate just attended the Jordanian royal wedding with William earlier this month.

Meanwhile, William and Kate’s children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis were a beautiful display of flag dressing, wearing red, white, and blue to honor the Union Jack of the U.K.

In another connection back to her late mother-in-law Diana, Kate also might have opted to wear green for her first Trooping the Colour as Princess of Wales because Diana also wore green to her own first Trooping the Colour with the same title—in 1982, the first Trooping the Colour since her wedding to the then Prince Charles in July 1981.

“I think we have seen lots of examples where the reference is very intentional, and I think Kate uses fashion to pay tribute to Diana in a very positive way,” Bethan Holt, fashion news and features director of The Daily Telegraph, told People.

Kate also accessorized her look with a gold Cartier shamrock brooch, which she previously wore on St. Patrick’s Day, signifying her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards.

“I think this is her power moment,” Holt said. “She’s easing into the Princess of Wales role and that promotion that she’s had in such a beautiful way. She’s got this big new title, and she’s dressing for that job.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

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