Princess Catherine Goes Bold to Church Service in Scotland in a Fedora, Tartan Coat, and New Hairstyle

Kate Middleton arriving at church in Scotland

(Image credit: Peter Jolly Northpix/Shutterstock)

published 28 August 2023

The Princess of Wales donned a fedora, a tartan coat, and a low bun to attend church at Balmoral alongside other members of the royal family yesterday—and as is the case with much of what Catherine wears, the look was loaded with symbolism.

She arrived at the Sunday service at Crathie Kirk church in a car also carrying her husband, Prince William, and uncle-in-law Prince Andrew; they met King Charles and Queen Camilla there, The Daily Mail reports. (This also marks the first time we have seen her since the beginning of her summer break.) Catherine wore a beige tartan Marlborough trench coat from Holland Cooper and accessorized with a dark brown wool felt fedora with feathers by Hicks & Brown—which cost just £99. (In contrast, her coat costs £849.) In addition to the color fedora Catherine chose, it also comes in shades like maroon, camel, and dusty pink.

Hicks & Brown Suffolk Fedora in Dark Brown

Catherine seems to like fedoras, as she’s been seen in one at big royal family events like Christmas at Sandringham, where she wore a dramatic olive-green hat last year. Yet the overall look, reports The Daily Express, is a pivot from what Catherine has been wearing as of late—though “the outfit does bear some resemblance to previous styles worn by Kate in her pre-royal days, when she was described as having a ‘Sloane Ranger’ fashion sense.” Tartan is also a pattern Catherine wears less often, but she has worn it on a handful of occasions.

Holland Cooper Full Length Marlborough Trench Coat

Kate Middleton in tartan print — November 2022

The church service—which Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh also attended—marks the first time such a large number of royals have gathered at Balmoral since Queen Elizabeth died at the estate last September. The Daily Express is calling Catherine’s outfit choice a “heartwarming tribute” to Her late Majesty and the late Queen’s favorite royal residence, Balmoral—her coat had a trademark “Balmoral tartan” design, in keeping with the Scottish legacy of the castle. Per The Mirror, the look also kept with a “Balmoral tradition” of keeping her look in earthy tones; the rest of the royal family followed suit with their outfit choices.

Though William and Catherine’s children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are at Balmoral with their parents, they were not in attendance at the church service yesterday.

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.

Stay In The Know