Prince William Upset Over Backlash to Kate Middleton's Fashion Decision

Prince William wears a suit and Kate Middleton wears a burgundy coat with matching hat

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Earlier this year, it was reported that Kensington Palace would no longer be sharing information regarding Kate Middleton's outfits. The palace subsequently clarified their comments, leading to some confusion about the initial announcement. And according to a new report, Prince William wasn't happy about the backlash Princess Kate was subjected to.

"There's a huge feeling amongst not just the Royal Family but also within all the people that work for them, that Kate can do no wrong, so of course everyone is appalled that she's even being questioned over this," a source told In Touch (via GB News). As for how the royals are handling the issue, GB News reported, "The princess is being encouraged to ignore critics and continue handling her public duties in whatever way makes her comfortable."

bag - kate middleton — Prince William is reportedly "appalled" by the way Princess Kate has been treated.

It's perhaps unsurprising that the general public had a strong reaction to Kensington Palace's statement regarding Kate's fashion choices. A statistical analysis—using data from 2023—carried out by "The Royal Dress Code" podcast revealed that Princess Kate's outfits hugely influence internet traffic. The podcast's hosts, Afua Hagan and Christine Ross, said in a press release, "Engagements where Kate wore a new outfit saw an average of 16.9 news article headlines posted on X within 48 hours." They continued, "News articles about engagements featuring a new outfit received an average of 80,000 views on X." Basically, the outfits Princess Kate wears to public engagements matter and generate a lot of interest with readers—both for the Princess of Wales and the charitable causes she supports.

To recap, the unexpected drama began on Feb. 1 when a source told The Times, "There is an absolute feeling that [the public work] is not about what the princess is wearing." They continued, "She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting. There will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public and she gets that. But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there but it's about the substance."

Kate Middleton wearing a black and white plaid dress and long white coat walking along a sidewalk — "But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No."

On Feb. 11, the source revised their position in a statement to People. "Over the last week, I have received numerous questions about a story regarding The Princess of Wales's clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits," the source said. "To clarify, the comments that appeared in the article were from me, not the Princess of Wales. The comments that were reported should not be directly attributed to the Princess of Wales." They continued, "To be clear, there has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness's clothing."

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.