Princess Kate's 2024 Christmas Carol Service Outfit Is a Holiday Styling Gift
From the red, bow-topped coat to the flash of a tartan skirt.
No one looked merrier at Princess Kate's 2024 "Together at Christmas" carol service than the royal herself.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, made her highly anticipated arrival at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 6 in a festive red coat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, per Hello!. This is exactly the type of coat Princess Kate favors for formal engagements—longline and structured, in a double-breasted silhouette—with a holiday spin in the form of a giant black bow fastened at her collar. In fact, the exact design is a repeat in her wardrobe: She's styled the same McQueen piece for three other formal engagements before, with the first arriving back in October 2020.
She didn't need other December classics like sequins, metallics, or rich velvet to be the seasonal outfit blueprint. Entering the church to greet 1,600 guests alongside The Very Reverend Dr. David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, her stately red coat embodied the pinnacle of holiday dressing.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, arrived at her fourth annual "Together at Christmas" carol service on Dec. 6 in a bow-topped red coat and black boots.
Princess Kate debuted the coat in 2020, at a photography exhibition. She's worn the McQueen design three more times since then, including the Dec. 6 carol service.
Aside from Princess Kate's coat, exact credits for her look were not available at press time. (Trust that this story will be updated for avid followers of her royal wardrobe as soon as Marie Claire learns more.) Still, there was enough to observe an outfit worth copying on the holiday party circuit this winter. The vents of her coat revealed a bright tartan skirt layered underneath. Meanwhile, a pair of black, pointed-toe suede boots coordinated with the velveteen bow at her collar. Touches of holiday sparkle arrived in the form of gold and pearl drop earrings, plus her stunning engagement ring, which was once Princess Diana's.
As Princess Kate walked into her service, the vent in her coat revealed a flash of a tartan skirt.
Princess Kate also wore her engagement ring and a pair of pearl drop earrings.
Princess Kate's "Together at Christmas" carol service has been a holiday tradition (and holiday party outfit tradition) since 2021. Each year has a different theme. This year, a statement from Kensington Palace confirmed the 2024 Westminster Abbey service would focus on "how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives."
The past three renditions of the service have allowed Princess Kate to show her festive side while tipping her hat to local designers throughout the U.K. (She often chooses to wear labels that have a special connection to the event or location where she's making an appearance, with a special focus on U.K.-based designers.) For the 2023 concert, she wore a head-to-toe blizzard white outfit including a custom coat by the Savile Row tailor Chris Kerr and a sweater knit by the Scottish brand Kiltane. For the inaugural service in 2021, she relied on one of her most-worn labels for another merry red coat dress: Catherine Walker. That design was also topped with a bow.
Last year, in her final public appearance before announcing her cancer diagnosis, Princess Kate layered winter white pieces including a custom Chris Kerr coat, Kiltane sweater, and Holland Cooper pants.
In 2021, the inaugural year of the concert, Princess Kate looked like a gift in a custom Catherine Walker dress.
Families across the United Kingdom will be able to watch Princess Kate's annual carol service on December 24, when it airs on ITV1 and ITVX. For now, everyone can take festive outfit inspiration from the royal's latest look.
