Princess Kate Is Elegant in Blue for Commonwealth Day

Princess Kate wearing a blue hat and coat — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate might love a trouser suit, but she debuted a sophisticated new coat dress as she attended the annual Commonwealth Day ceremony on Monday, March 9. The Prince and Princess of Wales showed a united front amid Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's recent scandals, and she leaned into consistency and royal heritage with her bespoke outfit.

Kate chose to represent one of the colors of the Commonwealth with her all-blue outfit, wearing a blazer-style Catherine Walker dress with a pleated skirt and sharp shoulder pads. She paired the outfit with her often-worn five-strand pearl necklace by Susan Caplan and Queen Elizabeth's Bahrain Pearl drop earrings.

Instead of one of her many Emmy London bags, the Princess of Wales carried a croc-effect navy chain wallet by Scottish brand Strathberry, adding a pair of matching blue Gianvito Rossi suede pumps. The Princess of Wales updated an older navy statement hat by Sean Barrett, adding netting on its wide brim.

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Princess Kate and Prince William walking into Commonwealth Day ceremony — Prince William and Princess Kate enter the 2026 Commonwealth Day ceremony.

Princess Kate wearing a blue hat and coat and smiling — Princess Kate chose a new Catherine Walker coat dress.

Princess Kate wearing a blue coat dress and hat — Princess Kate carries a Strathberry Multrees Chain Wallet.

Susan Caplan

Vintage 5 Strand Faux Pearl Necklace

Strathberry

Multrees Chain Wallet - Croc-Embossed Leather Navy

As for Queen Camilla, she wore a bold red dress and coat by Fiona Clare and a matching red hat by Philip Treacy. Like Princess Kate, she wore a heritage piece of royal jewelry, pinning the Queen Mother's diamond palm leaf brooch to her coat.

This year's Commonwealth Day is themed around highlighting "collaboration as the defining strength of the modern Commonwealth," and one special performance ties in with Kate's visit to Leicester, England last week.

The Princess of Wales witnessed an Indian dance performance to celebrate the spirit of the festival of Holi, and on Monday, the Royal Ballet School and Sapnay Entertainments Ltd. will perform a special dance that unites classical ballet and Bollywood moves.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.