Fans Are Convinced Taylor Swift Is Paying Subtle Tribute to Princess Kate with Her Grammys Look

Taylor Swift and Kate Middleton in white gowns and black opera gloves

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 5 February 2024

Two of the most powerful women in existence—Kate Middleton, the future Queen of England, and Taylor Swift, the current undisputed Queen of the World—wore similar looks to a red carpet event and, yes, the world noticed.

Taylor Swift at the 2024 Grammys — Swift at the 2024 Grammys

Both women wore white gowns and black opera gloves to their respective events—Kate to the BAFTAs last year and Swift to the Grammys last night—and as royal fans are prone to do, are convinced that Swift paid a subtle tribute to Kate, who is currently recuperating following abdominal surgery on January 16. “Royal fans are convinced the pop idol is a secret fan of Princess Kate’s style,” The Daily Express reports.

Kate Middleton at the 2023 BAFTAs — Kate at the 2023 BAFTAs

Swift wore Schiaparelli last night in what many perceived as a nod to her album, Reputation—the look is very of that era. Observant fans noticed that Swift even wore six necklaces exactly, perhaps paying homage to the fact that Reputation was her sixth album. (Or perhaps we’re overanalyzing, but we’ve never done that. *wink*)

But in addition to the Reputation messaging—and the Midnights messaging, as her clock choker was set to that exact time—the addition of the black opera gloves to Swift’s white corset gown did look very, very similar to Kate’s look from a year prior. “Definitely a homage to Catherine,” X user @denneeze200 commented. User @darksIdeoftmoon added “As soon as I saw her, I thought about the Princess of Wales.”

Kate’s white gown, for her part, was a one shoulder dress by one of her longtime favorites, Alexander McQueen. When Kate wore it to the 2023 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards last year, it wasn’t her first time—but, The Daily Express reports, “the flower applique on the shoulder was removed and replaced with a bow. When Kate debuted the gown in 2019, she wore it with cool-tone accessories. For the BAFTAs, she accessorized the outfit with dramatic statement floral earrings from Zara, and a black clutch.”

Kate is well-known for her love of high street brands, including Reiss and Whistles. And, while heretofore there’s no known connection between the Princess of Wales and the Princess of Everything, at the bare minimum the two share one trait in common: impeccable style.

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Taylor Swift

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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