Here's Why Kate Middleton Didn't Wear All Black to the BAFTAs

Kate Middleton didn't wear black to the BAFTAs — (Image credit: Getty Images)

On Sunday, Kate Middleton and Prince William attended the BAFTAs in London. While most women wore black dresses on the red carpet, in support of the Time's Up movement—much like at the Golden Globes—the Duchess of Cambridge opted for a dark green gown with a thin black sash around her waist.

The Duchess wore a Jenny Packham gown, and carried a Mascaro clutch.

Middleton's black sash is likely a nod to the Time's Up moment, which seeks to end sexual harassment in the workplace, across every industry worldwide. However, as a member of the royal family, Middleton isn't allowed to show any political affiliation or bias, so wearing all-black might have been considered a breach of protocol.

Prior to the BAFTAs, Daily Mirror correspondent Victoria Murphy noted that Middleton would likely choose a dress "that is black with some coloured/metallic detail." However, the Duchess of Cambridge opted to wear a dark hue of green, with black detailing. This is probably her compromise, on a night that saw almost everyone don black outfits.

For comparison, last year, the Duchess wore a black gown, with floral detailing:

Over 200 members of the film industry signed an open letter, published on Sunday before the BAFTAs, to launch a UK initiative inspired by Time's Up. Emma Watson donated $1.4 million to the new legal fund that, like its US counterpart, aims to support people affected by sexual harassment.

To further support the launch of the Justice and Equality Fund, women wore black on the BAFTAs red carpet, and several actresses were accompanied by activists.

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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.