An Olive Branch? Kate Middleton Makes Surprise Nod to Harry and Meghan on Their Wedding Anniversary

Kate Middleton made a graceful appearance at the Buckingham Palace garden party on 20 May. The Prince and Princess of Wales stepped in as hosts on behalf of King Charles. While William looked dapper in a black suit and matching hat, it was Middleton who stole the spotlight with her outfit choice. Eagle-eyed fans noticed she was wearing the same hat she had worn to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 wedding.

The Princess of Wales attended her first garden party two years after reducing royal duties in 2024 as she underwent cancer treatment. As reported by People magazine, her hat was a bold choice worn just a day after Harry and Markle’s 7th wedding anniversary. However, the publication reports that Middleton is known for repeating pieces from her royal wardrobe, and she has stepped out in the floral headpiece before. Her stunning, bright yellow Emilia Wickstead dress is the color of the season in London. She paired the outfit with her Robinson Pelham royal wedding earrings.

A year after the Sussexes' nuptials, the Princess wore the same Philip Treacy floral hat for Trooping the Color in June 2019. She wore it with a pale yellow Alexander McQueen ensemble—the same designer behind her 2011 wedding gown. Middleton has not only repeated her hat, but also re-worn the Emilia Wickstead dress. She last wore it at the St. Paul Cathedral Thanksgiving service during the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. As per reports, her hat choice was an ‘olive branch’ to Harry and Markle amidst their highly publicized rift.

Middleton made the most of her much-awaited appearance at the Palace garden party. She was photographed sharing a warm embrace with Steven Frank, a holocaust survivor. The Princess, a passionate photographer, had also captured Frank with his then-teenaged granddaughters, five years ago, for a project marking the end of World War II. As per People magazine, she said at the time, “The harrowing atrocities of the Holocaust, which were caused by the most unthinkable evil, will forever lay heavy in our hearts. Yet it is so often through the most unimaginable adversity that the most remarkable people flourish.” At the garden party, Middleton also received a touching ‘£23 tarte au citron' gift from the family of fellow cancer campaigner Liz Hatton.

Coming back to the Sussexes, Middleton isn't the only one accused of sending a ‘coded message’ with her outfit. Back in February 2024, for the Invictus Games, Markle wore an outfit that seemed to extend an ‘olive branch’ to her sister-in-law. Fashion Editor Amber Graafland told The Sun, “White symbolizes purity, innocence, and neutrality. It [her outfit] also represents new beginnings, which could indicate a willingness to leave the controversy of the past few days behind and move on with her newly defined role.” The Sussexes and the Waleses remain on acrimonious terms following Harry’s many damaging remarks in his recent BBC interview.