Princess Kate’s Remembrance Day Outfit Served as a Major Throwback to a Special Milestone
Although Princess Kate’s style has evolved, she often brings back classic looks from her wardrobe.
Over the years, Princess Catherine has attended multiple Remembrance Day ceremonies, wearing different styles of outfits every time. However, when she stepped onto the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) building on Sunday, her attire was strikingly reminiscent of her 2011 debut at the solemn occasion.
Kate attended her first Remembrance Day service in 2011, just a few months after her wedding to Prince William. For her debut, she wore a black Diane von Furstenberg coat with embellished buttons and a felt collar, pairing it with an elegant Jane Corbett hat featuring a large bow. The then-Duchess of Cambridge completed the look with Kiki McDonough studs and left her long brown hair cascading down her back, pinned with two red poppies on her coat. Although the beloved royal’s personal style has certainly evolved over the years, the outfit was clearly one of her favorite pieces, as she wore the black Diana von Furstenberg trench coat again for Remembrance Day in 2012 and 2016 and the hat in 2014.
This year, the Princess of Wales opted for a Catherine Walker coat with statement black buttons and a felt collar, copleted by a Jane Taylor hat featuring a similar large bow, an ensemble that immediately reminded royal fans of her debut outfit. However, this time she styled her hair in a sleek bun and wore her late mother-in-law Princess Diana’s iconic Collingwood pearl drop earrings. The style icon completed the look with three red poppies and a special HMS Glasgow brooch, which denoted her role as the Lady Sponsor of the Royal Navy warship while paying tribute to Scottish heritage, maritime tradition, and military patronage.
On Sunday, Kate was joined by Queen Camilla and Duchess Sophie on the balcony for the Remembrance Day ceremony. All of them wore three red poppies, while King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Prince William wore only one. The reason why royals choose to wear a specific number of poppies has not been confirmed by the Palace.
The Princess of Wales did not lay a wreath on Sunday, though the King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales did. An equerry laid a wreath on behalf of the Queen Consort. Every wreath reportedly carried a handwritten note, with King Charles’ personal card reading, “In everlasting remembrance.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not attend Remembrance Sunday despite being in the UK. The Duke of Sussex instead attended a memorial service in Brackley, Northamptonshire.
