Kate Middleton landed stateside for the royal visit to Boston with Prince William on Wednesday and right off the bat she displayed her famous flare for fashion, showing that she "means business," a fashion expert told Newsweek.
Kate and William are paying their first official visit to the U.S. in eight years, now as the Prince and Princess of Wales, to attend the second annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
The prize, founded by William to provide funding for eco-initiatives, took its inspiration from President John F. Kennedy's 1962 "moonshot" speech and, in recognition of that, the award ceremony is being co-hosted in his hometown by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
The prince and princess flew into Boston on a commercial British Airways flight and were greeted at Logan International Airport by Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts.
To make a striking first impression, Kate wore a closely tailored pant suit in a shade of dark purple by the design house responsible for creating her wedding dress 11 years ago—Alexander McQueen.
The suit was a tried and tested favorite, as the princess also owns it in white, navy and pink variations, which have been worn this year too. To accessorize, Kate paid a notable nod to the last Princess of Wales to visit the U.S. back in 1997, Princess Diana.
Kate wore a pair of Diana's diamond and sapphire earrings to complete her arrival outfit. Diana owned a number of pairs of earrings in this style, which she frequently wore while in the U.S., including for dinner at the White House in 1985 and to attend the Met Gala in 1996.
After being taken to their hotel, Kate made a quick change into a plaid Burberry dress with green suede shoes and a handbag from the British leather goods company Mulberry, to meet with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
After their introduction, Kate added a green Alexander McQueen coat to the look for the "Welcome to Earthshot" event with William and Wu, culminating with the royals illuminating Boston City Hall in green light.
The final event of the day was a visit to the TD Garden arena to watch the Boston Celtics play off against the Miami Heat basketball team. For this event Kate wore an unexpectedly conservative outfit, comprising a blue tweet blazer and black slim leg trousers.
The blazer, though not an obvious choice for a sports event, appealed to the eco-conscious values of the Earthshot Prize, it being a vintage Chanel piece from the 1990s.
Celebrity stylist and royal fashion expert Miranda Holder told Newsweek that Kate has a number of factors to consider, from promoting British design abroad to remaining respectful of the current socio/political climate.
"If her tour wardrobe is anything to go by, it's clear that Kate means business in Boston and to date she has cut an elegant if conservative figure, showcasing the best of British tailoring in Alexander McQueen, Burberry and Mulberry.
"This is a new era for Kate as she gets ever closer to the throne and her sartorial choices reflect the mood - that, and the still recent death of Her Majesty the Queen adding a sombre undertone to her wardrobe. It may be back to work, but this family are still very much in mourning after losing possibly their greatest figurehead ever."
Both William and Kate have arrived in the U.S. at a turbulent time for the royal family, which has faced a number of race storms recent months, most recently concerning the prince's own godmother, who it is alleged made racially insensitive comments at a Buckingham Palace reception.
Lady Susan Hussey was a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II and was retained by King Charles as a Lady of the Household after his mother's death. She resigned from her honorary position with the royal household on Wednesday following the allegations.
"The reception amongst the Americans has definitely been mixed, with racist accusations still ringing in their ears from Harry and Meghan and now exacerbated by the Lady in Waiting debacle at the Palace this week," Holder noted.
"William and Kate are on a mission not only to further their cause but also to win back the hearts and minds of a very ambivalent nation - this is not the time to be ostentatious with their wardrobes."
Of Kate's first day wardrobe in Boston, Holder concluded: "Overall sartorially, the first day was a success on the style front if a little unexciting. The fashion was designed to not pull focus from a cause which is very dear to the Prince's heart.
"Personally I'm hoping for a little more fashion fun over the next couple of days to satisfy Kate's fashionista-fans, but alas I'm not convinced that we will witness this on this particular occasion."
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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