When Kate Middleton married Prince William in 2011, she was lorded as the most stylish member of the royal family in recent history, filling a gap left vacant following the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
Kate, now the Princess of Wales, has adapted and modified her style over the past decade, lengthening skirts, embracing vintage silhouettes and, most recently, turning her attention to bold monochromatic looks with strong comparisons to another fashion minded royal—the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Throughout her historic seven-decade reign, the queen transformed from a young woman to striking modern matriarch, never ahead of fashion but never behind it either.
Though well known for different fashion moments throughout her reign, perhaps Queen Elizabeth's most potent style legacy is her rainbow wardrobe which was adopted over the last decades of her life.
Elizabeth is famously quoted as having said "I need to be seen to be believed," and to literally aide in this she saw the benefit of dressing to stand out in a crowd.
To achieve this, she adopted a uniform of bold block colored coats with printed day dresses beneath with a matching hat accompanied by her stalwart patent leather handbag and shoes.
Though Kate has not become quite so rigid in her observance of the same principles, her last collection of engagements have seen her experiment with layered monochrome looks from navy to red and a color the queen said she could never wear successfully—beige.
Reflecting on how Kate's style is now aligning with that of the late queen's, royal fashion expert Miranda Holder told Newsweek that the princess and late monarch have more in common than meets the eye.
"There have been many previous comparisons between Kate and the late Princess Diana, but personally, the Princess of Wales is following more closely in the Queen's fashion footsteps," she said.
"Like the Queen, Princess Catherine embraces colour, using it effectively as a diplomatic gesture to please her adoring public but the similarities don't end there. Both adopted the monochromatic look (wearing a single colour from head to foot) early in their royal careers which assists in creating an even more striking impression, resulting in them being easily recognisable as themselves."
Here, Newsweek looks at a selection of Kate's most recent monochrome fashion moments.
Remembrance Sunday, November 13, 2022
For the annual remembrance events in November each year members of the royal family traditionally wear black out of respect for fallen soldiers and wounded veterans of war.
To the cenotaph ceremony on November 13—the first with King Charles leading tributes as monarch—Kate wore a black coat dress with asymmetric bust pleating detail by designers Catherine Walker & Co. formerly a favourite of Princess Diana.
With her coat dress the princess wore Diana's pearl and diamond earrings and a new art deco diamond brooch with which she attached her three poppies (one each for the army, navy and air force).
Kate finished the outfit with a matching black felt hat likely by favorite royal milliner Philip Treacy.
Maternal Mental Health Alliance Visit, November 9, 2022
On November 9, Kate visited the Colham Manor Children's Centre in Uxbridge in her capacity as patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, and spent time with mothers and babies, speaking about mental health and early years development.
For the event Kate opted for a green monochrome look in shades of forest and moss. She wore a wool cashmere-blend coat from British label Hobbs, and a ribbed midi-dress from Mango.
Rugby League World Cup 2021 Quarter Final, November 5, 2022
Kate became patron of the Rugby Football Union and England Rugby in February 2022 after the roles had been previously held by Prince Harry before he stepped down to move to the U.S. with Meghan Markle.
For a day of rugby engagements including cheering on England in their rugby world cup quarter-final match with Papua New Guinea, Kate wore a layered red ensemble which matched the team's symbol of a red rose.
The princess wore an Alexander McQueen coat which she has worn on a number of previous occasions, with a brick turtleneck and matching pleated skirt from an unknown brand.
Scarborough Community Visit, November 3, 2022
For an important community visit to Scarborough with the Prince of Wales on November 3, Kate opted again for a monochrome look, this time in shades of beige.
The princess wore a wool blend belted coat from the label Max and Co. which is part of Max Mara, a go-to royal brand for both Kate and sister-in-law Meghan Markle.
With this she also wore a co-ordinating turtleneck midi dress broken with a suede braided belt from Boden.
To accessorize Kate carried the Nano Montreal Handbag by Demellier London.
10th Anniversary Of Coach Core, October 13, 2022
For the tenth anniversary event of Coach Core, the programme set up by the Royal Foundation to continue the sporting legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the Prince of Wales, Kate wore a striking look in blue tones.
The princess wore a vintage blue boucle tweet blazer with contrasting navy piping from the French brand, Chanel.
Kate has worn more vintages pieces in 2022 than any other year previously, debuting a 1980s Yves Saint Laurent blazer during her tour of the Caribbean in March and 1960s coral handbag.
With her blazer the princess wore a pair of flowing navy pants and blue tone jewelry.
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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
