Why Kate Middleton Doesn't Want the Palace to Share Her Outfit Details Anymore
Kate Middleton reportedly wants to break from royal protocol by having Kensington Palace stop sharing her outfit details with the public and media outlets, a palace insider told 'The Sunday Times UK.' Here's why.
Kate Middletonâs public-facing engagements in 2024 were few and far between amid her cancer battle, but each rare appearance garnered a flurry of attention from royal watchers eager to see the princess (and her latest imitation-worthy outfit). As both a mom of three young kids and a senior royal, the Princess of Wales has mastered the art of balancing elegant coat dresses with effortlessly casual day-wear. Her traditional yet chic outfit formula has inspired everyone from her daughter Princess Charlotte and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh to former first daughter Ashley Biden. However, as Kate amps up her official engagements in 2025, she reportedly wants Kensington Palace to stop sharing details about what sheâs wearing with the public.
According to The Sunday Times UK, Kate hopes to move away from her reputation as a fashion trendsetter in order to prioritize her workâa notably different approach from sister-in-law Meghan Markle, who has called her style choices âone of the most powerful things [she] can do.â The publication cited a palace source, who revealed that Kate feels like her projects are overshadowed by the attention on her wardrobe.
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âThere is an absolute feeling that it [her work] is not about what the princess is wearing,â the insider shared, adding, âShe wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting.â
As a result, Kensington PalaceâKate and Williamâs official correspondence with the public and the mediaâwill no longer publicly share details of her outfits. âThere will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public and she gets that,â the palace insider added. âBut do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there, but itâs about the substance.â
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Kateâs decision is a shift in royal protocol, as both Kensington and Buckingham Palaces regularly share her and Queen Camillaâs sartorial choices for public-facing events with select outlets, according to The Sunday Times UK. Markle has also opened up about the moment she realized the âpowerâ of the clothing designers she chose to represent after a Strathberry bag she wore in 2017 sold out in just 11 minutes.Â
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Revealing that becoming a part of the royal family âcompletely changedâ how she approaches her style, Markle told The New York Times, âTimes where I know there is a global spotlight, and attention will be given to each detail of what I may or may not be wearing, then I support designers that I have really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that havenât gotten the attention that they should be getting.â