The Palace is wrong, writing about Royal fashion is important

It’s not hard to see why the Princess of Wales might want to shift the media’s focus from what she wears to what she does. Fourteen years into her job with “The Firm”, some of the 20 or so charities with which she is associated have become extremely close to her heart. It must be frustrating to have one of her bangles more scrutinised than the meat and potatoes of, say, a new initiative from The Centre for Early Childhood Learning, which she helped set up. Also, given the year she’s had, she will inevitably have developed new insights about her life and role, and how she wishes to conduct them in the future.

But still, the declaration from the Palace that it will no longer share details of her clothes, except for state and other big occasions, seems faintly ridiculous. At this point, when she’s so widely admired and loved, why not just accept that what she wears is one of the reasons why some of the duller duties she has to fulfil still receive a lot of traction? That seeing our smiling princess in a gorgeous Jenny Packham beaded gown, at a time when so many public figures turn out to be a source of embarrassment, brings a harmless moment of pleasure to millions? Fact – Kate’s glamour is also why so many more people know about the Centre for Early Childhood in the first place.

Her mother-in-law attempted a similar perspective switch from fashion plate to serious global figure more than 30 years ago. After her separation from the then-Prince Charles in 1992, “Diana said she didn’t want to be known as a clothes horse but as a workhorse,” Eleri Lynn, curator of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, told Vogue in 2017.

It didn’t work. Not least because post-separation, Diana’s style became increasingly international-glamorous and sleek, culminating in the black, slash-hemmed off-the-shoulder cocktail “revenge” dress she wore to a dinner at The Serpentine Gallery in London on the same night that Charles was confessing his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles on national television. Clothes, as the Princess knew only too well, whatever her protestations, are hugely powerful tools, especially when your voice isn’t always heard.

Catherine appears diametrically different from her contradictory, publicity-conflicted mother-in-law. She’s never come across as someone who seeks attention. In the early years of her marriage, she didn’t even seem especially interested in fashion. Once, when I interviewed her mother Carole, who is self-evidently a huge influence on both her daughters, she asked me whether I thought fashion mattered. The inference was unmistakable. In her view, it did not.

I think what Carole understood by fashion was the flighty, wasteful, extravagant aspect of it, which was at odds with Middletonian values. However, it has always been obvious that the whole family appreciates the importance at all times, even off duty, of personal grooming, good clothes and a sense of style. No Puritans, the Middletons.

Father Michael always looks impeccable. Carole is partial to a bit of Ralph Lauren at weekends (and Catherine Walker for Big Moments). Pippa seems partial to the sort of fashion featured in Tatler. James meanwhile, is the picture of modern rural dressing (think Guy Ritchie’s The Gentleman tweedy, jaunty, look-at-my-slim-calves aesthetic). In fact for someone who spends so much time working with dogs, James could be said to be the Middleton’s other breakout style star.

However, Catherine, blessed with height, slimness and natural elegance, is The One. Frequently cited as one of the best-dressed women in the world, this doesn’t diminish her (in these meagre times, it’s a significant boost to the nation’s pride) but adds to her substance. No one thought Elizabeths I or II were bimbos because they each took pains to cultivate the wrapping around their roles.

Catherine has been of incalculable value to the £37-billion-a-year British fashion industry. And Lord knows, British fashion, buffeted by a sluggish global economy and the current threat of US tariffs, could do with all the help it can get. Where is Royal Family mania strongest, outside the UK? The US. And where is retail doing relatively well (better, at any rate, than most of the rest of the world?) That’s right. New York, Florida, Dallas, Miami… If anything will persuade wealthy American Kate fans to pay an extra 25 per cent for their next Emilia Wickstead, it’s seeing the Princess in said Wickstead, with full designer credits.

The fact is, this will probably still happen. The Palace might have taken a sledgehammer to crack this particular pistachio of a “problem” but will this declaration prohibit the brands themselves from revealing the details? It’s hugely exciting and affirming for any brand, but particularly small independents such as Edeline Lee or Beulah, to see their clothes worn by the Princess. Given the lengths and expense some of them go to in order to customise outfits for her, often sold at a discount, or lent, they surely deserve the chance to capitalise on their golden tickets.

Also, let’s not forget the royal style watchers, like my colleague Bethan Holt (The Telegraph’s fashion director and author of The Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style), who possess an encyclopedic knowledge of everything Catherine has previously worn and can identify a rewear within seconds of it appearing on the internet. Speaking of, Catherine’s (and latterly The Prince of Wales’) appearances in pre-worn and sustainably sourced clothes (at the Earthshot Prize Gala for instance) send out powerful messages to those who still might feel squeamish about wearing second-hand.

There are so many ways Catherine has quietly influenced the way millions dress. More importantly, her frequent appearances, allegedly at William’s suggestion, especially in the early days of her marriage, in high street clothes, were instrumental in making the younger generation of Royals seem more down to earth and in touch with the rest of the country. Only last week, she wore a checked outfit from Zara – why waste that collateral by not revealing it? Admittedly, the Kate sleuths will discover for themselves where it came from (thanks to Google), but why not be upfront?

And why hide the many quiet but oh-so-thoughtful sartorial gestures? I know from my WhatsApp groups how touching it was, at a time when so many Jews feel frightened, to see the Princess wearing a pearl necklace from the vintage jewellery site Susan Caplan, whose eponymous founder is Jewish, at a commemoration ceremony to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in London last week.

‘‘There are countless examples of Kate giving huge boots to small labels and British businesses, “ says The Telegraph’s royal style expert, Bethan Holt. “That doesn’t make her an objectified fashion plate – we can appreciate the depth of her projects and engagements. Clothes can be a compliment, not a distraction”.

Bottom line, we kid ourselves when we make light of how we choose to present ourselves and making light is precisely what this statement does. This latest move from the Palace seems sheepish and slightly shamefaced when it should be proud of everything this Princess of Wales achieves. That includes being an ambassador for British fashion.

Decoding three of the Princess of Wales’s most significant outfits

The Scottish Coronation, Edinburgh, 2023

The colour of Catherine’s look is Saltire blue, in reference to the Scottish flag – and it’s a piece she’s worn before, thus a more sustainable option than wearing something new. As for the jewellery, the Four-Row Japanese Pearl Choker belonged to the late Queen, and was worn by the previous Princess of Wales in 1982. Catherine wore it to the funerals of the late Queen and Prince Philip. In wearing it, she may be nodding to the fact that Elizabeth II was happiest at her Scottish home, Balmoral. The Collingwood pearl drop earrings she’s wearing were a wedding present to the young Lady Spencer in 1981.

The Baftas, London, 2023

The choice of Alexander McQueen will have been meaningful to Catherine, it’s the label she chose for her wedding gown, and one she trusts deeply for high-profile occasions. The gown adhered to the Baftas’s sustainable dress code, because it was a gown she already owned – for its second outing, the shoulder strap was altered to give it a different look. Her earrings were from Zara, a relatable choice, reminding us that she loves a fashion bargain as much as the rest of us.

The Earthshot Prize Awards, Boston, 2022

This dress, by Solace London, was rented, the first time Catherine had done so, and championed the sharing economy. The vibrant hue nods to the Earthshot mission: a greener future. It also adheres to the late Queen’s approach of wearing bold colour so that one is easily identifiable in a crowd. The princess paired it with an emerald choker that was famously worn by Princess Diana as a headpiece, and was something of a talisman on an important night for the Prince of Wales.