The three messages in the Princess of Wales’s elegant Trooping the Colour look
Clothes have to work hard when they’re worn for official engagements by members of the Royal family but it still felt impressive that the Princess of Wales managed to weave three different messages into her outfit for her first Trooping the Colour with her new title.
The Princess chose an outfit which nodded to the late Princess Diana – the last woman to hold the title which is now hers – as well as one of the projects closest to her husband’s heart, the Earthshot prize and her own military position.
At the first birthday parade of King Charles’s reign, Catherine wore a crystal embellished emerald green dress by Singapore-born designer Andrew Gn with a hat by Irish-born, London-based milliner Philip Treacy.
The ensemble echoed the jade green Catherine Walker look worn by Diana at Trooping the Colour in 1988. To underline the tribute to Diana, Catherine added her mother-in-law’s sapphire and diamond earrings.
This is the first time that the Princess has worn Andrew Gn, a designer who is now based in Paris but who is currently celebrating his Singaporean origins with an exhibition at the country’s Asian Civilisation Museum. Lily Collins, Lady Gaga and Emma Stone are among the celebrities who have worn Gn’s decadent, richly detailed designs in the past, while Queen Rania of Jordan – whose son Al Hussein bin Abdullah, Crown Prince of Jordan’s wedding Catherine and William attended earlier this month – is also a notable fan.
Later this year, William and Catherine will visit Singapore for 2023’s Earthshot prize ceremony so it’s a clever diplomatic style gesture to support one of its most successful fashion exports ahead of the trip, especially at such a prominent occasion.
In the past, Catherine’s Trooping the Colour looks have tended towards the pretty and pastel but this year seems to mark a change in tone.
Both Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales chose looks with a military feel; Camilla’s red dress and Philip Treacy hat was an obvious tribute to her position as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards (the epaulettes even reflect the rank insignia of Colonel).
Meanwhile the emerald green shade of Catherine’s dress is a nod to her recent appointment as Colonel of the Irish Guards – she underlined the point by wearing a Cartier shamrock brooch which belongs to the regiment but is loaned to women in the Royal family.
Previously, Catherine has often dressed her children to match her outfit but this time their red, white and blue looks coordinated more with their father and grandfather’s military uniform. This allowed the Princess of Wales to stand out from the crowd in her own bold and bright colour – a gesture which signals her power and confidence in this new phase of her royal life.
