Kate Middleton’s Done Talking About Her Clothes
She may have a long history of making best-dressed lists and even appearing on the occasional fashion magazine cover but Kate Middleton is done talking about her clothes. The Princess of Wales has reportedly instructed Kensington Palace staffers to stop discussing her clothes so the “focus” will be on the work she’s doing.
Kate Middleton wants to focus on ‘really important issues,’ not her clothes
A palace insider has told the U.K.’s Sunday Times royal editor, Roya Nikkhah, that Kate’s changing how things are done at Kensington Palace. Specifically on the subject of her clothes and sharing details publicly.
The 43-year-old reportedly wants the media’s focus to be on “really important issues” and not her clothes. “There is an absolute feeling that it [the public work] is not about what the princess is wearing,” the insider told the outlet. “She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people, and the causes she is spotlighting.”
“There will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public and she gets that,” the source continued. “But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there but it’s about the substance.”
That doesn’t mean, however, that the palace will stop sharing details on Kate’s clothes entirely. The outlet reported that the palace may release some details on Kate’s clothes from time to time and only for big events. Think: State dinners, Trooping the Colour, and other mainstays on the royal’s calendar.
The announcement comes as Kate slowly returns to her royal duties after announcing earlier in January 2025 that her cancer, which she underwent treatment for in 2024, had gone into remission.
Kensington Palace followed the same protocol with the future queen in 2022
This isn’t the first time Kensington Palace has decided to stay quiet on the details about Kate’s clothes. The palace reportedly changed protocol in 2022 which saw officials refusing to give out specifics on Kate’s outfits. That meant it left clothing and accessory IDs up to designers to confirm because the palace wouldn’t.
Previously, staff had shared information about what Kate wore to each of her official appearances, save for casual appearances. Similar to the latest report, back in 2022 the palace’s protocol still meant they’d share details on Kate’s formal looks, such as at a movie premiere, state event, or royal tour abroad.
Just like the latest change in protocol on Kate’s clothes, the last one came at the start of a new chapter or “era” for the future queen. In November 2022, when the report surfaced, Kate and Prince William were in the early months of being the Prince and Princess of Wales and that much closer to the throne following Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022.
Kate is changing up her style this year
Although Kate may not share details about her clothes publicly, she’s still putting a lot of thought into them behind the scenes. She’s said to be rethinking her style as 2025 gets into full swing. Why the change? Because Kate learned “how important her sartorial choices are for her relationship with the public” in 2025, Christine Ross, a royal expert and author, previously said.
