Every Outfit Kate Middleton Has Worn for Remembrance Day Service Since Joining the Royal Family

For her first appearance at the Cenotaph, the then-Duchess of Cambridge chose a Diane von Furstenberg coat from the designer’s fall 2008 collection. Crafted from 100 percent wool, the jacket features a double-breasted front and is adorned with soutache trim on the detachable collar and cuffs. She completed the look with Kiki McDonough “Grace” earrings and a hat by couture milliner Jane Corbett.

Kate Middleton showcased her preference for sustainable fashion with a royal rewear for the 2012 Remembrance Day Ceremony. She wore the same Diane von Furstenberg coat from the previous year’s ceremony. This time, she paired it with a Philip Treacy hat and Annoushka Baroque pearl drop earrings.

For the 2013 Remembrance Day Ceremony, Kate Middleton wore a black “Noa” coat by Temperley London, featuring a high neck, long sleeves, single-breasted front button fastening and a jacquard diamond check design with a pleated hem. She accessorized with a Sylvia Fletcher for Lock & Co. hat, Kiki McDonough hoops with Annoushka Baroque Pearl Drop Earrings and Cornelia James Bow Gloves. This year, her traditional poppy pin was a solo flower, unlike previous years when there had been two.

At the 2014 Remembrance Day Ceremony, which marked the hundredth year since the start of WWI, Kate Middleton wore a black Alexander McQueen wool coat featuring notched lapels, side slit pockets and double-breasted button fastenings in a fit-and-flare style. Beneath the coat, she wore a BCBG Max Azria dress with a ruffled collar. She topped off her ensemble with a Jane Corbett black hat, which she had previously worn in 2011.

Her accessories featured a poppy brooch, a Carl Faberge reproduction, gifted by Emma Roberts-Smith, whose husband is a Victoria Cross recipient — the highest military honor for valor “in the face of the enemy” in Commonwealth countries and former British Empire territories. She also wore a Mappin & Webb Empress Mini necklace in white gold and diamond, with sapphire and diamond earrings from Princess Diana’s jewelry collection.

For the 2015 Remembrance Day Ceremony, Kate Middleton wore a bespoke black coat by Alexander McQueen, featuring velvet trim on the collar and sleeves. She paired it with a new black hat by Lock & Co., adorned with a butterfly detail.

Her accessories included three poppies on her lapel, a nod to her great-grandmother’s three brothers who died in World War I. She also wore Kiki McDonough diamond hoops with Annoushka pearl drop earrings, one of her go-to jewelry combinations.

For the 2016 Remembrance Day Ceremony, Kate Middleton wore the same black coat by Diane von Furstenberg she wore for the 2011 and 2012 ceremonies. The coat design features two lines of black buttons and an oversized collar.

She styled her hair in an updo, arranged to one side, and wore a partially upturned black hat by John Boyd. Her accessories included a pair of earrings and the customary red poppy pin with three flowers.

For the 2017 Remembrance Day Ceremony, Kate Middleton wore a black collarless silk and wool blend coat featuring a fitted bodice and front pocket flaps. 

She accessorized with a Philip Treacy hat, which she had previously worn at Prince William’s 2006 Sandhurst Passing Out Ceremony. She paired this with Oscar de la Renta Pearl Sun Star earrings, featuring Japanese resin pearls in gold-plated stars. She also wore Cornelia James Beatrice gloves and carried a black clutch with gold piping. To complete her look, she wore the event’s customary poppy brooch, this one with three flowers.

For the 2018 Remembrance Day Ceremony, which commemorated the centenary of the World War I armistice signed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Kate Middleton once again turned to Alexander McQueen. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a bespoke black coat with military-inspired touches, such as a white collar and red shoulder embellishments. Her ensemble was completed with a round black hat — a custom Abney style by Lock and Co. — cream-colored earrings, and the traditional red poppy pin for remembrance.

At the 2019 National Service of Remembrance, Kate Middleton once again turned to military uniform silhouettes for inspiration with a Catherine Walker coat. The military-inspired design featured a high collar and frogging details. She paired the outerwear with a Philip Treacy hat.

She accessorized with sentimental jewelry, including the Queen’s Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings and a Codebreaker’s Brooch from the Royal British Legion.

Kate Middleton once again opted for a Catherine Walker jacket for the 2020 Remembrance Day Ceremony. The military-inspired jacket featured large white buttons and subtle fringe detailing at the shoulder. She completed the look with a Philip Treacy fascinator and a three-poppy pin to commemorate the event, which was socially distanced due to protective Covid-19 measures.

For the 2021 Remembrance Day ceremony, Kate Middleton chose to rewear her military-inspired Alexander McQueen coat from the 2018 service. This bespoke piece featured epaulettes and a regal navy, red, and white color scheme. She accessorized with pearl earrings that originally belonged to Princess Diana, along with a black wide-brimmed hat reminiscent that echoed the late Princes of Wales’ style, adding sentimental value to her look.

Following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, the newly titled Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, paid tribute with her attire at the 2022 Remembrance Day service. She wore a structured black coat by Catherine Walker, featuring three poppies and a diamond brooch, and paired it with a black brimmed hat. To honor the Queen, Middleton chose the Japanese pearl choker, a gift from the Japanese government to Elizabeth and previously worn by Princess Diana in 1982.

For the 2023 Remembrance Day ceremony, Kate Middleton favored another rewear with her black Catherine Walker coatdress, notable for its military-inspired style and intricate detailing. She complemented this with a familiar Philip Treacy hat, part of her collection since 2006. The new addition to her ensemble was a Jennifer Chamandi ‘Le 8 Bag’ in black suede.

On the sentimental front, the Princess of Wales adorned herself with Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond and pearl leaf earrings, adding a personal touch with a military brooch marking her role as Commodore-in-Chief of The Fleet Air Arm. Her coat was accented with three poppies.