It’s been a tough year for the royals – especially the Princess of Wales, who underwent cancer treatment for several months. But that hasn’t stopped her from holding onto her title as the royal family’s official trendsetter. Here’s what Kate Middleton wore in 2024, including fashion moments from the King’s birthday, Wimbledon and the royals’ Christmas carol service.
Why Has The Princess Of Wales Been Out Of The Spotlight This Year?
Kate Middleton has spent the majority of 2024 battling various health issues. Kensington Palace announced that the royal had undergone a planned abdominal surgery in January, following up with the news that she would be postponing all public engagements until March that year.
The resulting months of absence prompted a wave speculation and conspiracy theories – but it wasn’t until 22 March 2024 that the Princess of Wales broke her silence. Appearing in a video message filmed by BBC Studios, she announced that her post-operative tests had found cancer, and that she had been undergoing chemotherapy since late February. This led to an extension on her leave from royal duties, which was extended until September, when she announced that she had completed treatment.
(c) Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
Despite various public appearances from the summer onwards, Kate Middleton only returned to her regular engagements in autumn of 2024 – much to the excitement of the UK public.
Kate Middleton’s Fashion In 2024
So, while royal appearances have been much fewer this year, we’ve been able to round up some our favourite Kate Middleton fashion moments from 2024:
Trooping The Colour, June 2024
The Princes of Wales only officially returned to the public eye in June for the King’s birthday celebrations, after spending the first half of the year grappling with health issues. Despite a difficult few months, the royal seemed in good spirits throughout the day. Attending the Trooping of the Colour with her children, she processed down The Mall in the ceremonial Glass Carriage, before joining the rest of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Kate Middleton’s full outfit was revealed as she stepped out of the carriage and in the Palace: a white Jenny Packham dress (one the royal has worn on multiple occasions), adorned with a striped belt and bow, the Irish Guards Regimental Brooch (a nod to her role as Colonel of the Irish Guard), a colour coordinated Philip Treacy hat, a Mulberry clutch and a pair of Cavolfiore cluster pearl earrings by Cassandra Goad.
Wimbledon Final Outfit, July 2024
Kate Middleton’s annual Wimbledon appearance is about as anticipated as the tennis itself – and despite only making tentative steps back into the public eye, the royal made sure she was back in the Royal Box this season.
The Princess of Wales, who is a patron of the Wimbledon Championships, attended the Men’s Final with daughter Princess Charlotte and sister Pippa Middleton Matthews, before awarding the trophy to match winner Carlos Alcaraz. The royal wore a purple midi dress from Safiyaa London, keeping with the event’s classic colour palette (Wimbledon Green and Wimbledon Purple). But this also marked the first time she had worn purple to the Championships, having previously only worn green, white cream and tennis ball yellow.
She wore the dress with a pair of tan Lucia pumps from Camilla Elphick and a matching handbag from L.K. Bennett.
Kate Middleton’s Cancer Update, September 2024
Six months after announcing she had cancer, the Princess of Wales took to social media once more to share an update on her condition. ‘As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,’ said the Princess of Wales in her first Instagram post since July. ‘The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.’
The video showed the royal with her husband, Prince William, alongside their children as they walk together through a forest. Choosing a more summery look, Kate Middleton appeared in a floral midi dress by Veronica Beard, featuring a ruffled hemline and button fastenings.
You can watch the full video here.
The Southport Visit, October 2024
It wasn’t long after the announcement that the Princess of Wales returned to royal duties, joining her husband on an unannounced visit to Southport where they met with community members who had been impacted by a knife attack earlier in the year. Meeting with first responders, mental health professionals and victims’ families, the royals offered their condolences and discussed recovery efforts.
For the occasion, Kate Middleton wore a brown Alexander McQueen coat over a burgundy Whistles dress. She finished off the look with a pair of Catherine Zoraida earrings and an Emmy London clutch bag.
Remembrance Sunday, November 2024
A month later, the Princess of Wales stepped into the public eye once more for Remembrance Sunday. The royal took part in multiple events over the weekend, including the 2024 Festival of Remembrance on Saturday and the official Remembrance Sunday ceremony.
The royal attended the festival in a black tailored coat dress – thought to be an Alexander McQueen creation – with sharp lapels and metallic double-breasted buttons. She teamed it up with a mini Chanel flap bag, a Monica Vinader pearl drop pendant and the famous Collingwood earrings.
A family heirloom, the pearl and diamond drops earrings were a gift to Princess Diana after the news of her engagement to Prince Charles in 1981, from the Spencer family’s jeweller, Collingwood (hence the name). The earrings have made many appearances in Kate Middleton’s wardrobe over the years, loaned by the late Queen Elizabeth II to her for ‘a lifetime’.
And on Sunday, she continued the theme in a black Catherine Walker coat with military-inspired mandarin collar, shoulder epaulettes and waist tabs, which she teamed up with a Juliette Botterill hat and the Silver Fleet Air Arm brooch.
She also wore another piece of heirloom jewellery: the Bahrain earrings. The pair of pearl drop earrings come from the royal vault, and once belonged to Queen Elizabeth II. Gifted to the late monarch by the ruler of Bahrain in 1947, the earrings have since made many appearances both on the Queen and Kate Middleton. The latter wore them to previous Remembrance Sunday services in 2016 and 2019, as well as to the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021.
For the full breakdown of Kate Middleton’s looks, click here.
Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, December 2024
The royal’s most recent appearance was earlier in December, when she returned to hosting duties at Westminster Abbey for Royal Carols: Together At Christmas. For the occasion, she wore a red, double-breasted coat with a longline silhouette and tailored fit. The coat, a bespoke creation by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, was also adorned with a black velvet bow at the neckline for a more festive look. Sticking to a merry red palette, she donned a pleated plaid skirt from Emilia Wickstead’s Autumn/Winter 2018 collection.
On her feet, the Princess of Wales wore a pair of black suede Ralph Lauren boots, which have become a staple in the royal’s cold weather wardrobe over the years. She finished off the ensemble with an 18ct gold-plated Salamander Toque Bangle from Halcyon Days and a pair of gold and pearl Amberley earrings by Mulberry.
You can read all about Kate Middleton’s appearance here.
(c) Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
Featured image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
