The Princess of Wales’ celebrated fashion choices have become the subject of a popular new viral video, charting a number of key dresses worn by the royal over the course of her 12-year marriage.
Throughout her time in the public eye, which has spanned over two decades, Kate’s style choices have been closely followed and often replicated. When the princess wears an item of clothing, it regularly sells out, with her value to the British fashion industry reportedly estimated at over $1 billion, being nicknamed the “Kate effect.”
Kate is known to have a long developed passion and appreciation for fashion, having worked at a British fashion brand as an accessories buyer after leaving university.
Over the years, the princess has adopted a style of dressing for important occasions in the same way that Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana did, by paying subtle tributes and conveying messages through her clothing.
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Uploaded to TikTok by user royal_secrets24 on September 18, an edited compilation video showing seven of Kates most “iconic/memorable” dresses has become a viral hit, gaining over 3 million views on the social media platform so far.
Of the seven dresses featured in the clip, three are those selected to be worn for photographs on the steps of St Mary’s Hospital in London after the birth of the royal’s three children. These important milestone images were part of a royal tradition which was also observed by Kate’s late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
The dress selected for the first photocall of Prince Louis at the hospital paid a number of style nods to the dress worn by Diana 34-years earlier following the birth of Prince Harry.
Kate’s Alexander McQueen wedding dress is also highlighted in the video. The ivory silk gown was designed by the fashion house’s creative director, Sarah Burton, who has collaborated with the princess on many of her high profile event outfits in subsequent years, including the gown worn to King Charles III’s coronation in May 2023.
The dress most prominently featured in the TikTok clip is nicknamed by the poster the “Bond Girl Dress.” This gold caped gown with sequin and beaded embellishments was designed by one of Kate’s favorite fashion minds, Jenny Packham.
The royal has worn the dress only once, so far, making its glittering debut at the London premiere of the 2021 James Bond movie, No Time To Die. The dress was widely celebrated by the fashion press and was the subject of a number of viral posts following the star studded event.
The TikTok video has received in excess of half a million likes and 350 comments, many of which have praised the princess and analyzed her style approach.
“Her wedding dress will be THE fairytale wedding dress forever,” wrote one fan.
“She’s the it girl of our generation for real,” posted another, with a further comment reading: “The Bond dress was stunning, up close it was exquisite.”
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
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