In the seventh episode of the sixth season of The Crown, Kate Middleton (played by Meg Bellamy) and her mother Carole (played by Eve Best) had a dispute. Kate believed that her mother was secretly arranging an affair between her and classmate Prince William. Any encounters and dates. “You always liked the idea of me and William being together,” accuses Kate, played by Meg Bellamy. Carole tries to explain her reasoning: After the trauma and drama of Princess Diana’s death, a boy like Prince William Needing stability, she thought Kate could provide it: “I just thought he needed a good, normal girl.”
Of course, this is just a fictional conversation. The Crown is a historical (and often exaggerated) work of fiction: in season six, they hinted that Carole obsessively engineered her daughter’s marriage to the prince, even having her teenage daughter in London Street introduces himself to the young prince.
There is, however, a grain of truth in it all: Eve Best’s Carole is right. The real Kate Middleton’s strength has always been her ordinaryness.
In 2004, the British tabloid “The Sun” broke the news that Prince William was dating Kate Middleton, who was William’s classmate and friend and a classmate of the University of St. Andrews. (The caption read: “Finally! William found the girl,” alongside a photo of the two at Klosters Ski Resort.) Rumors about the pair had begun to circulate in the months before. “We’re very interested in the idea of being Prince William’s parents-in-law, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Michael Middleton told reporters gathered on his lawn in 2003. However, for the first time, irrefutable photographic evidence has emerged. Suddenly, the Middleton family was caught in a media storm. The world wanted to know everything it could about the potential future queen.
First, the tabloids cruelly mocked her middle-class background. She and her older sister, Pippa, were dubbed the “Wisteria Sisters” – an allusion to how fast they could climb – while also mocking the fact that her mother was a flight attendant. (“She’s abrupt, a bit over-the-top, very middle-class,” an anonymous source mocked Carole to the Daily Mail in 2007.)
Yet amid the noise of classism over the years, Kate Middleton said nothing. For William, this caution became one of her most notable qualities: “Whenever William felt uneasy about Kate, he soon discovered that exchanging her for the girl he thought he wanted wasn’t as easy as looking at It was so easy to find anyone who could be trusted as much as he trusted her,” Tina Brown wrote in Palace Papers.
In front of the camera, she wears age-appropriate but conservative clothing: a tweed blazer and a knit sweater to a horse racing festival, or walking with her father in the streets of St. Andrews in boot-cut jeans and a white tank top. Penelope Chilvers boots are a must-have, as is her cardigan. (To appreciate her minimalist restraint in her outfits, just compare them to her peers; for example, in July 2006, her simple beige peacoat contrasted with a strapless one worn by boho-loving Chelsy Davy. A white tank top, large jewelry and a wrap skirt provide contrast.)
Hems often stop at a demure (but never boring) knee-length. She eschewed anything garish, trendy, or adventurous—a fact that, in hindsight, is remarkable since she was, after all, still in college, which for most people is life’s most confusing, experimental experience. One of the strongest stages. (Especially when it comes to wardrobe.) “Kate loves suede boots, a good blazer and a cute shirt,” Vogue fashion writer José Criales-Unzueta said of her central style principles at the time. in short? Everything is so ordinary.
In fact, the only time Kate’s clothing style veered a bit edgy was when she and Prince William briefly split in 2007. At that time, she attended a party in London wearing a V-neck dress and sparkly clothes. She wore an overly bronzed face and rosy cheeks as she entered and exited the car – she was no longer the image of a princess waiting to become a princess. However, after they reconciled, the “more responsible style” returned.
Maybe it’s a sartorial strategy. Because Kate doesn’t speak to the media, the only thing they can comment on regularly is what she wears. Of course, she couldn’t talk – but her clothes could.
Therefore, she positioned herself to become a common girl in England. “Almost never wearing something the British public couldn’t afford, she presented herself as the manor girlfriend perfect for the streets, in fresh, rocking streetwear branded dresses and short blazers,” writes Tina Brown. “She became a silent icon of appropriate style.” At the same time, when the media exploited her middle-class background, she embraced it: she didn’t need fancy designer bags or form-fitting dresses to attract Britain’s most coveted man. She can do it wearing Topshop.
It became a fashion fairy tale. “This princess is not a ‘glamorous’ supermodel or a model for a fashion show,” Criales-Unzueta said. “She’s the girl next door, dressed to the nines — which means that all eyes looking at her aren’t intimidated by her style. Instead, they feel connected to the ordinary feel of her clothes.”
Gradually, the public began to love her for it. Items she wore, such as Penelope Chilvers’ fringed boots, sold out at an unprecedented rate. Kate is just like us, and we can be like Kate. “Her personal style is accessible, people can relate to it, and imitating her is not a difficult task,” Criales-Unzueta added.
Sidonie Roberts, costume designer for The Crown, came to the same conclusion after studying old photos of Kate Middleton in her 20s. “She’s capable, charming, and never goes too far,” Roberts said. “She pursued fashion in an acceptable way.” She also learned that the way she dressed in college was one of the precursors to the style guide she still follows today — beautiful, but often conservative clothing. “You can see what Kate looks like now, right? She was dressed perfectly for the role she’s in now,” she added.
Roberts is right. Fast forward fifteen years, and Kate Middleton is now the Princess of Wales. However, even though fashion trends have changed, she still wears outfits that are extremely attractive and relatable. Although there were dresses from Alexander McQueen, there were also pieces from Zara. She often wears the same looks over and over again—even formal evening gowns. Almost every brand she wears is a British brand. “Not much has changed except that she has grown and now dresses for her job,” Criales-Unzueta said. “Suits, coats and dresses—they’re all extensions of the same normal style.”
