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There might be many perks to belonging to the royal family, but the gig also comes with some antiquated protocol. This is why Kate Middleton so often keeps her coat on for an entire event. As unbelievable as it may seem, the Princess of Wales is not permitted to take her coat off in public. The tradition has roots in Victorian and Edwardian etiquette, where it was deemed unladylike or too informal to remove it.
Royal stylist Oriona Robb explained the nitty-gritty to Hello! Magazine. “Kate’s preference for A-line coats is far less about personal habit and much more about royal discipline,” Robb explained. “Within royal etiquette, removing a coat in public can be perceived as informal or unpolished, particularly during official engagements where composure and consistency are key.” Robb went on to add that for royals, a coat isn’t just a coat. For the rest of society, it’s common practice to remove it once someone enters an indoor space. Not so for the royals. The coat basically becomes the whole look. Even with such restrictions, though, the princess’ fashion continues to stun. Kate’s undergone a stunning style transformation that’s served her well as she continues to climb the royal ranks. And part of her success in climbing these royal ranks is Kate’s adherence to royal protocol.
This same boring fashion rule is why Princess Diana had to make the coat dress cool
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Princess Diana walked so Kate Middleton could run. While Kate Middleton brings her modern flair to the coat dress, it was actually Princess Diana who figured out how to get around the royal protocol around coats while still looking impossibly fabulous. After all, Dianacore still remains a sought-after style because Diana’s style was so iconic. And this includes the coat dress.
In the 1980s, Diana leaned on fashion designer Catherine Walker to come up with the coat dress so that she could still respect royal protocol while being comfortable inside or outside. To be fair though, there were many royal fashion rules that Diana didn’t follow. The coat dresses were designed to be substantial enough that they provided warmth while still offering the style of a dress. And it’s clear that Kate continues to pay homage to her late, stylish mother-in-law. In 1988, Diana attended Trooping the Color with a little Prince Harry on her hip. She wore a sensational teal and white coat dress with white lapels and a coordinating hat. In 2025, Kate wore a similar style coat dress by none other than Catherine Walker in an obvious nod to Diana. She styled her own teal and white coat dress with a tonal hat. Both women chose pearl earrings. And both women absolutely slayed in their coat dresses even while being hemmed in by royal protocol.