The Palace has taken the rare step of issuing a fresh statement clarifying one of its policies
11:02, 17 Feb 2025Updated 11:02, 17 Feb 2025
(Image: Getty Images)
Kensington Palace has issued a statement clarifying the policy for sharing details about Princess Kate after a backlash over reported new guidance.
Earlier in the month, the Sunday Times ran a piece with the headline “Princess of Wales: Focus on my work, not my wardrobe,” citing a Royal insider who claimed that Kate “wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting”.
The report also stated she found it “frustrating and difficult” when the spotlight is instead on what she looks like rather than her work. And now a spokesperson from Kensington Palace has responded with a rare statement where they insisted there was “no change in our approach to sharing information”.
Speaking to the Mirror, they clarified: “Over the last week, I have received numerous questions about a story regarding The Princess of Wales’s clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits.
“To clarify, the comments that appeared in the article were from me, not The Princess of Wales. The comments that were reported should not be directly attributed to The Princess of Wales. To be clear, there has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness’s clothing.”
Royal enthusiasts were left disappointed by the potential decision of the Palace to stop sharing details about Kate’s outfits, with one expert confessing his heart ‘sank’ upon hearing the news. The Duchess is globally recognised as a style icon, with fashion lovers scrambling to purchase whatever she wears in record time, reports the Mirror.
As such, fans argue that Kate plays a crucial role in highlighting British designers and bolstering the UK fashion industry. Her endorsement was recently estimated to be worth £1bn annually to the fashion industry, according to Newsweek.
Over recent years, Kate has experienced a style evolution. Initially, she heavily relied on fitted and flared floral dresses when she first stepped into Royal life.
But she now has a new fashion formula, and it’s boosted her style credentials even further. The mother-of-three now typically opts for a beautifully tailored trouser suit, a T-shirt or blouse, and pointed court shoes.
This outfit choice is seen as perfect for a modern-day Princess; it’s polished and formal but also relaxed and understated with the addition of a more casual top. According to several experts, this shift in Kate’s style sends a clear message.
“I think it marks a new era in her Royal life,” Bethan Holt, fashion director at the Daily Telegraph told People magazine. “It shows her confidence is growing and that she’s willing to take more risks and do something that might not have come naturally to her.”
Bethan remarked: “She’s transforming before our eyes. She might not be able to say to us, ‘Look, my life is now completely different, me and my husband are one step closer to the biggest job of his life,’ but she is saying that through her fashion choices.”
Royal style expert Miranda Holder also weighed in on the topic, telling HELLO!: “Princess Kate’s image has definitely taken on a more business-like feel ever since she became the Princess of Wales; her more serious wardrobe reflecting the gravitas of her heavyweight role within the Firm.”
“She has literally been rebranded in line with her new level of authority as the Princess of Wales and her position as our future Queen.”
Notably, Princess Kate is not the only royal to undergo a major style shift at a pivotal time in her life – so too did her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. “Diana had her own trouser suit moment in the late 1980s at a time when she wanted to be taken more seriously,” Holt further added. “She said to designers, ‘I’m sick of the frothy ball gowns – I want to wear menswear.’ And she had these fabulous power suit moments!”