Catherine, Prince of Wales at the Commonwealth Day Service in Erdem

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Before we launch into our third day of Oscar coverage, we simply had to stop and pay attention to the Princess of Wales, who observed her first Commonwealth Day without her Grandmother-in-law and with her new title. We think both of these facts are reflected in her style choices for the day. While there are the usual touches that remind folks of Diana, Princess Cathy really went hard on the “Queen Elizabeth circa Coronation Day” drag for this one.

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That’s about as old school as royal drag gets without breaking out corsets and bustles. Ironically, an entire generation of the family worked very hard to strip away this sort of image in order to embrace modernity, but there’s a really good argument to be made that the results have not been beneficial to the family — and we tend to think it’s an argument William and Catherine fervently believe. We’ll say it again: for all the feverish talk amongst the royal-watching set that everything she wears or does is some sort of homage to Diana, it’s always been crystal clear that she has worked very hard to avoid the kind of trend-chasing her mother-in-law was known for and fully embrace the extremely traditional, simple, photogenic styles her grandmother-in-law practically invented. We get why it has resonance, but this is borderline costume to our eyes. It bugs that the hat doesn’t match and we don’t like the visible stitching in the jacket. But as a piece of political theater, it’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of it. She dresses like she was born to the role. On purpose.

Style Credits:
– Erdem Navy Blue Ottoman Jacquard Peplum Jacket and Matching Flared Skirt from the Pre-Fall 2023 Collection
– Gianvito Rossi Shoes

[Photo Credit: Cover Images, Nadine Ijewere/Courtesy of Erdem, modaoperandi.com]

• Catherine Duchess of Cambridge
• Catherine Princess of Wales
• Erdem
• Gianvito Rossi
• Kate Middleton
• Royal Watch