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Kate Middleton made an elegant return to her style roots on Thursday to attend the royal charity polo match played by Prince William in the shadow of Windsor Castle.
Though in recent months the princess has been debuting bold looks with vintage silhouettes, often drawing close comparisons with her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, for the polo, Kate opted for a lighter, brighter outfit which was all her own, a royal expert has told Newsweek.
Attending the charity match held at Guards Polo Club on the Windsor Great Park estate, Kate made her appearance as a spectator alongside members of her staff and extended family members, wearing a blue printed summer dress by the brand, Beulah London.
"The Princess of Wales pulled a blue Beulah frock from her closet for Thursday's charity polo match," royal expert Christine Ross told Newsweek of the outfit choice.
"The dress originally appeared in the brand's 2019 collection, letting us all wonder what other fabulous styles are hiding in her wardrobe," she said. "Kate has worn many Beulah dresses over the years, from casual styles to formal and even evening looks, cementing it as one of her favorite brands."
Beulah London was founded in 2010 by friends Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan, whose aim is to empower women through their designs, not just for those wearing them but also for those who make them. The brand employs women around the world to manufacture their products and 10 percent of Beulah's profits are donated to women-centred charities.
Kate's relationship with Beulah has spanned a number of years and runs deeper than just having an appreciation for the aesthetic value of the designs. Kate and William are both long-time friends of Isaacs and Kate was reported to have dated Isaacs' husband, Rupert Finch, during her early university days.
In 2020, Isaacs made a rare comment about how significant it was having Kate as one of Beulah's clients.
"It's always lovely to see the Duchess in Beulah," she told HELLO. "She's a wonderful ambassador for British brands and that is more important than ever at the moment."
Kate's dress for the polo was the brand's "Sonia" design that costs $700. She paired this with tan slingback heels from Camilla Elphick ($273) and a blue handbag from British luxury leather goods brand, Mulberry.
"The look was effortlessly beautiful and breezy for this annual summer event," Ross noted. "While many of her recent looks have been compared to the late Queen or Princess Diana, this was undeniable Kate."
Since becoming Princess of Wales in September 2022 following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Kate has streamlined her look, moving more away from the light summer dresses she once favored for bolder outfits that draw on the sharply tailored and silhouetted aesthetics of the 1980s and 1990s.
A prime example of this new look was debuted on June 17, for King Charles III's first Trooping the Colour celebrations as monarch. For the occasion, Kate leant into the 1990s references, with a new coat-dress from Paris based designer, Andrew Gn.
It featured statement buttons and silk contrast piping, and was paired by the princess with an oversized picture hat by royal milliner Philip Treacy.
The look was compared by a number of commentators with the coat-dress and hat combinations worn by Princess Diana in the early 90s.
Kate has also worn a number of designs in recent months by a new favorite fashion brand, Alessandra Rich, whose designs are heavily influenced by vintage silhouettes.
Though this new style continually earns Kate praise from the fashion press, her return to the light printed summer style of the Beulah polo look shows that she's not ready to completely erase the softer side of her royal wardrobes just yet.
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.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more