🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Throughout her 12 years as a working member of Britain's royal family, Kate, the Princess of Wales, has found praise and admiration in the world's fashion press for her repeated style statements and impactful looks.
Whether it be walking a red carpet, attending early years education engagements or taking part in historic ceremonies, the princess is a popular draw for royal and fashion watchers alike.
A core element of Kate's working wardrobe is her formal event attire, most notably her expansive collection of ballgowns.
Unlike the late Queen Elizabeth II, Kate had not settled on one cut or color for her gowns, instead experimenting along more conservative lines, with textiles, cuts and embellishments.
When traveling for world tours, Kate will often pay tribute to her host nations through the color choices for her gowns, selecting one or multiple shades to match those used in the national flags of wherever she happens to be.
Here, Newsweek looks at six of the Princess of Wales' most showstopping ballgowns.
Hollywood Red Carpet
One of Kate's first ballgown appearances as a member of the royal family was made on a brief visit to the United States following a tour of Canada in the months after her royal wedding to Prince William in 2011.
For a red carpet event in Hollywood hosted in connection with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Kate debuted an elegant gown in a shade of pale lavender, cut to a Grecian silhouette.
The gown was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, who had designed the royal's wedding dress, and Kate re-wore the design a decade later for the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in 2021.
Buckingham Palace Diplomatic Reception
For the annual diplomatic reception by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016, Kate made a statement appearance against the gold and crimson interiors of Buckingham Palace, wearing a red ballgown made by a favorite designer, Jenny Packham.
Kate had debuted the gown a year earlier, for the state banquet hosted at the palace for President Xi Jinping of China. The color of the dress paid tribute to China's national flag.
London Awards Ceremony
Each year, a highly anticipated event in Prince William and Kate's working diary is the BAFTA Film awards in London.
For the red carpet occasion, Kate's fashion choices are widely reported on. In 2017, the princess selected a dramatic ballgown featuring a floral pattern against a black satin ground and graduating flared skirt.
The dress was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
Buckingham Palace State Banquet for the President of United States
For the 2019 state banquet held at Buckingham Palace in honor of U.S. President Donald Trump, Kate wore a classic royal ballgown of ruched white tulle in graduated layers designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
Kate's white gown accentuated her newly bestowed Royal Victorian Order, which was worn for the first time in the form of a blue and red ribbon with silver star badge.
Evening Reception Visit to Jamaica
During her most recent royal tour, conducted with Prince William in the Caribbean to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in 2022, Kate wore a succession of glamorous gowns.
For an evening reception hosted by the governor-general of Jamaica, Kate wore a fairy-tale example of a ballgown, formed of layered emerald green tulle, with a fit and flare silhouette and crystal-embellished pleated bodice.
The gown was designed by Jenny Packham and to accessorize, Kate was loaned a pair of emerald and diamond tassel earrings by her grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth.
Evening Reception Visit to the Bahamas
Another ballgown worn for the Platinum Jubilee visit to the Caribbean was an ice blue dress in silk with slip shoulders and cross-wrapped bodice.
The dress was the first worn by Kate from the London bridal designer, Phillipa Lepley, whose showroom is located near the princess' principle residence at Kensington Palace.
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