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When it comes to the royals' favorite places to relax, generations have flocked north of the border to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the Scottish highlands.
England and Scotland have shared a monarch since 1603, when Queen Elizabeth I died and left the English throne to her cousin, King James of Scotland. Since then, successive generations of royals have sought to strengthen the ties between the nations.
In 1852, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert purchased the Balmoral estate near Aberdeen. The royal couple's love of Scotland stemmed from the similarities in landscape and surroundings to Albert's native Coburg in Germany.
Balmoral has become the royals' favorite summer vacation spot, taking on greater importance in 2022 when Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died while staying at the castle.
Royals visiting Scotland today often pay sartorial nods to the country, sometimes making a significant style impact praised by the fashion press. The monarchy's two modern style leaders, Kate, the Princess of Wales, and Meghan Markle are no different.
Though Meghan has only visited the country once in an official capacity, she took on the style cues set by other royals and she still today retains her Scottish title of "Countess of Dumbarton."
Kate has deployed her style skill on a number of occasions north of the border. When in Scotland, she is known by the title Duchess of Rothesay.
Newsweek looks at some of the royal sister-in-laws' Scottish fashion highlights.
Kate Middleton - St. Andrews 2011
One of Kate's most striking fashion looks in Scotland was made when she was still Kate Middleton, just months before her wedding to Prince William.
In February 2011, William and Kate returned to the spot where the newly engaged couple had first met, St. Andrews University on Scotland's east coast.
For the occasion, Kate wore a bold red skirt suit with contrasting black buttons and belt. The look was notable for its striking similarity to a Versace skirt suit worn by the soon-to-be royal's late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, in 1995.
Meghan - Edinburgh, 2018
Meghan's first official visit to Scotland was also made in the months before her royal wedding to Prince Harry.
The couple visited Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh together in February 2018 to undertake a number of engagements. In a tribute to the country, Meghan wore a Burberry overcoat in a tartan pattern.
Tartan is a traditional cloth featuring different colored bands woven into the warp and weft of the material. The future duchess also paired the coat with a handbag from the Scottish luxury leather goods brand Strathberry.
Kate Middleton - Dundee, 2019
Kate has also worn a number of tartan-inspired looks for visits to Scotland.
During a royal engagement with Prince William to officially open the Victoria & Albert Dundee museum, the duchess wore a coat from the McQ label, a diffusion line of the brand Alexander McQueen, who made the princess' wedding dress in 2011.
The coat featured a tartan pattern known as "black watch," which over the past two centuries has been worn by a number of Scottish soldiers.
Kate Middleton - Edinburgh, 2021
Another tartan look deployed by Kate made its striking debut in 2021, during a visit to Scotland with Prince William during the COVID pandemic.
For an evening hosting a drive-in movie experience for children at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Kate wore a new tartan trench coat in shades of green, blue and purple from Holland Cooper.
The coat featured a matching covered belt and contrasting gold buttons. The princess accessorized the look with a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings loaned to her by Queen Elizabeth II.
Kate Middleton - Edinburgh 2023
Perhaps Kate's most important Scottish fashion moment to date was worn in July 2023, for the celebratory event held in Edinburgh to mark the coronation celebrations for King Charles III.
For the historic service at St Giles' Cathedral, Kate showed her diplomatic skill by wearing a coat dress in a shade of blue that paid tribute to the national flag of Scotland, known as the Saltire.
The coat dress was made by Catherine Walker & Co., a favorite designer of the late Princess Diana, and the look was first worn by Kate for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2022.
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