Perhaps best known for her formal occasion wear, Princess Kate’s signature style is on display every year at the Buckingham Palace garden party. Known for her fanciful day coats and elegant A-line dresses, Kate’s yearly ‘superbowl of style’ takes place on palace grounds. Over the years, she’s consistently worn colorful and charming fashions for garden party events. From cotton candy pink dresses to bright lemon coats and sky blue satin jackets, the princess knows how to make a sophisticated garden party style statement.
While the princess had dabbled in donning soft beige garments, she mainly sticks to a fashion rolodex of sunny colors and pretty pastels.
Here’s a look back at Kate’s garden party style and her most memorable fashions.
2012
The princess wore the Alice dress from Emilia Wickstead for her first Buckingham Palace Garden party in May 2012. A full pleated skirt added a bit of charm to this retro-minded carnation colored frock. Kate’s dress had a square neckline, fitted bodice, inset waistband and long sleeves. For extra polish, she wore double drop pearl earrings and a lace detailed blush colored hat by Jane Corbett. She also wore LK Bennett accessories — the patent sledge pumps and the Natalie straw clutch.
2013
For the annual summer soiree at Buckingham Palace in May 2013, Kate opted for another look by New Zealand designer Emilia Wickstead. While expecting Prince George, the princess wore a modified version of the Marella coat featuring a yellow and white abstract print. She paired the cheery day coat with a glossy box clutch with gold trim from Russell & Bromley known as the Fifth Avenue Clutch. For footwear, the mom-to-be wore the brand’s Park Avenue pumps featuring a round toe and platform heel.
2014
In June 2014, the princess opted for a change and wore a slinky lace champagne colored sheath from Alexander McQueen. The midi dress actually made its debut two years earlier at a Jubilee event in the summer of 2012 (at the time, Kate styled the sheath with a tonal rosy satin belt). Formfitting and figure hugging, the princess paired her elegant lace design with a Jane Corbett ribbon and lace detail hat specifically constructed to coordinate with the alluring design. The princess further decorated the chic cocktail dress with Russell and Bromley patent pumps in parchment.
2016
For a festive floral affair in May 2016, the princess once again decided on a muted dress. Wearing a bespoke Alexander McQueen, Kate donned an intricately draped design from her beloved British fashion house. Featuring multiple folds, the peplum skirt creation was a rewear for the royal who wore the creamy colored design for Prince George’s christening in October 2013. Kate finished the dainty and delicate dress with simple accessories including a Georgie hat by Jane Taylor featuring a veil and large rosette.
2016
In June 2016, Kate attended another garden party in Northern Ireland. Opting for a brocade coat from Danish designer Day Birger et Mikkelsen, the princess was resplendent in her pretty party attire. The light golden bisque coat is one of Kate’s most legendary rewears — she’s worn the coat for multiple wedding attendances and even donned the foiled frock for Zara Philip (Prince William’s first cousin) and Mike Tindall’s nuptials in late July 2011. For more regal energy, the princess wore a fascinator courtesy of Lock & Co — the Rose Perching Hat. The unique pillbox piece was inspired by morning rose flowers and also has swirls and circles surrounding a teardrop tip. Finally, for the Irish garden celebration, Kate wore a buff colored Nina clutch and Fern pumps by LK Bennett.
2017
In May 2017, the Queen-in-waiting returned to the Buckingham Palace backyard for the annual foliage festivities. Kate wore a shiny satin ice blue belted coat by Christopher Kane. The elegant fitted coatdress was a bespoke creation crafted for the princess by the Scottish designer. She first wore the coat for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic games. In addition, the brunette beauty wore a beret style hat from Lock & Co called the ‘Sweet Delight.’ She finished the garden party garb with a vintage beaded Josef clutch and Gianvito Rossi praline suede pumps.
2019
For a posh palace affair in the summer of 2019, Kate returned to Alexander McQueen and wore a feminine and on-trend Barbie inspired frock. Greeting well-wishers alongside Queen Elizabeth, Kate wore a tailored tuxedo style peplum coat in a soft pink. She paired the jacket with an intricate feather and floral Juliette Botterill hat. The pretty princess also carried a simple blush colored folded tab clutch from Loeffler Randall and donned her praline pumps once again.
2022
On May 18, 2022, Kate made a glamorous garden party appearance after a long absence due to the Covid pandemic. Wearing a bright and bold custom coral knee-length dress coat from Emilia Wickstead, Kate brought the feel good spirit and royal revelry to the crowds filling the outdoor lawn. The princess paired the dress with a Jane Taylor flamingo fascinator featuring swirls of rose and raspberry — the Lyssa hat was the perfect finishing touch on the peppy pink coat ensemble. Kate completed the look with her embroidered bead clutch from Josef and soft petal pink Kiki cushion drop earrings. For footwear, the princess wore the pink suede ‘Makeup’ pumps by Emmy London.
2022
In late May 2022, the princess did her usual party prowl as the rain was falling for the yearly spring soiree. Wearing a custom mint green dress crafted by her private dressmaker, the palace power player co-hosted this fun occasion with friend Duchess Sophie Wessex. The princess paired the vintage-minded midi with a floral trimmed hat in pistachio by Philip Treacy. She completed her daywear attire with a Hobbs Evesham clutch in soft sage and added Jimmy Choo Romy 100 pumps in an on-theme verdant shade.
2023
At the King’s garden party on the lavish lawn at Buckingham in May 2023, Kate recycled a fan favorite and donned her custom dusty blue Elie Saab with a pussy bow top and embroidered tulle midi made of swathes of frothy fabric. The princess customized the design with sheer long sleeves; the Wales matriarch also added her Royal Ascot accessories including a Philip Treacy rosette saucer hat in soft blue, Elie Saab metallic clutch and shiny silver leather heels from Italian shoemaker Gianvito Rossi.
