Kate Middleton has been a favorite among royal fans ever since she married Prince William in 2011. After her wedding, she has gracefully taken on the role of a senior member of the royal family, and one of the things she is best known for is her impeccable sense of style.
From coat dresses to skirt suits, she has added her own signature style to every outfit she chooses. She has inspired countless women across the world to follow in her footsteps and follow a sensible and modest style that is also powerful and classy. Kate Middleton has perfectly bridged the gap of her signature fashion sense with royal dressing rules as she prepares to become queen.
All women who marry into the real family have to follow strict rules and protocols, among which dressing a certain way is mandated. For both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, training was required to make them aware of the expectations placed on them as senior royal members.
With so many rules in place, it often leaves little space to express one’s individuality. However, in the almost 10 years that Kate Middleton has been a royal, she has found excellent ways to incorporate her distinctive taste and style despite the rules that govern her every decision.
In the coming years, the chances of her becoming the Queen Consort sooner rather than later have risen steadily. As she prepares for this pivotal role in her life, she has also made sure that her signature style and grace both age as beautifully as she has.
According to the Royal succession line, Prince Charles is next in line once the Queen passes the throne down. However, some royal experts believe that Prince Charles will likely hand the throne on to his son, Prince William, sooner rather than later.
According to ‘Marie Claire,’ University College London’s Constitution Unit‘s website says, “Having waited over 60 years as heir apparent, it would be perfectly natural for Prince Charles to want to assume the throne and perform the royal duties for which he has spent so long preparing in waiting. But it would be equally natural if, after reigning for a few years as an increasingly elderly monarch, he chose to invite Parliament to hand on the throne to Prince William.”
While only time will tell if Prince Charles will choose to abdicate early, one thing is for sure: Prince William and Kate Middleton are fan favorites when it comes to the royal family.
If it is true that Prince William may take the throne much sooner than anticipated, Kate Middleton has kept her step along with him and has also begun to make changes to her image.
She remains true to herself while she makes way for the possibility that she may become the Queen Consort in the next decade or two. Anthony McGrath, a celebrity stylist, and lecturer at the Fashion Retail Academy in London explained to ‘Harper’s Bazaar‘ how Kate’s style has changed over the years and how she’s expertly integrated her personal style with the fashion rules she’s expected to follow as a member of the royal family.
Kate Middleton (2020), (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
On her pre-royal style, McGrath said: “Since Kate has been in the limelight she has always been somewhat of a conservative dresser, whether that was because she wanted to prove herself to the Royal Family or was her own personal style, who knows, but she was rarely seen in anything too risqué. However, since marrying Prince William and officially becoming a member of the Royal Family, her outfits have certainly become more modest… She had to leave behind the flirty and floaty dress, thigh-skimming minis and low-cut evening gowns.”
For her signature look, which is the look she is most known for, he said that skirt suits and coat dresses have become staples and go-to items for public engagements. “She also introduced an array of A-lines dresses in various different colors, decorative hats for formal events and closed-toe shoes,” he shared. McGrath also emphasized that she should be given credit for staying true to who she has and not molding herself into something else entirely.
“Slowly, but surely, she has finessed her style over the years and her style is without a doubt, suitable for a future queen.”
Her distinctiveness certainly sets Kate Middleton apart. ‘Insider‘ reported that the Duchess of Cambridge has altered popular fashionable looks over the years to make them more modest while retaining a high sense of style. She is also known for recycling her older looks to make them more appropriate and fashionable. “Kate enjoys adjusting outfits to suit current trends. She will quite often add a bow, remove a keyhole, or change the length of skirts or sleeves to make them her own,” McGrath told ‘Insider.’
Kate Middleton (2019), (Samir Hussein /WireImage/ Getty Images)
When it comes to popularity ratings, Kate Middleton is in the top three most popular royals in the UK according to ‘YouGov.‘ According to this website, the most popular royal currently is none other than Prince William, who is followed by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.
These ratings show that the royal duo is certainly heading in the right direction! Prince William taking the throne may be a celebrated and welcome change in the UK. However, this leaves the question of when this may become a reality.
With the Queen turning 96 years old in 2022, she currently holds the world record for being the longest-reigning living monarch in the world. When it comes to the question of her abdicating the throne, though, experts at the University College London’s Constitutional Unit believe that it may not actually happen:
“For the Queen, abdication is said to be unthinkable, for two reasons. The first is the bad example of Edward VIII: his abdication brought the Queen’s father onto the throne, unexpectedly and most reluctantly. The second is her declaration on her twenty-first birthday that she would serve for her whole life whether it be long or short. She is also said to regard her oath at her coronation as imposing a sacred duty to reign as long as she shall live.”
The Queen’s long and glorious reign has been a matter of pride and joy for the United Kingdom. We are sure that whenever Prince William and Kate Middleton take the throne, they too will be a very popular royal couple for years to come!
