Kate Middleton's Order Of The Garter Ensemble Honors Prince William With Sweet Throwback

2023 has been a big year for royal style. At the 2023 Trooping the Colour, Catherine, Princess of Wales wore a beautiful green outfit befitting her role as honorary Colonel of The Irish Guards. King Charles III, Princess Anne, and William, Prince of Wales all wore spotless military uniforms as they rode on horseback, and father and son both wore tall black bearskin hats. And at the coronation, the king and queen wore velvet robes and elaborate jeweled crowns, and other royals were equally as striking. Kate wore a floor-length ivory Alexander McQueen gown underneath bright blue and red ceremonial robes as well as an impressive headpiece, and Princess Charlotte was basically a fashion icon in the making — you can see every way that Kate and Princess Charlotte matched at the coronation.

The symbolic royal fashion has continued with the annual Order of the Garter procession at Windsor Castle with King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince William all wearing splendid robes and ostrich-plumed hats. And while she wasn't in ceremonial dress, Kate proudly watched her husband in the procession while wearing a polka dot look that was touchingly reminiscent of the outfit she wore to her first Order of the Garter ceremony.

Catherine, Princess of Wales may have been on the sidelines as she watched the Order of the Garter procession at Windsor Castle, the first since King Charles III became king, but she still looked fantastic. Her white long-sleeved dress with black polka dots was by Alessandra Rich, and it echoed the black long-sleeved skirt suit with white polka dots she wore to her first Garter Day in 2008.

That day was particularly special for a couple of reasons. It was the year Queen Elizabeth appointed William as a "Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter," and it was Kate's first appearance at a public royal event since she started dating William. We wonder if she could have guessed back then that 15 years later, she'd be at the same event but as the Princess of Wales. For both days, 15 years apart, Kate finished her stylish look with a black hat with white feathers. And for the 2023 appearance, Kate paid tribute to Princess Diana by wearing a pair of pearl earrings from Diana's collection, via Daily Mail.

The Order of the Garter has its roots in medieval times when King Edward III wanted to emulate Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. It's a high honor with a small, select group of members that include the monarch, senior royals, and 24 Knights of the Garter, appointed personally by the king.