Kate Middleton's Most Memorable Public Appearances

It seems like only yesterday that Princess Catherine said "I do" to Prince William, effectively becoming an international treasure. The wide-eyed Berkshire gal swiftly captured the nation's heart with her amiable girl-next-door persona and calm demeanor. Accordingly, she has captivated fans the world over with her memorable public appearances. However, her future within the royal family was beset with uncertainty following a series of tragic events.

King Charles III and Princess Catherine's dual cancer diagnoses in 2024 shocked the world. Having undergone chemotherapy, Catherine took a lengthy hiatus from her royal duties in order to focus on her recovery. "[Catherine] may be keen to attend events as and when she feels able to," a spokesperson told The Telegraph, noting that the princess may be unable to adhere to a regular royal schedule to begin with.

With the elderly and ailing Charles potentially relinquishing the throne sooner than expected, the Princess of Wales' transition to queen consort may very well be looming. There are so many ways Catherine's life will change when Prince William becomes king, and when she ascends the throne her public appearances will be twofold, finding herself in high demand both at home and abroad. Her most memorable public appearances show that she has what it takes, though.

When Princess Catherine first made her mark on the royal landscape, she did so in her quintessentially low-key manner. The year was 2010 and the future princess was but a humble St Andrews graduate. Marking her first public appearance since her engagement to Prince William, she appeared at a charity event for the Teenage Cancer Trust with her then fiancé. For the occasion, she donned a simple pleated white dress and blazer combo. Notably, she appeared with nary a hair out of place, setting the template for the pristine yet understated looks that became her staple once she entered the House of Windsor.

The event was a seminal one for Catherine, an opportunity for her to learn royal etiquette and protocol. "Between now and the wedding there will be occasions when Catherine does shadow Prince William, to learn the ropes and see how things go," an insider told People. Moreover, her toned-down, approachable demeanor was a reflection of what was to come, with the understated aesthetic becoming Catherine's staple. 

Following Princess Catherine and Prince William's fan favorite royal wedding in the spring of 2011, the former began her first official royal duties as the Duchess of Cambridge. But her initiation into The Firm was far from seamless.

In what was undeniably a learning curve, albeit an embarrassing one, Catherine suffered a wardrobe malfunction of sorts when she greeted troops in Calgary months after her nuptials. Wearing a pastel yellow dress, the princess' lady parts were nearly exposed when harsh winds caused the delicate material to develop a life of its own. Inevitably, the moment went viral, with Catherine channeling her inner Marilyn Monroe.

Following the fashion faux pas, designer Jenny Packham revealed to the Evening Standard that she was on the receiving end of criticism from angry royalists, who questioned why she didn't put weights around Catherine's hemline. "Well, I didn't know it was going to be worn on a windy runway," she joked. "But I did think maybe in future I will put in more weighting, just in case." Now far more savvy in her royal role, Catherine utilizes static-enhancing dressing techniques to prevent wardrobe malfunctions.

Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Catherine shared a close relationship, as exemplified by their wholesome first public appearance together. In 2012, Catherine joined the queen in Leicester for her diamond jubilee tour. Evidently not looking to outshine the monarch, who was dressed to the nines in a bright fuchsia ensemble, Catherine kept it simple and classy with a tailored skirt suit. The pair enjoyed a fashion show together, which Catherine used as an opportunity to demonstrate her lighter side. "I have been to a fashion show before," she quipped to politician Waheed Alli, Baron Alli, in an apparent reference to her infamous, sheer college catwalk moment, per the Daily Mail. "I saw it on the telly this morning," Alli replied in a moment of typically British bants.

Catherine's diamond jubilee appearance was pivotal in solidifying her status as a national treasure, with the royal's charm and poise endearing the British public towards her. What's more, her ability to take a step back and allow the queen to shine showed true humility in the glare of the spotlight. 

There's an enormous amount of pressure on women to "bounce back" right after childbirth, never showing signs of stress or a mom bod. But for royals, this pressure is twofold, with royal women rarely — if ever — being photographed with a single hair out of place.

The birth of Prince George in July 2013 was one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the royal calendar, signifying Prince William's transition from boy-next-door to dad-about-town. But it was his wife who generated headlines. Princess Catherine turned heads by posing for photos on the steps of London's St Mary's Hospital just one day after giving birth to the couple's first child. Despite pushing a whole human out of her body mere hours earlier, Catherine's hair was styled to perfection and her makeup was equally flawless. During an appearance on the "Happy Mum Happy Baby" podcast, she admitted to feeling overwhelmed by the experience. "Slightly terrifying, I'm not going to lie," she laughed.

Though Catherine did everything she could to look perfect post-childbirth, her public appearance spawned much toxicity, from claims that her hair was thinning to talk of how she would regain her svelte figure. However, she was also praised for proudly displaying her postpartum body. "In a couple of minutes on the steps of the Lindo Wing Kate has done more for new mums' self-esteem than any other role model," Netmums founder Siobhan Freegard said, per The Telegraph.

The royal children lead lavish lives and this includes jetting across the globe from an extraordinarily young age. When Prince George was just 8 months old, he joined his mom and dad on their tour of New Zealand in 2014.  

Famously, Princess Catherine was greeted by traditional Maori warriors upon her arrival in the commonwealth nation. She wowed onlookers with a red ensemble, complete with a retro-style pillbox hat, which harked back to the classic monochromatic chic of Jackie Kennedy. Holding her baby as she stepped off the runway, she embodied defiant working mom chic. It was a pivotal moment for Catherine, and indeed, the royal family in general, with the millennial princess signifying a more modern and enlightened age for the monarchy, baby in tow.

Subsequently, Catherine and Prince William were praised for helping bestow a less stuffy image on The Firm, with the royals enjoying a resurgence in popularity at the time. "I think that speaks volumes about the way that William and Kate, as young royals, have modernized the royal family and their place as the head of state," said then-New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, per The New Zealand Herald.

Towards the end of 2017, the burgeoning MeToo movement exposed scores of Hollywood executives as serial predators. During the ensuing awards season, women and male allies decided to protest via their wardrobes, wearing all-black to bring attention to the movement. However, when Princess Catherine attended the BAFTAS in February 2018, she infamously didn't adhere to the unwritten all-black rule, instead wearing a green gown. She was heavily criticized for her choice of attire, with social media users accusing her of failing to show solidarity with the MeToo and Time's Up movements. "I know the Royals aren't supposed to get involved with 'protests' or anything ... but would it really have been THAT bad for Kate Middleton to wear black?," lamented one X (formerly Twitter) user.

It was a rare controversial blight on Catherine's otherwise untainted public record. However, she likely opted out of participating in the feminist protest due to strict royal protocol that forbids any overt political displays.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, later referenced the controversy in his memoir, "Spare," noting that the media erroneously interpreted his wife's vocal support of the MeToo movement as throwing shade at Catherine. "It wasn't real," the prince wrote. "But I think it had Kate on edge, while putting her and everyone else on notice that she was now going to be compared to, and forced to compete with, Meg."

Though fans are accustomed to seeing Princess Catherine don a thoroughly modern wardrobe, she made a surprise venture into traditional royal garb during her trip to the Netherlands in 2018. Appearing at the state banquet, she turned heads in a blue taffeta gown accessorized with pearl and diamond jewelry. Looking every bit the Disney princess, she topped off the outfit with Princess Diana's favorite tiara, dubbed the Lover's Knot.

The appearance was a highly memorable one, seeing as Catherine rarely wears tiaras. But the princess wanted to go all out for the prestigious event. "It's a white tie event so its possibly the glitziest event in the royal calendar," explained ABC News royal contributor, Victoria Murphy. "You don't get any more dressed up than white tie events, so of course Kate was wearing a full length gown. She was wearing a tiara, what is proving to be her favorite tiara actually – the Lover's Knot tiara."

There's nothing quite like a royal twinning moment. In 2018, Princess Catherine and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, synced their outfits for Christmas festivities at Sandringham. Catherine was a vision in red, wearing a tailored coat and matching hat, while Meghan dazzled in a navy coat and fascinator combo, complimenting her sister-in-law.

Notably, the two women laughed and smiled as they ambled alongside one another, seemingly quashing rumors of a royal rift. This apparent rapprochement may have been initiated by Queen Elizabeth, who reportedly wanted her grandsons' respective wives to make peace in time for Christmas. According to insiders who spoke to The Sun, both the queen and King Charles had hitherto tried their best not to interfere in Catherine and Meghan's affairs. "But they both made it clear that Christmas was for the whole family to really come together," the insider explained. "That meant the two couples walking into church together ... Yes, it was awkward and uncomfortable given what's gone on over the past 12 months. But the alternative of even more negativity on Christmas Day wasn't worth thinking about."

Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee was as memorable as it was poignant. The landmark occasion denoted the monarch's final public spectacle before her death just four months later in September 2022. In an iconic snap, the ailing queen joined her son — the erstwhile then-Prince of Wales — and Prince William, Princess Catherine, and their three children on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour parade. Catherine looked every inch the future queen in an ivory suit and sun hat combo, as she gazed in awe at the unfolding pageantry. Her outfit appeared to be a subtle tribute to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who wore a near-identical fit back in 1991.

The occasion felt like a family reunion of sorts, since Catherine and William had been absent from the 2021 Trooping the Colour due to lockdown restrictions in the U.K.. It would also spell Catherine's final Trooping the Colour as the Duchess of Cambridge, before taking on the more senior role of the Princess of Wales at the following year's ceremony.

Princess Catherine and Prince William's 2022 tour of the Caribbean went viral for all the wrong reasons. There was widespread condemnation from the outset of the trip, with protestors calling for the couple to apologize for Britain's bloody colonial past. "Kate and William are beneficiaries," protestor and former professor Opal Adisa told Sky News, "so they are, in fact, complicit because they are positioned to benefit specifically from our ancestors, and we're not benefitting from our ancestors."

But in perhaps the most notorious moments from the tour — one that will likely plague the couple for years to come — a grinning William and Catherine reached out to Jamaican locals who were behind a metal fence. The image was a painful reminder of the horrors of the British empire's long history of colonization, and one completely inharmonious with the public portrayal of William and Catherine as thoroughly modern royals. 

Subsequently, the royals were widely mocked on social media, with bemused critics wondering how William and Catherine's PR team ever approved such a photo-op. "I do wonder what the hell palace organizers were thinking with some of yesterday's photo moments," royal author Omid Scobie wrote on X. "The planning and recon that goes into every step of these engagements is next level, so how did no one think to avoid certain imagery? This is why diversity on a team matters."

Following the tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II the previous fall, King Charles III was initiated as monarch in May 2023. In the lead-up to the coronation, Princess Catherine was reportedly struggling with some anxiety, understandable given the historical significance of the event. "She said she's more nervous than the kids are since it's such a big event for the kids to be part of," royal fan Mandy Leifheit, who managed to snap a selfie with the princess prior to coronation day, dished to People. Catherine needn't have worried, however.

The Princess of Wales made a highly memorable appearance at the coronation, decked out in royal regalia. Wearing a ceremonial robe in line with her status as Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, she looked every inch the future queen consort. Catherine and her daughter, Charlotte, also wore floral crowns. "Of course hats aren't going to work when you're going to be photographed from above," royal embroiderer Chloe Savage told People. "It's going to get in the way of everything, so hats were a no-go ... custom headpieces was a sensible route. And of course, Kate matched her and Charlotte's." The florals bore much significance to the momentous occasion; the motif reportedly reflected the king's desire for a modernized monarchy, hence the inclusion of subtle headpieces in lieu of traditional crowns.

In 2023, Princess Catherine showcased a retro green look at Wimbledon, which harked back to the classic style of Princess Diana in her '80s heyday. The royal took her role at the prestigious event seriously, having previously prepped with a tennis match against Roger Federer. "To see the training and the dedication and the amount of time that is put into training and making sure this sort of goes well on the day for the champions who are playing at Wimbledon ... it's incredible to see it behind the scenes," Catherine told the Wimbledon ball boys and girls in the lead-up to the event.

Following her appearance at the tennis tournament, the princess began trending when the official Wimbledon TikTok account uploaded a humorous clip, captioned, "All eyes on me." Fans were amused by Catherine's head movements as she intently watched a match, with the royal perfectly synchronized with her fellow attendees. "I could never go to a tennis match cause I'd be cackling in at the audience," wrote a TikTok user, per Newsweek. It was a lighthearted and wholesome viral moment, demonstrating that beneath all the prestige and pageantry, Catherine is no different from any other sports fan.

Following a number of outlandish conspiracy theories regarding Princess Catherine's disappearance, the royal went public with her cancer diagnosis in March 2024. "For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone," she urged her fans as she made the devastating announcement on Instagram.

Prior to her announcement, she hadn't been seen since Christmas 2023, when she attended the royal family's annual church service. Catherine was a vision in royal blue, her get-up easily securing a place among her most iconic outfits. However, due to her looming cancer diagnosis, these images of Catherine will always bear a poignant significance in the hearts of royal fans.

According to body language expert Jess Ponce III, who previously spoke exclusively to The List, Catherine's last public appearance before her cancer diagnosis showed true resilience. "Her unease was minimal, only revealing itself in fleeting moments between smiles when she gazed blankly ahead," Ponce explained. "Those instances only seemed to happen when she was moving."