Kate Middleton's Leggiest Looks Over The Years

The poise, grace, and confidence of Catherine, Princess of Wales, are some of the biggest contributors to her ability to pull off practically any style, but there's another more obvious reason most outfits look good on her: her sensational legs. Standing at 5 feet and 9 inches, Kate Middleton has mile-long lean and toned legs that make her look not only effortlessly elegant in evening gowns and long coats but also incredible in athleisure and casual looks. Her brother-in-law Prince Harry reportedly almost even cheekily made special mention of Kate's "killer legs" during his best man speech at her fairytale wedding to Prince William in 2011 before his then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy advised against it.

Kate's long legs may have also played a major role in her romance with William, Prince of Wales. According to the now-widely known story of how they started dating in college, she reportedly modeled a sheer dress with a black bra and underwear underneath while walking the runway at a 2002 charity fashion show. Kate's stunning figure and legs turned heads, including William's, with the future king reportedly telling friend Fergus Boyd (per E! News), "Wow, Fergus, Kate's hot!" 

While Kate's long legs are the result of good genes, considering her mom, Carole Middleton, and sister, Pippa Middleton, are also far from lacking in that department, the athletic royal puts in work to keep them toned. "Kate is an exercise junkie. Pippa and Kate take their toned physiques extremely seriously," an insider told the Daily Mail. Since she began dating William, Kate has shown off one of her best features many times through various outfits. Let's take a look at her leggiest looks over the years.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, had been dating William, Prince of Wales, for a couple of years when they graduated from the University of St. Andrews in 2005 with degrees in art history and geography, respectively. During the ceremony, the future queen was photographed putting her gorgeous gams on display in her graduation outfit, which consisted of a white button-down shirt, short black skirt, and traditional gown. Kate Middleton completed the look with sheer black stockings, a brown Longchamp Le Pliage bag, and a pair of low-heel, pointed-toe pumps.

After graduation, Kate donned plenty of other leg-baring looks as she and William spent the next few years partying hard with pals at nightclubs and social events. In one iconic pre-royal fashion moment, Kate showed up at a 2008 charity roller disco event in London wearing a sequined halter-neck green top, tiny yellow shorts, black boots, and pink socks. Mini dresses were also a staple for Kate, having been seen rocking them multiple times.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, and William, Prince of Wales, tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey in April 2011. But joining the royal family didn't mean her leg-baring days were over. While most would assume royals can't wear short skirts or step out without stockings on, these are not actually forbidden. In fact, Kate Middleton did both during her and her husband's first international tour together less than two months after their nuptials. For their nine-day tour of Canada from June 30 to July 8, 2011, Kate's wardrobe consisted mostly of dresses that stopped above the knee and showed off her incredible legs. She nailed subtle diplomatic dressing from the get-go when she kicked off the tour, wearing a navy blue Roland Mouret dress and a blazer of the same color from the Canadian brand Smythe Les Vest.

Kate's sartorial diplomacy continued on Day 2 of the tour when she and William attended Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa. She wore a cream, ruffled Reiss dress, which highlighted her gorgeous legs while still being modest enough for the occasion. She accessorized the frock with more tributes to their host country, including a red maple leaf fascinator by milliner Sylvia Fletcher, a diamond maple leaf brooch she loaned from Queen Elizabeth II, and a fan-shaped clutch by designer Anya Hindmarch that bore the colors of the Canadian flag.

Less than two years after Catherine, Princess of Wales, and William, Prince of Wales, got married, palace officials announced the news that royal fans around the world had been waiting for: the couple was expecting their first child together. And as a surprise to no one, Kate Middleton slayed maternity dressing while fulfilling royal duties during her pregnancy with their eldest, Prince George. Some of her most memorable looks included a Hobbs dalmatian-print coat and a black fascinator that she wore for the christening of a cruise ship on June 13, 2013, and a pink Alexander McQueen maternity coat and matching fascinator that she donned for the Trooping the Colour two days later. "She stayed true to herself, and I think that's why she's been so successful," maternity clothing brand owner and "Pregnant in Heels" star Rosie Pope told ABC News of Kate's maternity style. "It's totally her: classic, demure and elegant."

Her pregnancy looks also included several outfits that showed off not only her baby bump but also her legs, such as a $76 polka-dot Topshop dress — one of the most affordable outfits she's ever worn — for a visit to the Warner Bros. studio in Leavesden with William and Prince Harry in April 2013. Being six months pregnant also didn't stop Kate from walking around in three-inch heels, which further emphasized her legs. Unsurprisingly, the princess' leg-baring dress quickly sold out, but her decision to wear heels did receive some pushback. However, Pope said, "If you're used to wearing heels, there's no problem wearing them when you're pregnant ... I think it's great that she's perpetuating the fact that you can still do stuff [you're used to doing] when you're pregnant."

In early September 2014, just a little over a year after William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, welcomed Prince George, the couple received more good news: they were expecting another child together. Kate Middleton's second pregnancy was quite bumpy. She had severe morning sickness and disappeared from the public eye for weeks while she dealt with the symptoms. 

It wasn't until October 21, 2014, that Kate returned to public duties, unveiling a series of stunning pregnancy looks. Early that day, she stepped out in an Alexander McQueen coatdress for her and William's meeting with then-Singapore President Tony Tan. She then changed into a Jenny Packham dress to attend the 2014 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards Ceremony at London's Natural History Museum. Kate's powder blue wrap dress looked like a simple, floor-length gown when she stood still, but whenever she moved, the much shorter and tighter skirt underneath was revealed — along with the royal's long legs. Her light pink suede LK Bennett heels perfectly complemented the look, which Kate accessorized with an Alexander McQueen clutch and diamond jewelry.

It's no surprise that some of the leggiest outfits Catherine, Princess of Wales, has worn come from her sports-related engagements. In 2021, Kate Middleton rocked a navy jacket and a navy-and-white tennis skirt (above right) as she teamed up with U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu for a doubles game and met other tennis stars at the National Tennis Centre in London. Aside from nailing the look, the Princess of Wales, a longtime tennis fan, left the pros impressed with her skills. "I was very impressed by Kate's level ... it was good fun to be on court with her. Her forehand was very good," six-time Grand Slam winner Joe Salisbury said, per People.

Two years later, Kate debuted another tennis look when she hit the court at the All England Club with eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer. Her all-white outfit consisted of a sleeveless collared top, tennis skirt, and sneakers, and she upped the sporty look by tying her long hair in a high ponytail.

Aside from tennis, Kate also participated in a sailing regatta with William, Prince of Wales, during a visit to the Bahamas in 2022. The princess donned short shorts for the yacht race, which saw her and her husband competing against each other. William's boat beat that of his wife, but Kate did accomplish something equally amazing: preventing her fellow participant from falling overboard. "She said they nearly had a man overboard and she was at the tiller at the time — she had one hand on the tiller and one on the guy at the same time," a guest who spoke to Kate following the race told People. Kate's athleticism is clear, and she doesn't shy away from wearing short outfits that give her enough range of motion for such activities.