The Most Inappropriate Outfits Kate Middleton Has Worn

We all have some semblance of a dress code we have to follow, whether that means wearing a suit and tie to work or not wearing white pants after Labor Day. But the royal family? They have to follow some very strict rules when it comes to their attire — especially Princess Catherine of Wales. 

Catherine's position as the (likely) future queen consort and mother of princes and a princess means that she can't just wear whatever she wants. She's subject to a stringent royal dress code that includes certain hem lengths, hats and gloves on formal occasions, and tiaras only after 6 p.m. (one of many strict rules royals must follow when wearing tiaras).

Considering she gets photographed almost every time she steps outside, it makes sense that Catherine is bound to be caught in a dress code slip-up every once in a while. But while we normal folks can get away with poor choices of attire, the princess' fashion gaffes have caused considerable controversy. From wearing the same dress more than once (gasp) to rocking short shorts for charity, here are some of the most inappropriate outfits Catherine has ever worn.

Almost every princess has an iconic dress — Disney's Elsa rocks her ice-blue sheath, Belle dances in her yellow ball gown, and Tiana marries her prince in a green wedding dress. Princess Catherine? She has her lilac Roksanda Ilinčić dress. 

There's nothing inappropriate about the dress itself with its demure hemline, flattering gathered fabric, and romantic hue. However, the fact that Catherine has worn it at several public events does break an unspoken rule of fashion for both royals and celebrities. According to Elle, the princess first wore her lilac dress at an event in California in 2011, and then again at the U.K.'s Creative Industries Reception in 2012. She even wore the same dress in a chic beige color during her trip to Australia in 2014 (via Elle). 

Has Catherine's obsession with the dress had an effect on its sales? Maybe. In 2011, she wore a Reiss dress to an event, and according to Express, David Reiss, the founder and managing director of Reiss, said, "The surge in web traffic following the release of these images of her wearing the dress caused our website to crash." We wonder if her favorite lilac dress is sold out now ...

Back in 2012, Princess Catherine and her husband, Prince William, paid a visit to the Solomon Islands, an island chain near Papua New Guinea. During the visit, Catherine wore a dress that made headlines for all the wrong reasons. What was wrong with her dress? 

It wasn't too short, too revealing, or even unflattering. It was just a simple sundress that was made in a different country. The prince and princess were supposed to wear handmade, traditional Solomon Islands clothing for the event, but, according to The Daily Mail, an aid accidentally laid out a dress made in the Cook Islands instead. 

The mistake, which became known as one of the most inappropriate royal outfits, created quite a ruckus with the Solomon Islands, leading the small country's government to write a strongly worded statement expressing its distaste. In response, a spokesperson of the British government said, "The duchess wore the dress because she believed it to be from the Solomon Islands government and thought it would be an appropriate gesture. Had she known it were from the Cook Islands it would not have been worn and she feels bad about the confusion."

How can anyone avoid breaking the rules if the rules keep changing? Princess Catherine fell victim to ever-changing rules at an event in 2016. She wore a custom Catherine Walker dress to the queen's 90th birthday service at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The dress in question was powder blue with ivory lace appliqué trailing down its front. Though it was flattering, modest with long sleeves and a high neckline, and paired with a kicky white hat, the dress exposed Catherine's knees. Gasp!

Why are the princess' knees so terrible to behold? The queen herself reportedly enacted a new longer hemline rule in the winter of 2014. According to The Daily Mail, the queen ordered Catherine to pack day dresses with lower hemlines and a carefully selected cache of jewels from Her Majesty's personal collection for her trip to Australia that summer. Apparently, the longer hemline order stuck around, but hopefully, for Catherine's sake, so did the royal family jewels.

As any dress-wearing human can attest, sometimes the wind is not a friend. Unfortunately for Princess Catherine, a photographer was on the scene when the wind took her dress for a ride. Catherine and her husband visited Australia in 2014 for a royal tour, stopping off at the lovely Blue Mountains for a photo-op. It was then that, according to News.com.au, a gust of wind from an ascending helicopter blew up her dress and exposed her, um, royal backside. 

Luckily, British and Australian news agencies refused to publish the pictures of Catherine and her embarrassing moment. Unluckily, the photos made it overseas to Germany where Bidle.de, a German tabloid, published them with the (translated) caption, "Photos show our favorite Duchess Kate, 32, in the Australian Blue Mountains. The rotor blades of the royal helicopter swirl the air so that Kate's summer dress blew up — giving a clear view of her beautiful bum!" 

Not cool, Germany. Not cool.

Though it might feel like Princess Catherine has always been a royal, there was a time before she was the Princess of Wales. Back in those days, she was just like any other girl, going to school, making friends, and walking in charity fashion shows wearing see-through dresses. Yes, that actually happened. Back in 2002, Catherine walked in the Don't Walk charity fashion show, rocking a see-through designer dress by Charlotte Todd (via E! News). The body-hugging, nylon-like dress revealed only a black bra and underwear set — definitely not palace-approved. 

Her future husband Prince William didn't seem to mind. He was sitting front row during the fashion show. Discussing their relationship in 2010, he told ABC News, "When I first met Kate I knew there was something very special about her. I knew there was possibly something that I wanted to explore there." 

Did her bare-all dress have something to do with the prince's infatuation? Who knows for sure ... but it certainly didn't hurt.

We've all been there — we're ready to go for a big event with dress, hair, and shoes all set, and then we realize we forgot all about a pedicure. Luckily for us average people, forgetting a little toenail polish isn't the end of the world. 

Princess Catherine is not a normal person. She visited India and Bhutan with Prince William in April 2016. As reported by The Daily Mail, one stop along their route was the Gandhi Smiriti museum where, as per local custom, Catherine took off her shoes to reveal un-pedicured feet. The princess' feet caused quite a stir as the royals are known for never having a hair, or nail, out of place.

The incident also called Catherine's foot health into question. Dave Wein, a podiatrist at Carnation Footcare, told The Daily Mail, "There looks like there may be some rubbing or even the start of a corn on the little toe. You can also see the fourth and fifth toes deviate towards the center of the foot." He went on to explain that the issue is common in women who frequently wear high heels, like Catherine.

Everyone knows that wearing real fur isn't necessarily popular these days. But if you're a public figure, wearing fur can be downright controversial. Princess Catherine took a family ski trip in 2016 that quickly turned into a PR nightmare — all because she wore possum fur-lined Restelli Guanti gloves. PETA U.K. was quick to criticize the duchess for her "fur" pas. 

Mimi Bekhechi, the director of PETA U.K., said in a statement to E! News, "If the gloves are indeed made of real fur, we'll be contacting Kate, who we imagine is unaware that possums killed for their fur are often caught in bone-crushing steel-jaw traps." Bekhechi added, "Since so many humane, warm, and fashionable fabrics are readily available, there's no need to wear fur ­possum or otherwise."

Yikes. Catherine is definitely not the first royal to wear fur (Queen Elizabeth herself was known to wear leopard coats). But, after all this drama, she might be the last.

According to royal dress code, as noted by BBC News, the queen wears bright colors to make sure she stands out, even in a crowd. But what happens when another member of the royal family also shows up in a bold hue? 

Princess Catherine found out firsthand after she wore a bright red Alexander McQueen dress to the queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Though Catherine looked gorgeous, especially since she completed the look with a red Sylvia Fletcher hat and a tartan scarf, people were not pleased that she stole the show. 

The Daily Mail called her outfit "inappropriate," and went on to remark that reality TV stars Kim Kardashian and Tulisa Contostavlos both wore sleeveless versions of the same dress, insinuating that it's not a good thing for a royal to be associated with such people. The Daily Mail might have a point. It doesn't seem like a good idea to outshine the queen. She was, after all, the queen.

It's hard to imagine a time before skinny jeans. But, for Princess Catherine, skintight pants might be forever in the past. The princess does have a penchant for skinny jeans, as she wears them seemingly at casual events every chance she gets. 

Catherine even chose to wear skinny jeans for her first appearance since quarantining for the COVID-19 pandemic began (via Elle). Her love of skinny jeans was even cited by The Daily Mail as a reason why British researchers are worried about possible circulatory complications from frequently wearing tight pants.

But what does the royal dress code say about skintight denim? For casual wear, it's best for ladies to don a dress, skirt, or tailored trousers paired with a cardigan or jacket. "Many places will not allow jeans as they are still seen as very casual wear, so it is better to play safe for both sexes," said Diana Mather of The English Manner etiquette consultancy, as noted by BBC News. Seems we might have seen the last of Catherine's skinny jeans.

It's very rare to see Princess Catherine in anything but timeless, chic, and elegant attire — except when she's rocking neon short shorts! Back in 2008, before she was officially a royal, Catherine helped organize the Day-Glo Midnight Roller Disco charity event. The event was a success for two reasons: One, it raised $200,000 for a ward of a children's hospital, and two, it gave the world photos of the future princess in yellow hot pants, a sparkly green halter top, pink leg warmers, and pink roller skates.

Where was her husband-to-be during her disco romp? Prince William was off working as a full-time RAF helicopter search and rescue pilot, leaving Catherine to have her fun and raise some money, too. The Daily Mail called her disco look "inelegant" and reported that Buckingham Palace sources felt "appalled" by her "most unladylike display." 

While there is a strict dress code even for casual situations, we feel one of Catherine's old friends said it best when they said, according to The Daily Mail, "What do they want her to do — sit at home every evening watching television just because her prince is away?"

One royal setback is having to spend a lot of time in heels. Ouch. Princess Catherine seemed to have found a workaround, though, in the form of chic wedges. Take, for example, her tour of Australia and New Zealand in the spring of 2014. There was hardly a day when the princess wasn't walking around in wedges. She seemed to favor one stylish pair in particular, Stuart Weitzman Corkswoon Pumps in navy suede with a cork heel, as she wore them several times throughout the tour, as reported by E! News.

But Catherine's beloved wedges have disappeared. The queen might have something to do with it. As Vanity Fair reported in 2015, a royal source said, "The queen isn't a fan of wedged shoes," adding, "She really doesn't like them and it's well known among the women in the family." 

What the queen wanted, the queen got. Catherine has switched up her footwear to feature timeless — and still somewhat comfortable — low-heeled pumps.

While women donning menswear is decidedly "in" right now, it's a big no-no for royals like Princess Catherine. She broke royal dress code when she wore trousers to a meeting with the finalists for her Hold Still photo project in October 2020, according to Elle. 

Catherine wore tailored black trousers that she completed with a white top, a bright red coat, sensible heels, and, of course, a mask. This isn't the first time she's worn pants instead of a skirt. Catherine also wore one to an interview with a British broadcaster for the Pride of Britain Awards in London as well as a pink suit to an appearance with Prince William. Her sister-in-law Meghan Markle is also known to favor slacks and pantsuits. 

However stylish these pants may be, they were apparently in contradiction with Queen Elizabeth's royal dress code preferences. A People article in 2018 interviewed a royal source regarding the pant problem. The source revealed that "the queen prefers women in dresses or skirts rather than trouser suits."

Absolutely no one can argue that Princess Catherine looked anything other than stunning, elegant, and definitely royal in her wedding dress, which marked one of the most expensive outfits Catherine has ever worn. However, in 2016, a very un-royal scandal came to light surrounding the famed Alexander McQueen bridal gown. 

According to WWD, The Sunday Times reported that another bridal designer named Christine Kendall filed a breach of copyright claim at London's Intellectual Property Enterprise Court in 2016. The claim alleged that Kendall's dress designs were "unfairly taken and copied" by Alexander McQueen to make Catherine's gown.

A spokeswoman from Alexander McQueen responded to the allegations, saying that they were "nonsense" and that the McQueen designer responsible for the dress "never saw any of Ms. Kendall's designs or sketches and did not know of Ms. Kendall before Ms. Kendall got in touch with us — some 13 months after the wedding." The spokesperson noted, "We do not know why Ms. Kendall has raised this again, but there are no ifs, buts, or maybes here: This claim is ridiculous." Despite the drama, Catherine has continued to wear Alexander McQueen pieces proudly.

Staying "appropriate" according to royal standards is akin to walking a tightrope — one must find a perfect balance without falling too far one way or the other, like Princess Catherine did when she and Prince William went to India and Bhutan in 2016. Usually, when Catherine's outfits are called into question it's because they were too revealing, too modern, or too casual, but her clothing in India was touted as the opposite: too boring. 

As reported by The Independent, royal fans were very disappointed by Catherine's wardrobe during her trip. They were hoping for colorful, fun, and otherwise entertaining style, but what they got were outfits that were described as "dreary," lacking "pizazz," and "dowdy." 

Apparently, Catherine's wardrobe team even took loud, modern designs from fashion bigwigs like Alexander McQueen and altered them to be more subtle and demure. The Independent went on to write that "whoever is advising the Duchess of Cambridge should be sacked." Poor Catherine can't win.

In 2005, Princess Catherine was Kate Middleton, the commoner in love with a Windsor. At that point, she and Prince William had been together for three years and "tabloid official" for two, meaning that it was high time for the royal girlfriend to know the basics of protocol. In spite of this, Catherine was spotted wandering around the University of St. Andrews in the kind of attire expected of a college student ... and not a candidate for the future queen of England. Indeed, she was caught sporting a pair of low-rise blue jeans, adorned with a thick leather belt. She matched this ensemble with a white, lacy tank top that revealed a bit of her midriff.

Unfortunately, this sort of casual image likely contributed to the reluctance of the British upper crust to accept Catherine as one of their own. As explained in the documentary "William & Kate: Too Good To Be True?" high society was initially quite hesitant to allow a middle-class girl to enter its ranks: "Kate was quick to charm William's family, but the aristocratic circles that surround the palace took longer to win over."

Interestingly, it seems, Catherine eventually made inroads with these people by revamping her wardrobe. As royal expert Tom Quinn told documentary-makers, "Her clothing almost began to reflect what people saw in her character. A kind of restraint. A kind of modesty, almost."

One of the best parts of being a member of the royal family is quite possibly having the chance to visit cities across the world. Since marrying into the royal family, Princess Catherine has traveled to countries ranging from Germany to India to New Zealand. That being said, princes and princesses aren't expected to go on tour to have a good time. Au contraire, they are meant to represent the crown in a certain way, and part of that is dressing appropriately.

Unfortunately, when Catherine and Prince William headed to Bhutan in 2016, the princess' choice of clothing fell short. This was especially apparent when the British couple engaged in a bit of friendly archery with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Consort Jetsun Pema Wangchuck. Dressed in a white blouse and long, purple skirt, Catherine struggled to keep her clothing in place — especially when the wind blew. 

And, according to the Daily Star (via Express), this was believed to have irked Queen Elizabeth II. As the outlet alleged, the monarch had spoken to Catherine about her wardrobe malfunctions before — even recommending the use of curtain weights to prevent this sort of situation. Indeed, as one source told the outlet, "The queen is fed up that Kate hasn't heeded advice to have her hems weighted to prevent her skirts flying up." Elizabeth apparently felt this could save Catherine from further embarrassment.

On Commonwealth Day 2023, Princess Catherine showed up at the event looking absolutely fantastic. Wearing a two-piece navy suit accentuated with gorgeous white floral patterns, the royal shone. Her wide-brimmed hat sported an adorable bow that made her look regal. And her sapphire and diamond earrings tied the piece together nicely — all while giving a sweet nod to their previous owner, Princess Diana. The only problem with the outfit? Critics called it out for being too expensive.

Indeed, as shared by Vogue, Catherine's attire was designed by Erdem Moralıoğlu — a designer whose work is far from being cheap. Indeed, the princess selected her dress from part of Erdem's 2023 pre-fall collection, which offers ready-to-wear items overwhelmingly priced in the thousands. 

For some members of the public, this made the ensemble a little bit too pricey to be appropriate. After all, Great Britain has been struggling with a cost-of-living crisis, and many of Catherine's expenses are funded by taxpayers. Per the Canadian outlet, The Kit, some royal fans have even taken to social media to express their frustration with what they view as the princess' inappropriately expensive outfits. Apparently, one Instagram commentator even opined, "Yet again wasteful money on new clothes when she has 11 years' worth to rewear."

Commonwealth Day was not the only time that Princess Catherine was critiqued for wearing price-insensitive attire. At the 2023 Order of the Garter, the princess stunned in a high-necked Alessandra Rich dress with adorable polka dots. At first glance, many royal fans thought that Catherine was recycling the fun outfit that she showed off at the Royal Ascot just one year earlier. After all, at the previous event, the fashion icon had also been wearing a polka-dot piece by the same designer. However, it soon became clear that Catherine's Order of the Garter get-up was a brand-new dress. 

As noted by Express, the Princess of Wales had worn the "Asymmetric Polka-dot Silk Crepe De Chine Dress in White and Brown" to the Royal Ascot. And, the following summer, she proceeded to don the "Polka-dot Silk Midi Dress in White/Black." In other words, she wore two dresses that looked almost exactly the same.

Unfortunately for the princess, this left her critics feeling absolutely incensed. Given the 2023 cost-of-living crisis, many people felt offended by Catherine's choice to buy two expensive dresses that looked almost identical. From their perspective, the money that she spent on the second dress was wasteful. It could even come across as flaunting her moneyed status during a time of national financial strain. In that sense, Catherine's outfit was totally inappropriate and a little insensitive.