Princess Kate Middleton made a solemn fashion statement on Remembrance Sunday.
Kate, 43, stepped out with husband Prince William, father-in-law King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, at the Cenotaph on Sunday, November 9. While William, 43, and Charles, 76, marched in the annual memorial parade and laid wreaths, both Kate and her stepmother-in-law, 78, watched the proceedings from the balcony.
Both the Princess of Wales and the queen followed protocol for the Remembrance ceremony by wearing all-black, with Kate choosing a Catherine Walker jacket featuring a lace ruffle bib and a fascinator affixed with a cascading ribbon.
Kate, who wore her signature brunette tresses in loose waves, completed her look with jewelry from the royal vault. She sported Princess Diana’s famed Collingwood pearl drop earrings, as well as a Royal Air Force brooch. The pin presumably holds special meaning as Kate’s grandfather Peter Middleton was a military pilot who served in World War II. (William also notably served in the RAF after he and Kate graduated from St Andrew’s University.)
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Kate’s outfit wasn’t complete without a poppy pinned to her coat lapel. She wore a larger embroidered version on Sunday, which was crafted by Izzy Ager for Lock & Co Hatters.
Remembrance is celebrated each November in the U.K. to honor military veterans who served the Commonwealth. In solidarity, many locals wear poppy pins on their lapels.
Kate attended the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance service on Saturday, November 8, alongside her 12-year-old son, Prince George. (Kate and William also share Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.)
Saturday was the first time that George attended a Remembrance event, wearing a black suit as he sat in a private box at London’s Royal Albert Hall with his mom and grandparents.
George’s appearance undoubtedly marks a big milestone in his future as a working royal — and the second heir to the throne.
“Barring any accidents or health issues, George will not be king for some years,” royal historian Marlene Koenig exclusively told Us Weekly in August. “He is second in line — as his father is the heir apparent — and his grandfather is the king.”
According to Koenig, George is likely gaining awareness about his future duties.
“The coronation provided the young prince with the knowledge that he, too, would one day be crowned in a coronation ceremony,” Koenig said, referring to Charles’ crowning ceremony. “George may be a 12-year-old schoolboy who loves sports, but he is most certainly aware of his future.”
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Months later, William offered a rare comment about George’s future reign.
“There’s lots of things to think about with that. But obviously, I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better,” William said on an October episode of Eugene Levy’s The Reluctant Traveler. “That is caveated with, I hope we don’t go back to some of the practices in the past that Harry and I had to grow up in, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure we don’t regress in that situation.”
