Kensington Palace Defends Kate Middleton Fashion Policy In Rare Statement After Backlash

After receiving public backlash over a recent report saying that they’ll no longer be sharing Kate Middleton‘s outfit details to put more focus on her royal duties, Kensington Palace has issued a rare clarification about Her Royal Highness’s wardrobe choices.

Since she became a member of the royal family back in 2011, the palace has regularly shared information about Kate Middleton’s sought-after outfit details during public appearances. As a result, when a Sunday Times article titled “Princess of Wales: Focus on my work, not my wardrobe” was published on February 1, it quickly became a hot topic of discussion for both the public and the media outlets.

The report claimed that Kate “wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting”

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According to the Sunday Times report, a royal source claimed that Kate “wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting.”

The royal source also added, “There will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public, and she gets that. But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there, but it’s about the substance.”

A spokesperson from the palace said, “There has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness’s clothing”

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Following a week of intense backlash surrounding The Princess of Wales’s alleged policy change about her clothing disclosure, a Kensington Palace spokesperson reached out to People on Tuesday, February 11, to clarify the situation and push back the claims.

“Over the last week, I have received numerous questions about a story regarding The Princess of Wales’s clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits,” stated the spokesperson.

“To clarify, the comments that appeared in the article were from me, not The Princess of Wales,” the royal statement continued. “The comments that were reported should not be directly attributed to The Princess of Wales. To be clear, there has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness’s clothing.”

Princess Catherine has started stepping out for her public duties after completing her cancer treatment

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After taking some time off from the public eye throughout 2024 due to her cancer treatment, Princess Kate has started stepping out for her public duties since the beginning of 2025.

The report in the Sunday Times made headlines just days after The Princess of Wales’s visit to a Tŷ Hafan children’s hospice in South Wales, where it was announced that she is taking on its patronage, similarly to the late Princess Diana.

Kate’s outfit details are always a topic of discussion among the public

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Interestingly, during one of her visits to Marsden Hospital in January to show gratitude after completing her cancer treatment, the palace did not disclose the princess’s outfit details. However, that didn’t stop people from analyzing what she was wearing, including speculating about the absence of her sapphire engagement ring, which previously belonged to Princess Diana.

The absence of her engagement ring led to rumors among the public, with theories ranging from a possible rift with her husband, Prince William, to concerns that she had lost too much weight to wear the ring, or simply that the ring was too precious to wear on all hospital visits.

The report received negative reviews from public figures

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Regarding the report, British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital, “Her work is super, but the world also enjoys and needs a regular fix of glamour… The ‘Kate Effect’ is also an important part of her work. It’s a great pity that The Princess of Wales views the public’s interest in the context of ‘style versus substance.’ [But] I’m sure this filters into the constant commentary about her looks, a never-ending intrusion into her life.”

Claudia Joseph, the author of How to Dress Like a Princess: The Secrets of Kate’s Wardrobe, also commented on the report. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Joseph said, “Fashion can be seen as frivolous, but it generates a lot of money into the economy, and part of Kate’s role is to boost British fashion. She has put many small brands on the map.”

The “Kate Effect” brings in £1 billion in sales to the UK’s fashion industry

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Throughout the 14 years she has spent in the public eye as a royal family member, Kate Middleton’s style has quickly turned her into a style icon. Furthermore, Princess Kate’s outfit choices mainly put British fashion designers’ work in the spotlight, boosting the British fashion industry’s economy.

Thanks to the publicity the princess brings, British brands have been benefiting from ‘the Kate Effect’, in which the items she wears are sold out right after she’s pictured wearing them. Her fashion choices have an undeniable impact on the United Kingdom’s fashion industry, with an estimated annual £1 billion in sales.

The Princess of Wales has become a royal fashion icon

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Fans, popular blogs such as WhatKateWore, and fashion designers across the world have been closely following the impeccable style of the princess, who is frequently counted among the best-dressed lists of notable fashion magazines, including Vogue.

Aside from her chic, modern-day princess outfits in her daily life, Middleton’s royal style also nods to other iconic royal family members, most notably Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II.