Royal fans have issued a major complaint about Princess Kate’s appearance at the annual Garter Day ceremony. The Princess of Wales attended the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle on Monday, but some observers were left unimpressed with one detail.
Princess Catherine's Elegant Ensemble
Catherine looked elegant in a butter yellow ensemble, consisting of a coat dress and a matching hat. The dress was made by Patrick McDowell in London, featuring fabric woven for her by Stephen Walters and Sons in Suffolk. Her hat, designed by Jane Taylor, was also trimmed with the same fabric. She opted for a pair of glittering earrings by Robinson and Pelham.
The brocade fabric used on Catherine’s outfit carries significant meaning. The future Queen, who has long been passionate about the British textiles industry, visited Sudbury Silk Mills in September 2025, where she chose the fabric from the luxury silk fabric manufacturer.
Mixed Reactions from Royal Fans
But some fans were not in favour of the pattern, with several dubbing it “old fashioned.” One user said on a royal fashion page on Instagram: “The color is nice, the fit is good as well. The fabric is for the elderly and the shape of the hat is just not it. Catherine looks amazing in a more vertical shaped hat, this one is too harsh.”
A second person added: “I love the coat but the fabric pattern is like 80s pub curtains.” While a third one commented: “Dress shape is just OK, fabric is too mature for a young woman. Hat brim is too wide and overwhelms her delicate features. A miss.”
Another person opined: “Oh, a coatdress - who could have guessed this... And the fabric looks sooo outdated. But a nice hat.” Meanwhile, another one wrote on X: “What is with these matronly coat dresses? She is such a beautiful woman and these dresses, including the powder blue Trooping dress, do nothing for her.” Then a user added: “Her outfit is beautiful, but it looks like something she should be wearing in a decade?”
Praise for the Princess's Sartorial Choice
Others loved Catherine’s outfit and praised her for her sartorial choice. A user wrote: “That brocade is stunning but obviously difficult to capture in a photograph at a distance.” Another one said: “Stunning. The brocade is gorgeous!!” A third one commented: “I wondered when the custom woven fabric from one of her mill visits would show up in the public! It's gorgeous! Love that she's doing wide-brim hats this season.”
The Princess of Wales watched the Garter Day procession through the grounds of Windsor Castle and gave a beaming smile to husband Prince William. Catherine had a front row position for one of the highlights of the royal calendar, the Knights of the Order of the Garter walking through the grounds of Windsor Castle after their annual lunch.
Thousands of spectators lined much of the route from the royal residence in the upper ward down to St George’s Chapel, where the annual service in celebration of the ancient chivalry order was held. Among those in the procession were the King, the Queen, traditionally at the rear of the Knights, while further ahead were the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal.
