The internet went wild for
Kate Middleton’s ” showstopper ” dress worn to the premiere
of No Time To Die.
Made of sheer tulle, the
ethereal design by Jenny Packham had a plunging neckline and cape detailing.
Named “The
Elizabeth”, it glittered gold with embroidered sequins, beads, and
crystals.
Kate is famous for re-wearing
outfits, but it’s not as if this bejewelled gown, costing over £3,000, can be
worn to nip to Sainsbury’s in the morning.
What happens to Kate’s dresses
after they are worn? Here are some of the most common scenarios.
They
Are Borrowed
Sometimes, Kate’s clothes are
simply given back. According to Vogue, royals cannot accept free clothes
or gifted outfits.
But they can borrow clothes,
and Kate’s stylist, Natasha Archer, will often request loans of designer items,
which will later be returned.
They
Are Re-Worn
Kate repeated outfits have
been well-charted, from her tartan Alexander McQueen coat to her red belted
Luisa Spagnoli suit.
Kate has recycled other Jenny
Packham dresses in the past, like the turquoise gown that she first wore in
2012 to an Olympic event, and then again in 2018 for a banquet, as well as a
dark blue belted dress, worn twice to different events in 2014.
Royals’ clothing does not come
out of the public purse.
Instead, they receive a
stipend from Prince Charles, which comes from his private estate, the Duchy of
Cornwall.
According to his annual
review, £4,452,000 has been spent this year on the activities of the Dukes and
Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex.
In addition, Kate has long
been a champion of the high street and has been previously spotted shopping in
Zara, Gap, Jigsaw, and Other Stories.
They
Are Sold at Auction
Middleton’s dresses have made
headlines in the past for the prices they fetch at auction.
It turns out that previous
ownership by the Duchess of Cambridge really hikes those prices up.
In 2011, a sheer lace dress
worn by Kate in a fashion show while at university in St Andrews sold for
£78,000 – more than six times its original price.
They
Are Displayed at Buckingham Palace
Kate’s Alexander McQueen
wedding dress, which is rumoured to have cost £250,000, is now on display
at Buckingham Palace.
The dress takes centre-stage
in the Ballroom at the Palace, alongside the Cartier tiara lent to the Duchess
by the Queen, her wedding shoes (also Alexander McQueen), the diamond earrings
which were commissioned by the Middleton family as a gift and a replica of the
bridal bouquet.
In the State Dining Room, the
Duke and Duchess’s wedding cake is also on display.
