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If there’s one thing the Princess of Wales understands, it’s the fine art of a wardrobe pivot. During a surprise visit to Northern Ireland on Tuesday, October 14, Kate Middleton—still sporting her summer bronde hair highlights—proved once again that she can move seamlessly between stately polish and bucolic practicality without missing a beat.
The day began in typically impeccable fashion: a tailored olive-green Alexander McQueen coat (a favourite from Christmas 2022), paired with brown suede Gianvito Rossi boots and gold Daniella Draper shamrock hoops—a subtle nod to her Irish hosts. The occasion? A visit with Prince William to the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service’s new Learning and Development College, highlighting growth and innovation in rural communities.
But as any seasoned royal knows, one doesn’t traipse through flax fields in McQueen. For the couple’s next stop—a flax farm in County Tyrone—the Princess, who is famous for rewearing favourite pieces on repeat, changed gears. Up against the chill of Ireland’s autumn and some grassy fields, she swapped her heeled boots for her decades-old Penelope Chilvers riding pair. She then layered a waxed Barbour barn jacket over a belted Ralph Lauren tweed maxi skirt, a taupe knit cardigan from With Nothing Underneath, and a black roll-neck.
It was a look that married pastoral charm and British polish, with Prince William following suit in a tweed blazer, a pale blue shirt, navy trousers, and a coordinating crochet tie.
Having recently moved their family to the Berkshire countryside, the couple seemed to be embracing the lifestyle while trying their hand at apple picking, baking from scratch and flax farming.
