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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Kayleigh Roberts

Kate Middleton Stole This Fashion Hack from Queen Elizabeth II

Kate Middleton wearing an all-red outfit at the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey.

It looks like the Princess of Wales is carrying on an iconic royal family fashion tradition.

The late Queen Elizabeth II was famous for wearing monochromatic and color-blocked looks to public events and royal experts and fans alike have noticed that Kate Middleton has started to follow the same fashion rule more and more frequently herself.

Case-in-point: Kate's head-to-toe red look (with black accents) for the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on Friday night.

Kate Middleton wearing an all-red outfit at the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey. (Image credit: Getty Images)

This marks the fourth year in a row that Kate has opted for a monochromatic look for the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service. Last year, the royal wore an all-white ensemble, including a white top, white loose-fitting high-waisted Holland Cooper slacks and a long, white coat by Chris Kerr, a bespoke tailor in Savile Row, according to Town & Country.

Kate Middleton in an all-white ensemble at the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in 2023. (Image credit: Getty Images)

In 2022, Kate opted for a burgundy palette, wearing a stunning bespoke, ankle-length coat dress from Eponine London in the color, along with matching accessories, according to People.

Kate Middleton in a bespoke, burgundy Epinone coat dress at the "Together at Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in 2022. (Image credit: Getty Images)

And back in 2021, when she hosted the first annual "Together at Christmas" Carol Service, Kate went with a monochromatic red look, in a bright Catherine Walker coat dress with matching accessories, according to ELLE.

Kate Middleton in a bright red Catherine Walker coat dress and matching accessories at the first annual "Together At Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in 2021. (Image credit: Getty Images)

When the late Queen Elizabeth was asked about her monochromatic looks (which were also typically in bright, striking colors), she famously quipped, "If I wore beige, nobody would know who I am," but, as the Mirror points out, the real reason was more practical, according to fashion editor Katherine Ormerod.

"It marks her out immediately of her security team. It's a question of safety," Ormerod explained.

While Kate's style often gets compared to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, some experts argue that the current Princess of Wales' fashion sense actually has more in common with the late Queen's.

"Like the Queen, Princess Catherine embraces color, using it effectively as a diplomatic gesture to please her adoring public but the similarities don't end there," royal fashion expert Miranda Holder told Newsweek in 2022. "Both adopted the monochromatic look (wearing a single color from head to foot) early in their royal careers which assists in creating an even more striking impression, resulting in them being easily recognizable as themselves."

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