Since she stepped out in her dramatic wedding dress, Kate Middleton will forever be remembered as an icon of royal style. But every style icon has her ups and downs, and being married to the British royal family has not spared Kate from her moments of having controversial fashion moments. From the time she wore the wrong traditional costume to the lawsuit that arose from her now-iconic wedding dress, take a look at some of the times Kate’s outfits have sparked off some controversy.
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On a ski trip in 2016, Kate received a lot of backlash from animal rights group PETA for wearing a pair of gloves lined with possum fur.
On the heels of the #MeToo movement that saw actresses wear all-black dresses to the Golden Globes 2018 red carpet event, the BAFTAs sought to mirror the movement with a large turnout of attendees gracing the red carpet in black gowns. However, Kate’s choice of wearing a dark green dress draw flak online, as netizens questioned her support for the movement.
Officially, members of the royal family are not allowed to take any political stances, or make any bias remarks — both of which would’ve been flouted if she wore a black dress.
The next day, Kate stepped out in a black and white dress from British designer Erdem. This move was yet again criticised as some viewers wondered if it was a veiled show of support to the #MeToo movement. This is a classic case of “damned if you do, and damned if you don’t”.
Before Queen Elizabeth was widely reported to have sent Kate a reminder about hemlines and decorum protocol, the duchess was often seen wearing shorter coats and dresses. She’s since traded those out in favour of midi-length pieces.
In court documents, it was alleged that Kate’s iconic Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton dress was based on the English designer Christine Kendall’s sketches. While Kate wasn’t implicated in the lawsuit — as the legal battle had named Sarah Burton and the house of Alexander McQueen — it was enough cause to set tongues wagging.
Here’s how the story goes: In 2012, Kate Middleton followed her husband Prince William on an official trip to Asia, and one of their stops was at the Solomon Islands. Clarence House had received a set of traditional clothes for her to wear, and realised it did not match the description given to them. But when they received the green light from the Solomon Islands government, who said that the clothes were correct, they proceeded to pack it into Kate’s lineup of outfits. It was only after the event that people realised she had worn the traditional costume of the Cook Islands instead.
In another episode that enraged PETA, Kate wore a beanie that allegedly had real fox fur. While it was never confirmed, it was still cause for commotion.
While other members of the royal family wore muted colours to board the royal barge, Kate stood out for her bold choice of bright red. Even the Queen paled in comparison when she arrived in a pale pink ensemble.
Another day, another silly reason to panic.
While paying tribute to Mohandas Gandhi, the royal couple was required to remove their leather shoes, thereby exposing Kate’s imperfectly manicured toenails. Oh the drama, oh the horror!
While greeting a group of pilots from the Royal Canadian Air Force, Kate’s canary yellow dress got picked up in a gust of wind. All we can say is “oops”.