The Princess of Wales and Alexander McQueen are two names rarely spoken without the other. Ever since an estimated 162 million of us tuned in to watch a young Kate Middleton walk down the aisle of Westminster Abbey in 2011, wearing her now ever-emulated, long-sleeve lace McQueen gown to wed Prince William, it’s become impossible to separate the duchess’s sartorial identity from her love of the British design house. It’s a storied partnership that, only recently, made itself visible once more in celebration of Kate’s 40th birthday. Kensington Palace released a series of official portraits by Paolo Roversi featuring the royal in a trio of opulent gowns straight from Alexander McQueen’s spring/summer ’22 collection.
Those well-versed in the Princess of Wales’s collection of McQueen designs will know firstly of its formidable size, and secondly, of Kate’s own delight in re-wearing them. Never one to make a singular appearance in a dress or coat, Kate has, over the years, revisited her personal favourites: her Grecian lilac gown, for example, worn to a BAFTA event in 2011 and on the red carpet in 2021, or the suite of military-style coat dresses she favours for Remembrance Day. Big events like weddings, christenings and Trooping the Colour also see Kate turn regularly to her Alexander McQueen pastels, donning coat-dresses in shades of lemon yellow, blue and baby pink.
Here, we look back on the princess’s best moments in Alexander McQueen, from her most recognisable looks to some lesser known, but equally stylish, outfits (see: an adorable sailor-inspired two-piece from the mind of Sarah Burton). Below, 30 to remember.
