When designers are banging down the door to work with someone, it can't be easy to choose an outfit, and that must go double for Kate Middleton, who has a royal dress code to follow. Even though she has a figure begging for designer duds, the Princess of Wales is never supposed to get risqué — not even a little — when it comes to what she wears. But sometimes stuff just happens, you know?
In many other ways, the royal dress code is a matter of interpretation. What's the difference between a tailored outfit and a tight one? What counts as a sexy neckline? And what does it really mean to "show a little leg?" Given the many public appearances Kate is expected to make as a senior working royal, the opportunities to make a bad judgment call are too numerous to count — and it can't be easy to follow all of the rules that the institution has set forth. (And, it should be said, bad judgment calls by Kate are rare, especially where fashion is concerned.)
From too-short-for-the-monarchy's-taste hemlines to high-cut slits on evening gowns, here are 27 times Kate Middleton got just a bit daring with her clothes and possibly broke royal code. No one ever said being a princess was easy.
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Showing Knees
It doesn't seem likely that the late Queen Elizabeth would have approved of hemlines above the knees — at least, that's not something she ever wore herself! But here's Kate, showing off those gams anyway. Of course, by all other standards, this is still conservative, but these are the royals we're talking about.
Short & Tight
The Queen must have done a double-take when she saw Kate in this, making us wonder if there was a conversation had behind the scenes. Tsk, tsk, honey. Not that we can blame Kate for wearing it, of course — she looks amazing. She was even having a good hair day when this photo was taken!
Nice Clavicles
Not sure how the stuffier royals feel about showing off one's clavicles, but for what it's worth, Kate sure does have nice ones, so we can't blame her for wanting to let the world see them in this amazing dress. Any shade of blue always looks good on her, and so does this neckline.
Crouching Tiger, Squatting Princess
Kate's outfit would be OK if she didn't have to squat down. Isn't there a more elegant way to do this? Probably not, because if there was, she'd definitely be doing it. Still, she looks great, and we can't imagine how anyone in charge could find fault with this.
Digging the Outfit, Kate
But is this look the best for the job at hand? Jeans might have been better for this day's activities, but Kate made it work. She's always been willing to get down in the dirt (literally and figuratively) when making public appearances, no matter what she's wearing.
Differing Hemlines
Kate Middleton and the Queen have quite the different hemlines in this photo, and the comparison is pretty stark seeing them both sitting here. Fortunately, it looks as if Queen Elizabeth wasn't too upset by this — she and Kate were just having a nice chat.
Lacy Goodness
This very well may be one of the most gorgeous gowns that Kate has ever worn, but it is a little see-through. Risqué for a princess? Perhaps a bit, but that doesn't mean this dress wasn't made for her. It was definitely worth the risk of ruffling a few royal feathers.
Nice Legs!
Who even cares if this skirt length is breaking royal dress code? Look at those legs! There's no doubt that they're one of Kate's best assets, so of course she wants to show them off in an outfit like this. Every so often, they've gotta let outfits like this one slide.
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Her Royal Highness
It might not always be considered "proper" to wear a gown with a slit this high, but we definitely understand why Kate made an exception. When hitting the red carpet, it's important to pull out all the stops, which she certainly did. Who could forget this look?
Short & Sweet
It's tight. It's short. It looks unbelievable on Kate — and it might be one of her most risqué looks ever, even if on anyone else it would just be a normal outfit for a warm spring day. But as we already know, members of the royal family have to make a few more considerations than the rest of us.
Fitted & Flirty
In the real world, this isn't a super sexy outfit, but in the world of the royals, it's definitely on the tight side. Kate's pulling it off, though — and this photo is reminding us how well she pulled off bangs, too. Wonder if she'll ever decide to go back to this hairstyle?
Lady in Red
Red is definitely Kate's color, but we don't get to see her wear it nearly often enough (though in recent years, she's started to wear it more and more). All we can say is: Wow. We love it when the princess goes a little low-cut — it has such a dramatic effect!
The Deep V
And again with the plunging neckline. This princess is looking good once again, though her deep V-neck is on an outfit that's more business than red carpet appropriate. She's killing the work wardrobe, and inspiring all of us to step it up with our own in the process.
Flaunt 'Em If She's Got 'Em
OK, it's official: The royal dress code needs to be updated, because Kate is not made to wear long dresses. She has far more leg exposed than the Queen might have been comfortable with at the time, but she looks incredible.
Sexy Neckline
This may be within the royal dress code, but that's definitely one sexy neckline the princess has going on here. Moreover, the look on her face says it all in this photo: She DGAF about no stinkin' dress codes.
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A Super-High Slit
The dress Kate's wearing is conservative overall — it's long, with long sleeves and a high neckline (collar included). But when she stands up, we can see that it also shows off her legs with that extremely high slit. Really, it's a nice hidden touch.
A Little Bit of Lace
This look of Kate's is striking for a couple of reasons — last but not least how that bold turquoise color looks on her. But at the same time, we're loving that plunging neckline with the lace peeking out, and the way the belt at her waist really pulls it all together.
Keeping It Tight
This look is a bit of a throwback, but it's definitely still worth discussing. Not only is this dress a tight fit, but it's also pretty short — and that neckline is definitely lower than what the Queen would have preferred, especially this early in Kate's royal career.
Showing Off Those Knees
Even though she was dressed for an event in honor of the Queen's diamond jubilee, Kate decided to take a bit of a risk in wearing this red dress that went above the knee. Like we said, she looks great in red, so can we blame her? She should wear this one again!
Black Lace
Another black lace dress for Kate, and of course she's pulling it off flawlessly. We're loving that deep neckline, and the fact that her dress gives the illusion of being see-through. It's no wonder she has ended up wearing this dress more than once.
Visiting a Dog
We get it — any time we have the opportunity to pet a dog, we're going to do it, even if that means exposing more of our legs than we might have planned that day. Can't blame Kate one bit for doing the same thing. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Sailing Along
Here's a rare sight: Kate in short shorts. When she participated in the King's Cup Regatta in 2019, she had to dress appropriately, and that meant busting out a pair of shorts that showed off how amazing her legs really look. It's a rare sight!
Another V-Neck
This is another V-neck that goes a little too low for what we assume the Queen's taste would have probably allowed, but Kate doesn't seem to be sweating it — not that she should. She looks great, and this print dress is adorable for spring, so we don't see any problems here.
Off the Shoulder
When Kate's headed out to a fancy evening event such as a gala dinner, she really pulls out all the stops. This time, she showed off her shoulders and let the world see her figure in a dress that was more fitted than usual, and we didn't hear anyone complaining.
Hanging With Charlotte
Here, Kate hit us with a double whammy — her sundress has a slit and a neckline that's lower than usual. Still, it was perfect for hanging out on a sunny day with her children, and we're still amazed that she managed to chase after them so deftly in those wedges!
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Breaking With Tradition
On St. Patrick's Day in 2023, Kate broke the dress code in a bit of a different way. She opted to wear turquoise instead of the emerald green that she typically wears in honor of the holiday. This break from tradition looked good on her!
Who Wears Short Shorts?
It seems like sailing in a regatta is Kate's usual go-to reason to wear shorts, and we don't blame her for taking the opportunity. After all, she does love to sail, and it's a heck of a lot easier to do that without wearing restrictive clothing.
