Our dear Kate Middleton has long been the queen of royal accessories. From her jewelry all the way down to her shoes, the Duchess of Cambridge has adorned every single regal outfit of hers with the perfect choices. And while purses and bags are some of our favorite accessories, the duchess tends to opt more for the small and compact clutch. Like with most things with her wardrobe, Kate goes simple and classic with her clutches, but sometimes she does get adventurous and chooses and bold color. And sometimes she even goes for … sparkles. Yes, Kate has tried it all, and while she does err on the conservative side with her clutches, she isn't afraid to push the envelope when it's necessary.
And of course we can't talk about Kate's master skills for accessorizing without talking about her uncanny ability to color-match perfectly. Most of the times, Kate chooses a clutch that blends in with the rest of her outfit, and somehow, she manages to pick a clutch that matches seamlessly with her coat or dress. We aren't sure if she was born with this skill or if it was a learned royal ability, but whatever happened, we just hope she keeps it up. She's been rocking clutches for nearly nine years now, so the chances of that are pretty good.
Over the years, it's been speculated why royals tend carry clutches rather than shoulder bags or handbags, and of course, it all comes down to Queen Elizabeth. She reportedly is a fan of bags she holds in her hand because it's an easy way to get out of shaking someone's hand. Sneaky, Queen Elizabeth. Clearly, Kate has taken this to heart and has rocked these 40 unbelievable clutches.
Black & Simple
Kate is a purist when it comes to accessories, so this simple black clutch really is of no shock to anyone. Simple, but never boring with our duchess!
Smooth Velvet
Everything about this outfit screams elegance, and we're loving how Kate's clutch seems to be covered in a lovely velvet material. Handy and soft to the touch!
Faux Alligator Skin
Can we just appreciate how well this faux-animal skin clutch looks with Kate's engagement ring? Talk about a match made in heaven.
All White
When Kate does all white, she commits. Her satin clutch is the perfect accessory for her dreamy off-the-shoulder gown.
Christmas Red
While Meghan went more subdued for their Christmas walk, Kate really stayed true to the holiday's signature colors — all the way down to her burgundy clutch.
Bigger Than Most
Kate usually opts for something on the smaller side, but this time, she chose a olive green clutch that could almost pass for handbag size.
Turquoise Beauty
All turquoise or go home, right? Not many could pull off a bright blue dress with an equally bright blue clutch, but here we have the duchess doing it effortlessly.
Subtle Sparkle
For such a busy dress, we could have thought Kate would choose a solid black clutch, but this is one of the few times she matched bold with bold.
Do this more often, Kate!
Matching Suede
Kate's gloves practically blend into her black clutch. Just another example of how the duchess is an expert at picking out the perfect accessories for every outfit.
Pop of Burgundy
Although Kate doesn't go full-on bold with most of her outfits, she does know exactly when it's the right time to add a pop of color.
Perfect for an Evening Out
We really want to know how many classic black clutches Kate has in her closet. One for every occasion, we presume!
Oh to have that royal budget, no?
More Details
Sometimes an all-white outfit does need a little help from the accessories. Kate, being the fashion genius that she is, knew this and chose a clutch with a little extra something.
Opposites Attract
Lavender with a deep burgundy? We never would have thought the two would go together, but then again, there's a lot that Kate knows that we never will.
Tone Matching
OK seriously … how does she do this? The clutch and the dress are a perfect match! Not to mention Will's tie matches as well.
It truly is a royal mystery.
The Simpler the Better
There's nothing wrong with matching two solids together! Kate's coat is so bright that her simple black clutch was probably the best choice.
Another win for the duchess.
Geometric Shine
When Kate does shine, she DOES shine! Plus, we just love any closeup we can get of that amazing ring of hers.
Round & Tan
Kate is one of the brave souls who wears this bright of a yellow, so naturally, she opted for a more subtle clutch. Nothing wrong with going with a plain neutral color!
Pops of Red
Leave it to Kate to turn a tiny detail from her dress into a complete statement look, all thanks to her bright red clutch.
So, So Sleek
We know she's a royal, but she looks purely presidential right here. First Lady Kate Middleton doesn't sound too bad, does it?
Gold Pairing
Emerald green and gold are a classic pairing, but somehow it looks so fresh and new when Kate does it.
Lovely Neutral
There's nothing Kate does better than finding the perfect neutral accessory for a bold outfit.
Sparkle With Sparkle
Why not pair a super sparkly dress with a sparkly clutch? With all the times this duchess gets to dress up like a princess, it's only natural she'd want to get creative sometimes.
Tiny Little Box
A clutch that she can hold in one hand and greet people with the other is a great clutch in the royal handbook. This one definitely fits the bill.
Green on Green
Kate Middleton, Duchess of Color-Matching. Dark green on dark green is our new favorite color combination, for sure — and not just for St. Patrick's Day.
Clutch or Glasses Case?
Now, we know Kate likes to go small when it comes to her bags, but this one looks more like something she could only put her reading glasses in. Definitely no phone in there!
Pale Cream
We don't know if Kate practiced the perfect "clutch hold" or if it came naturally to her, but she doesn't seem to be having any trouble at all looking elegant while carrying her purse.
A Perfect Match
OK — this had to be custom made, right? There's no way Kate just happened to find a dress and a clutch that matched THIS perfectly.
Although, we'd believe anything at this point.
Woven
Back in her early royal days, Kate definitely played around with her styles more. She carried this red and tan woven clutch, and we are really hoping she's going to bring it back one of these days.
Fits All the Essentials
OK, now here's a clutch that can definitely fit anything she would need. However, it does look more difficult for her to hold.
We all have to make sacrifices for fashion sometimes!
Rose Gold
Kate, if you're reading this, please wear more rose gold! And maybe let us borrow that sleek clutch, because it's just pure perfection.
New Shape
Now this one is a fun shape! And of course in true Kate Middleton style, it matches her dress perfectly.
Unexpected Plaid
Now this isn't something we see the duchess carrying every day. She rarely uses anything with that much of a pattern on it, but with this outfit, it definitely worked.
Little Coin Purse
This clutch looks like an adorable and quaint coin purse. Can't fit much in there, but hey, it looks great with her green dress!
Another Essential Neutral
Between classic black clutches and perfect neutrals, we're pretty sure Kate has just about every clutch a woman could ever need in her life.
Two Tones of Brown
Kate is an expert at taking a small color included in her outfit and making it a complete look. We may have not noticed the darker brown in her dress if it weren't for her clutch!
Barely There
Blink and you'll completely miss this one! Kate's midnight blue clutch blends in with her outfit so well that it's hard to even tell that she's holding something.
Small & Silver
The perfect complement to a white dress is a little bit of sparkle, right? Kate certainly seems to think so!
Quilted
We don't know if this clutch is actually made by Chanel, but it certainly has the fashion house's signature quilted look to it.
Pure Gold
We love our duchess in gold! She looks like a true vision, and her clutch also looks light and handy.
Bold & Compact
Kate does like to have pops of color every now and again, and this super tiny bright red clutch definitely does the trick.
