Kate Middleton does dozens events every year, and she can't always wear the same outfit to all of them — although she isn't afraid of an occasional outfit recycle. During her time as a royal, the Duchess of Cambridge has worn all the colors of the rainbow, and she makes them look so good. The only color Kate usually stays away from is orange (perhaps for fear of looking washed out and/or not photographing well), but she's been known to try a burnt orange or blood orange or peach look every once in a while if she's feeling particularly bold.
Some of the duchess's favorite colors to wear are reds, blues, and greens, and she's pretty liberal with yellow as well. She's not afraid to go bold and bright with her outfits.
There's a reason Kate is known to wear so many bright dresses for her events. It's probably the same reason why Queen Elizabeth always wears nearly neon looks. It's so people can see them.
Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, explained as much in the documentary The Queen at 90. "She needs to stand out for people to be able to say 'I saw the Queen,'" she said. "Don't forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, ten, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen's hat as she went past."
It seems that Kate has taken a page out of the Queen's book and also goes for bold rainbow colors to be better seen by her fans. Sure, she'll sometimes go with a more muted look, but on the whole she's pretty bright with her style.
Here are 20 times she rocked the rainbow.
Red for Christmas Day
There's no better occasion to wear red than on Christmas. In 2018, Kate wore this coat designed by Catherine Walker to Christmas Day Mass. The red of the coat contrasts perfectly against the deeper burgundy velvet accents on the pockets and collar. Kate also recently rewore the coat to the 2020 Commonwealth Day celebrations.
Introducing the World to Prince Louis
The whole world's eyes were on Kate when she made her first appearance with baby Prince Louis outside the hospital in April 2018. For the big day, she wore a simple red dress with a white lace collar. With her two previous children, Kate wore a blue polka dot dress with Prince George, and a yellow and white floral dress for Princess Charlotte's introduction.
Touring Australia
In 2014, Kate, Prince William, and Prince George set off on a tour of Australia and New Zealand. Kate touched down at the airport in this bright red coatdress with buttons all the way down the front with a red Jackie Kennedy-style pillbox hat. She would later recycle the look for the 2019 Commonwealth Day celebrations. She just really loves wearing red to that event.
The Queen's Birthday
This look was a new one for Kate. She doesn't often step outside of her coatdress comfort zone, and she almost never wears anything off the shoulder. But she went all out for the Queen's birthday party in 2017. She looks like the red dress emoji lady! This gown is from the Alexander McQueen label, which is one of Kate's go-tos. Her wedding dress was also Alexander McQueen.
Orange Coat
It's well-known that Kate almost never wears anything orange. She'll wear almost any other color, but she usually steers away from the carrot color. Some fashion experts believe that's because the color can wash people out and doesn't photograph as well. Kate did wear this bright orange-colored coat in 2018 that's a little closer to her red comfort zone.
Evening Gown
The orange of this breezy gown is broken up by the dark flower pattern, which may be why Kate was OK with wearing it to a reception in Bhutan. It gives it more of a burnt orange color than a straight carrot color. The poppy print was also a thoughtful a nod to Bhutan's national flower. When doing royal tours, Kate always takes these kinds of things into account, and she often also wears local designers to boost sales in the countries she visits.
Just Peachy
The other time Kate came the closest to wearing orange was in 2013 to a Children's Hospice Week event. She donned a peach coat over a lighter peach shift dress that really made the blush in her cheeks stand out. The princess wore this outfit shortly before giving birth to her first child, Prince George, and then it went into her closet never to come out again.
Yellow Sundress
Kate opted to go a bit more casual during a 2012 visit to Guadalcanal Island. Instead of a coatdress or a long, flowy gown, Kate wore a breezy yellow sundress. She paired the outfit with nude heels, though, so she wasn't all that casual in the end. Yellow is not a color everyone loves, but the duchess has reached for it again and again over the years.
Banana Yellow
This dress is known as the "banana dress," so named for its yellow exterior and panels of white showing through like a banana being peeled. Kate even called it so herself. "William said I look like a banana," she joked to press when first wearing the Roksanda Ilincic outfit on a trip to Sydney in 2014. She later repeated the look a couple of years later at Wimbledon in 2016.
Yellow & White Lace
For a day out at the market in Heidelberg, Germany, Kate donned this pretty yellow and white lacy sundress with a flower pattern. She even paired it with a matching sunflower, given her her by a fan. The dress is one of Jenny Packham's designs, which is a go-to fashion brand for the duchess. She often wears Packham's looks to events and galas.
The Grass Is Greener
Because Kate has hazel-green eyes, she often wears the color to make her eyes stand out. Plus green just goes really well with her dark hair. We love this '60s-style dress that has a texture that makes it look like grass. She paired it with black accessories to help the green pop and wore the whole outfit to a 2019 event in support of Children's Mental Health Week.
Green for Ireland
On Kate and William's 2020 tour of Ireland, Kate pulled this floral number out for a meeting with the president of the country. Green is the country's national color and a third of their flag, so it makes sense that Kate honored the country with her fashion choices. She wore different shades of green several times throughout the tour.
Shining, Shimmering, Splendid
This sparkly gown was another of Kate's for the Ireland tour. She wore it to the Guinness Storehouse Gravity Bar to sample some of Ireland's finest stout. According to Good Housekeeping, the metallic dress was designed by The Vampire's Wife and cost over $2,000. She paired it with green velvet heels, a gold purse, and gold earrings.
Tennis Green
For Wimbledon in 2019, Kate decided to match the grass courts with this emerald green dress by the Italian design brand Dolce & Gabbana. The shape is simple, which makes the button and bow details stand out that much more — and the little ruffles on the sleeves are so pretty. Kate's fashion in the royal box at Wimbledon is always stunning, and this was a memorable look.
Ombre Blue
On a 2019 trip to Pakistan, Kate donned a traditional style of dress called shalwar kameez. It's a tunic over a pair of pants, and the duchess wore it to adhere to the more traditional, modest dressing style of Pakistan. The blue ombre was a great choice, starting lighter up at the top of the gown and flowing into a darker turquoise near the bottom.
Blue Velvet
During a royal visit to Sweden, Kate wore this stunning blue velvet dress. It almost looks like a vintage piece between the fabric choice, the flower pattern, and the bell sleeves. It was designed by the fashion brand Erdem and featured a high empire waist to better accommodate Kate's baby bump. She was pregnant with Prince Louis at the time.
Jenny Packham Blue
In March 2020, Kate celebrated the 25th anniversary of the children's charity Place2Be. Kate's been a champion for the cause as a member of the royal family and stopped by to make a speech at the event. To mark the occasion, she wore a glittery Jenny Packham dress with a flowy royal blue skirt and beaded top with sheer sleeves.
Bright as It Gets
The duchess is a fan of color, and bold color especially. This almost neon purple outfit really stood out at Kate's November 2019 children's hospice event. To help let the skirt suit shine in all its magenta glory, she went with muted black accessories. Kate previously wore the Oscar de la Renta outfit to London’s Royal Opera House in January 2019. It's hard not to want to repeat such a stunning, bold look.
Light Lavender
Kate's worn all kinds of shades of purple, from super bright and bold to a softer pastel. This lavender Emilia Wickstead long-sleeve dress was worn by Kate during the last leg of a tour of Germany. The trip took place in July, and this dress is a little more early spring in color, but it still looks stunning on the duchess. She could probably lose the clashing red bag, though.
Canadian Purple
Fresh off her 2011 wedding, Kate and William went on a tour in Canada as one of their first royal duties as husband and wife. For the National Canada Day Celebrations, Kate wore an Issa gown in a deep royal purple color. She paired it with a maple leaf pin to honor Canada, since her fashion label was British. Kate doesn't wear plunging necklines as much anymore, but she looked great on this trip in this dress.
