Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrated 13 years of marriage earlier this year, but they’ve been in each other’s lives — both as friends and as a couple — for much, much longer than that. The future king and queen of England first met at the University of St. Andrews, where Will started seeing Kate as more than a friend after he watched her strut the runway in a charity fashion show. Legend has it that they have the dress she wore in the show to thank for their romance, and now, we’re learning a little more about it.
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Kate was 19 when she wore the iconic dress in 2002.
Kate wore the totally sheer look over a bikini, showing off her body as she walked down the runway and supposedly helping William see her in a totally new way in the process. We’d never see the Princess of Wales wearing a dress like this today, so it’s no wonder it’s turned out to be one of her most unforgettable looks – and so iconic that it was even recreated for The Crown.
The dress was designed by a fellow university student.
As InStyle reported, a student at the University of the West of England named Charlotte Todd designed the dress for just £30 (about $39) for her “The Art of Seduction” display. The dress was technically a skirt, but Kate chose to wear it as a dress instead, and maybe that choice is what changed the course of royal history forever.
You never know!
Kate's runway look shattered expectations.
According to what royal fashion expert Lorna Ruane told InStyle, this was just one of the dresses Kate wore at the fashion show that night, but it’s the only one people remember.
“At the time, and even now, it’s the idea that the woman wearing this revealing dress went on to date and marry the direct heir,” she said. “It’s the polar opposite of how a member of a royal family dresses or how any public figure is expected to dress.”
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The sweet story behind it helped make the dress famous, too.
“It definitely adds a level of relatability to their story and creates this idea of anything being possible for any girl, à la Hallmark movies,” Lorna told the news outlet. “That the flame for William and Kate was sparked during something as casual as a student fashion show, rather than at a grand royal event or by matchmaking grandmothers (as some believe happened with Charles and Diana), makes it much more relatable.”
It is a pretty cool piece of royal lore.
The dress was auctioned off in 2011.
Just before Will and Kate’s 2011 wedding, Charlotte decided to auction off the dress. As The Guardian reported at the time, it was sold to a man who identified himself as “Nick from Jersey” for a total of £78,000, or just over $101k in American money. All that’s known about the buyer? “He thinks it’s an iconic piece and is very happy with the purchase.”
William apparently was sitting in the front row at the fashion show and met Kate afterward, The Guardian noted. No word on where that dress is today, but it’s certainly fascinating to think about it turning into a piece of history.
