Satin wedding dresses. Silk blouses. Taffeta ballgowns. Linen shirts. Those are the kinds of clothes that we generally associate with Kate Middleton and the rest of the royal family. But in reality, they also love jeans — well, some of them do, anyway. While we doubt we'll ever catch King Charles wearing denim again, we've seen other royals use jeans in all kinds of washes and colors, as a go-to pant for official and personal outings. And why not? They're comfortable, versatile, and relatable. (Win, win, win.)
The first royal to wear jeans on a regular basis was Princess Diana — though there is a picture of Prince Philip wearing what look like jeans at some sort of Canadian cowboy dance way back in the 1950s — so Diana is the real royal jeans trendsetter. No surprise there, given that she was a groundbreaking royal in every respect. Though she was born into the aristocracy, Diana was a pretty typical young lady, and after she had sons William and Harry, she of course needed to be practical about the clothes she wore when trying to keep up with two active boys.
Enter jeans.
After Diana, there was no going back in terms of wearing jeans. Kate, Meghan Markle, and the younger princes all wear denim, and they do so in a number of different ways: with jackets and blazers, with button-down shirts, with puffy jackets, and with cozy sweaters. But which of the many jeans looks do we like best? We dug through pictures of the royals over the years and pulled out our favorites.
Here they are, ranked.
23. Sleek
We've rarely seen Princess Eugenie in pants. Like her sister, Princess Beatrice, she mostly sticks to dresses — or skirt-based combos — for work and events. Taking the stage at an event at London's Wembley Stadium, Eugenie looked chic and sleek in black skinny jeans, heels, and a checked blazer.
22. Bright in Blue
Kate rocked a series of colored jeans to the 2012 London Olympics, including this head-turning cobalt blue pair, which she accessorized with sky-high wedges at an Olympic torch event. They show off her ridiculously toned legs, but this was the first and last time we saw her wearing these jeans in public. Guess the Queen didn't approve?
21. Effortless & Sexy
Prince Harry is all about being and looking relatable (and comfortable), and that was definitely part of his charm and his effectiveness as a working royal. When he went to visit a youth center, he wore a nice pair of relaxed-fit dark wash jeans, and a black sweater. He's just one of the guys — albeit one with massive fame and money.
20. Quite a Stretch
We are not mad at this picture, in which Prince William was a good sport and tried yoga at an official outing. (OMG, he's tall!) Not mad at all. Those white jeans — great summer wear — are working overtime to give us a good look at William's super toned legs. And what can we say? We like what we're seeing.
19. White Hot
We might not understand the rules or point of polo — aka the sport of kings — but we do know that dudes look hot on the horse and off. Part of it is the white outfits that they wear, which include white jeans. Harry, giving wife Meghan a smooch after a match, looks sexy in a very relaxed and confident way.
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18. Perfect Pair
Sometimes, jeans and jackets are so well-matched (color-wise), that they look like a pant suit — like this outfit, which Kate wore on a trip to the unfortunately named Slave Lake in Canada. We love that the jeans are skin-tight, and the jacket is short, making for a very sleek look. Kate chose a ruffly blouse that balanced her outfit with some softness.
17. Like a Flower
Y'all might say this look is dated — on account of Sarah Ferguson's baby blue and pink combo (and that over-the-shoulder sweater) — and y'all do have a point. The photo is from the late 1980s, so it was on trend back then. But at the same time, there is something very fresh and unpretentious about the floral jeans that we love, and it's on-brand for the Duchess of York, since Diana sister-in-law was always a bit of a fashion wild card.
16. Cool & Casual
Boot-cut jeans are always a winner, aren't they? They lengthen legs and, of course, make room for calf-hugging boots without looking like bell bottoms. Meghan chose a great pair to attend an Invictus Games event and threw on a long, olive-colored trench coat for a bit of drama — and warmth, we're sure.
15. Walk This Way
Once upon a time, Harry's wardrobe was a bit … well … lacking. Honestly, he used to dress like the third wheel he was to William and Kate. Then, he got married, and Meghan had him getting fresh haircuts and wearing clothes in colors and fits that complement him. One such outfit is this one, in which he paired casual but well-tailored black jeans with a deep blue shirt.
14. Two Peas in a Denim Pod
How about a two-fer? We love this head-to-toe denim look, anchored by easy-fit jeans. It's so very old-school, but we totally want to bring it back based on this adorable picture alone. Brothers Harry and William twinned in jeans during a tour to Canada, way back in 1991.
13. Royally Cute!
Can we cheat just a little here? Princess Charlotte may not wearing long jeans, but Kate and William's middle child does have the most adorable overalls ever — which give off a homemade vibe, like she just took a pair of safety scissors to long overalls. Something tells us that little Charlotte will be a fashion star in her own right very soon.
12. Getting Jabbed
Kate sported a pair of high-rise denim jeans when she got her COVID-19 vaccine in the spring of 2021. Sharing the moment she got the jab on the royals' official Instagram account, Kate expressed how grateful she was to everyone working to make the vaccine available so quickly in the UK (and she looked good doing it).
11. Chic Mum
There are many pictures of Diana wearing shirt-stuffed mom jeans. (It was, after all, the '80s.) But in this picture, taken at a polo tournament, she somehow figured it out by untucking the shirt and throwing on a blazer. (Huge difference!) That helped create a casual and confident look, as well as an iconic picture.
10. Preppy College Gear
Oh, you didn't know that William was at one point a teenage heartthrob? Well, here's the evidence. The prince looks like quite the snack in this portrait taken on his first day at St. Andrews University. The combination of faded blue jeans and a navy blue sweater over a button-down shirt and a summer tan is pretty irresistible.
9. Very Versatile
Kate seemingly has an army of black skinny jeans, and we can understand why: Like Meghan, she knows that they are endlessly versatile, and can be dressed up or down. She's worn them with plaid blazers, and she's worn them with sailing outfits. Here, she rocked a pair at a sports event, topping them with a puffy red jacket.
8. All Dressed Up
We don't know about you, but for the most part, the outdated term "slacks" gives us the heebie-jeebies — so it is always an inspiration to see Meghan dress up a pair of black jeans. That's what she did at an Invictus Games reception during Harry's and her tour through Australia in 2018, relying on one of her favorite brands: Mother Denim. She paired the "Looker" skinny jeans with a crisp white blazer for a timeless look.
7. Long Live Color
As she got deeper into her role as duchess, Kate's style grew a bit more serious. But back in 2012, just a year after her wedding, she was still wearing bolder stuff — like these super cool tangerine-colored jeans. They're so cheery, and they're clearly stretchy and comfy enough to play field hockey in. An eye-catcher for sure.
6. Making a Statement
This was the first time Harry and Meghan were photographed together as a couple, and Meghan's choice of outfit made waves. For the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, the future duchess went with a pair of light blue jeans with a very prominent rip in one knee. From the beginning, Meghan made it clear that she was her own person, even if she was about to join one of the most straight-laced families in the world.
5. Golden in Brown
One of the best things about Kate's style is her willingness to mix expensive and budget pieces — and her mad skills at doing so. One of her favorite jeans, which she's worn over and over, are these cocoa-colored ribbed stretch skinny jeans. They're by Zara, and cost $40. What a bargain, especially when compared with those $750 Penelope Chilvers boots she's wearing.
4. Sharp Look
Wearing all black as the foundation for a great outfit is absolutely a fashion classic. Meghan demonstrated this beautifully when she paired inky black jeans and a turtleneck, and layered on a cream-colored chalkstripe blazer for an Invictus Games reception in Sydney, Australia. It looks so easy but so sharp!
3. Classic Fall
Here's a great throwback from 2007, when Kate and William were still dating, and Kate was sharing a London flat with her sister, Pippa Middleton. Photographers were there to capture her every move, and that includes this shot, in which Kate's wearing the cutest fall outfit with dark blue jeans, a short blazer, and knee-high suede boots. Where is she going with that weekender bag — William's place? Probably.
2. Another Invictus Look
When Meghan and Harry returned to the UK for the Invictus Games in 2022 after they were postponed in 2020, they did not come to play! Meghan rocked her jeans and looked adorable pairing them with this cream belted coat. Warm and fashionable!
1. The Most Denim Christmas Card Ever
This might be the most denim royal look ever, and it also happens to be our favorite. In this casual family photo that the Prince and Princess of Wales used for their 2022 holiday card, everyone is wearing some sort of denim, except for Prince George. We have to admire Kate's millennial commitment to skinny jeans!
