From their earliest days as members of the royal family to their highs and lows before the press and public, Kate Middleton‘s and Meghan Markle‘s fashion choices have been a much talked about aspect of their personas.
Whether dressing to impress at state events or paying subtle tributes to causes and the communities they visit, the royal sisters-in-law have won loyal fashion fan bases. This contributes to the economic power they wield in the retail sphere, nicknamed the “Kate effect” and the “Meghan effect.”
During their royal marriages, Kate and Meghan have developed their own styles, mainly sticking to block-colored outfits of coat dresses or coordinating suits. For rare occasions, though, the princesses have branched out into metallic shades, making a glittering appearance on a red carpet or complementing the ornate surroundings at palaces or high-profile residences.
Here, Newsweek looks at some of Meghan’s and Kate’s most dazzling gold fashion moments.
Kate: Official Dinner in Sweden, January 2018
During an official visit to Norway and Sweden in 2018 with Prince William—and while expecting her third child, Prince Louis—Kate debuted one of her more avant-garde fashion looks.
For a dinner at the British ambassadorial residence in Stockholm, the princess wore a floor-length gold evening dress designed by British-Canadian couturier Erdem Moralioglu. The dress featured a large-scale floral print with a ruffled high neckline and bell sleeves.
Meghan: Official Reception in Morocco, February 2019
For a 2019 visit to Morocco with Prince Harry while expecting her first child, Prince Archie, Meghan wore an haute couture caftan ensemble, inspired by the modesty dress worn by women of the region, that was made by the Paris fashion house of Christian Dior.
The dress featured elegant cross-shoulder drapery with diamante embellishments along the widened sleeve openings. The duchess paired the dress with gold accessories from Dior: a pair of the house’s “D-Moi” lame high-heeled pumps and the satin embellished bee clutch bag.
Meghan: Buckingham Palace, March 2019
On March 5, 2019, Meghan attended a reception to mark the 50th anniversary of the investiture of her father-in-law, King Charles, as the Prince of Wales in the state apartments of Buckingham Palace.
For the occasion, the duchess wore a gold and silver shot-silk jacquard knee-length dress paired with a simple white coat. The designer of the dress has not been identified, but the coat was made by Amanda Wakeley, formerly a favorite designer of Princess Diana‘s.
The gold and silver dress complemented the ornate white drawing room in which the royals were photographed before making their way to the reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth.
Kate: BAFTA Awards in London, February 2020
For a number of years, Kate has accompanied William to the annual BAFTA Film Awards in London. William is the organization’s patron.
In 2020, the princess kept up her tradition of rewearing key pieces of evening wear for the event by appearing in an Alexander McQueen–designed evening dress first worn in 2012.
The dress was designed in 2012 by the maker of her wedding dress to wear at a state dinner during a visit to Malaysia. The gown is embroidered with hundreds of gold hibiscus flowers, Malaysia’s national flower.
Images suggest that the princess had the sleeves of the dress slightly altered before rewearing it and also highlighted the gold accents with gold accessories in the form of glitter-heeled pumps from Jimmy Choo and a handbag by Anya Hindmarch.
Kate: Bond Movie Premiere in London, September 2021
One of Kate’s most showstopping red carpet moments was in 2021 when she attended the royal premiere of the James Bond movie No Time to Die alongside William and King Charles and Queen Camilla (when they were the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall).
For the event, Kate debuted a new, glittering gold evening gown by British designer Jenny Packham, featuring a sequin embroidered cape falling from the shoulders.
Meghan: Women of Vision Awards in NYC, May 2023
Honored at the Women of Vision awards in midtown Manhattan on May 16, Meghan made a striking impression wearing a glittering gold-paneled midi-dress by the designer Johanna Ortiz.
Ortiz, who was born in Colombia, is known for her bold designs that take inspiration from a desire to empower women. The awards show was the first major public appearance by Meghan since the release of the couple’s Netflix docuseries and the publication of Spare, Harry’s bombshell memoir.
The duchess paired her dress with gold accessories, including a pair of Tom Ford lock metallic stiletto sandals and a Carolina Herrera “Metropolitan Insignia” clutch bag.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
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