The in-house stylist credited with honing Kate Middleton’s blended look is leaving Kensington Palace after 15 years.
Natasha Archer, who is married to one of the U.K.’s most favored royal news photographers, Chris Jackson, is leaving Kate’s employ to set up her own fashion consultancy business, the London Times reports.
Archer, whose formal title is “senior private executive assistant” but is widely known as “Tash” within palace walls, started working for William and Kate in 2010, the year they got engaged, and is widely credited with helping Kate develop a chic and elegant yet unfussy signature look, combining high end and mass market products.
She was said to have been influential in urging Kate to marry in an Alexander McQueen wedding dress after becoming a fan of the label’s chief designer, Sarah Burton.
Burton’s designs have since become Kate staples, particularly for formal events. Under Archer’s watchful eye, Kate has also developed a fondness for other British labels. including Jenny Packham, Emilia Wickstead, and Catherine Walker.
However, when Kate made her first appearance at a state dinner since her cancer diagnosis on Tuesday evening, she wore a Givenchy gown, in recognition of the French delegation that was being honored. Conveniently, Sarah Burton has recently moved to Givenchy. Kate wore Dior earlier in the day.
However Archer’s genius, some would argue, has also been in helping Kate hone her common touch by picking out blazers, Breton tops and simple jeans and skirts from mainstream brands including Gap, Zara, LK Bennett and Whistles, which she tends to wear—and re-wear—and not just to more informal, daytime engagements.
It’s easy to forget how revolutionary it was to see a Princess in a $340 Reiss dress to meet the Obamas in 2014.
Archer, 37, is said to have developed the strategy with Kate, dutifully picking out looks from the thousands of items sent annually to Kensington Palace for approval. Kate’s team are famous in fashion circles for never keeping clothes or jewelry that are sent in by designers, and they pay retail for those that Kate and Archer decide to use.
Kate and Archer have become hugely influential figures in British and global fashion, not least because their clothing choices often trigger the so-called “Kate effect,” where designs worn by the princess rapidly sell out.
Archer became a trusted companion on overseas visits, including trips to Norway, Pakistan, Bhutan and Canada.
Never officially described as an in-house stylist, Archer sprang to prominence when she dashed to be at Kate’s side before she faced the cameras after giving birth to Prince George in 2013.
Archer, who has two children, is married to Chris Jackson, a trusted and experienced royal photographer who works for picture agency Getty. Jackson is often given special access, and was recently invited to take a portrait of King Charles and Queen Camilla to mark their 20th wedding anniversary.
Kensington Palace did not respond to a request for comment, but a friend of Archer’s told the London Times: “It’s a huge privilege to work so closely with the royal family for over 15 years but she is very much looking forward to new challenges and will cherish her time at Kensington Palace with the fondest of memories.”
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