From polka dots to floral prints to skulls, and of course plenty of that classic white,
these are the unforgettable looks that the Princess of Wales treated tennis fans to at
the All England Club in Wimbledon.
Kate Middletons's first Wimbledon outing as a member of the royal family happened in 2011.
While watching Andy Murray from the royal box, she wore a tiered white knee-length dress
by Alice Temperley, known as the Moriah Dress.
It was reportedly worth 795 pounds, or about $990.
The princess paired the dress with a gold bracelet that Camilla, Queen Consort, gifted
her on her wedding day.
As Alice Temperley told Reuters at the time, she was thrilled to be dressing the young
royal.
As she put it,
"I think she's brilliant, she's brilliant for England.
Perfect, perfect future Queen, she's elegant, she knows how to hold herself."
Naturally enough, as soon as Catherine wore the Temperley dress, it quickly sold out online.
Clearly, the Catherine effect was already in full swing.
The following year, Princess Catherine once again donned a classic all-white outfit for
Wimbledon during another Andy Murray match.
This time, she opted for a cable knit dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
It featured sailor-inspired touches like a nautical bib tie neckline and blue details
on the sleeves.
According to the Daily Mail, it was worth 1,100 pounds, or around $1,370, and it was
part of the designer's 2006 collection.
Catherine had previously worn the dress during her 2011 trip to Canada.
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker had also famously worn a navy version of the dress on the catwalk
back in 2006.
Catherine paired it with a navy quilted clutch by Jaeger, navy heels by L.K.
Bennett, and a pair of diamond drop earrings.
This is a lovely, simple, nautical look.
With its cream color, drop waist, and floaty knee-length skirt, it's the perfect fit for
classic Wimbledon fashion.
Catherine practically looked ready to grab a racket and step onto the court herself.
In 2013, Princess Catherine missed Wimbledon because she was about to give birth to her
first child.
As she later revealed in the BBC documentary Sue Barker: Our Wimbledon,
"I wrote to Andy Murray afterwards saying sorry for not being there, but huge congratulations."
"He plays tennis for Great Britain.
He's a two-time Olympic champion.
He's a former world number one."
But the following year, she was back in the royal box, and of course, she looked just
as fashionable as ever.
She continued her trend of wearing white to the tournament, this time choosing a midi
dress with a lace Broderie Anglaise pattern by the designer Zimmerman.
According to the Daily Mail, the dress was worth 274 pounds, or around $340, and had
previously been worn during the princess' tour around Australia.
This elegant look featured elbow-length sleeves, a high round neckline, and a slightly flared
skirt, and she paired it with a summery straw clutch and a red shawl.
2014 was also one of the first years that Princess Catherine broke with her all-white
Wimbledon tradition.
While watching Novak Djokovic battle Roger Federer in the final, she opted for a brightly
colored blue and green dress with a geometric weave print by Jonathan Saunders.
The knee-length "Evelyn" dress featured short sleeves, a long, straight skirt, and a simple
bow waist tie.
The princess paired it with a beige clutch, drop earrings, and oversized sunglasses.
It had previously been spotted during her 2012 trip to the Solomon Islands.
It was lovely to see Middleton finally embracing some color at Wimbledon, and she's never looked
back since then.
In 2015, Princess Catherine opted for a bold color once again when she sported a bright
red dress to Wimbledon.
This midi dress by L.K.
Bennett featured elbow-length sleeves, a slightly flared skirt, a gently cinched waist, and
a round high neckline.
She also wore nude heels and a pair of Mirabelle earrings, and she brought a bold leopard print
clutch by Diane Von Furstenberg.
The dress was reportedly worth 250 pounds, or around $310.
Catherine also debuted a fresh layered hairstyle for the occasion.
She later re-wore the dress in 2020 while taking part in a Zoom call with war veterans
in honor of VE Day.
"Have a fun time!"
"Thank you, buh-bye!"
Catherine definitely made this primary color look totally work, and while it certainly
wasn't one of her classic Wimbledon whites, it made for quite the welcome contrast.
In 2016, Catherine once again opted to steer clear of all-white, as she picked another
bold primary color.
This time it was an ultra bright canary yellow.
The knee-length dress by Australian designer Roksanda featured a square neckline and subtle
white color blocking on the left side of the skirt and under the arm.
It all made for a slightly unusual, but totally modern look.
She also wore nude heels by Rupert Sanderson and a pair of pearl drop earrings.
This wasn't the first time that Catherine had worn this striking dress, as she'd previously
sported it in 2014 while visiting the Sydney Opera House during a royal tour of Australia.
She later donned it again in 2020 during a video message thanking Australian first responders
for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In one of her most unusual Wimbledon looks, Princess Catherine opted for the unique Alexander
McQueen Talisman dress from Sarah Burton's Obsession collection.
This white number featured short sleeves, a high neck, and a floaty midi skirt.
But what really made it unique was its print, which featured a butterfly, lipstick, a hummingbird,
jewels, and even the famous McQueen skull.
She paired it with an L.K.
Bennett square clutch and a pair of gold drop earrings.
This dynamic dress was reportedly originally worth $2,995.
A different version was also spotted on journalist Norah O'Donnell on CBS This Morning.
McQueen also released several other items that featured the bold print as part of their
collection.
For the 2017 edition of Wimbledon, Princess Catherine veered away from block colors and
opted instead for a black and white polka dot dress by Dolce and Gabbana.
This dramatic look featured three-quarter length sleeves, a knee-length voluminous skirt,
and a soft square neckline.
With its bold dot print, it was certainly an eye-catching number.
The princess also carried a white tote bag by Victoria Beckham and black strappy heeled
sandals.
To complete the ensemble, she wore round pearl and gold studs by Oscar de la Renta and a
pair of sunglasses.
The event also marked a new collarbone-length haircut for the princess, who wore her freshly
trimmed locks down and curled.
During the match, she was spotted chatting with Mamma Mia!
star Dominic Cooper, who was sitting directly behind her in the royal box.
"I was traveling to find myself."
Also during 2017's Wimbledon, the Princess of Wales stunned with a white mini dress by
Catherine Walker.
It had capped sleeves and a flared skirt with a beautiful meadow-like print that gave the
impression of red, blue, and yellow flowers growing up from the hemline.
Catherine Walker also sells a silk scarf featuring the same print.
The princess also wore Bulgari sunglasses and carried her white Victoria Beckham bag,
and she sported a pair of Cassandra Goad gold earrings.
During the match, she was seen mingling with actors Eddie Redmayne and Bradley Cooper.
This summery dress not only features the famous Wimbledon white, it also has a unique floral
print that suggests a summertime meadow.
We can't think of a more perfect outfit for a grass court tennis tournament.
In 2018, Princess Catherine took her penchant for literal fashion up a notch when she wore
an on-the-nose tennis ball dress to Wimbledon.
This knee-length number with capped sleeves was a bespoke design by Jenny Packham.
It had a straight skirt, a gathered waist with ruching on one side, and that black and
white tennis ball print.
Catherine also brought a beige tote bag by Dolce and Gabbana and wore a pair of pearl
drop earrings and nude heels.
The dress was quite the contrast to her sister-in-law Meghan Markle's outfit.
Meghan was attending the tournament for the first time, and she opted for a far more casual,
modern outfit, with long white wide-legged trousers and a blue and white striped shirt.
As commentator Julie Miller declared on Vanity Fair's In the Limelight podcast,
"Kate looked like she was just opening another hospital or celebrating another bridge."
In 2019, Princess Catherine wore a gorgeous all-white dress that reminded us of her earlier
years at Wimbledon.
This shirt-style dress featured slightly puffed sleeves, a row of black buttons, and a floaty
skirt.
Catherine also added a black belt by Alexander McQueen.
The dress was a custom design by the British label Suzannah.
Known as the "Flippy Wiggle" dress, it was made from pure Italian crepe silk, and as
of 2023, it can still be purchased on the Suzannah website for 2,790 pounds, or around
$3,500.
The description reads,
"The original inspiration derives from a late 1940's Wiggle Dress, which we have re-cut
to have it skim over the bodice with a fluid gentle soft movement throughout the skirt,
from the hips to the hemline."
Catherine paired the dress with gold hoop earrings by Catherine Zoraida, oversized Ray-Ban
shades, and a pair of simple black heels.
"Always bet on black."
In 2021, Princess Catherine once again introduced a splash of color into her Wimbledon wardrobe
with a gorgeous bright green Emilia Wickstead dress.
She wore it while watching the women's final and even stepped out onto the court at the
end of the match to pass out the trophies.
The cloque dress featured capped sleeves, a high neck, a fitted waist, and a dramatic
midi-length flared skirt.
It was reportedly worth 1,380 pounds, or around $1,720.
It sold out online just one day after the Wimbledon final.
The princess paired the bold look with a pair of white heels by Jimmy Choo, her pair of
black Ray-Ban sunglasses, a white handbag, and a blue printed face mask in keeping with
COVID protocol.
This was a bold homage to the grass courts of Wimbledon, so here's hoping Catherine makes
this an evergreen tradition.
At the 2022 edition of Wimbledon, Princess Catherine recycled a stunning blue and white
polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich.
She'd previously sported it earlier that month when she visited some local Platinum Jubilee
celebrations in London.
The princess wore the blue and white dress during the quarterfinal match between Novak
Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
It featured a round neckline, three-quarter length sleeves, a pleated bodice, a matching
belted waist, and a pleated skirt.
It was originally sold for 1,515 pounds, or around $1,900.
Catherine paired it with a white handbag, pearl drop earrings, and Finlay sunglasses.
She also wore a pair of black and white Mary Jane-style suede and leather heels by Alessandra
Rich.
And Catherine didn't just make headlines for her striking look that year, as she also thrilled
fans when she blew her parents a kiss as they arrived at the Royal Box.
Also in 2022, Catherine once again opted for a spotty look with yet another Alessandra
Rich dress.
This midi silk number featured a v-neck, puffed sleeves, and a navy and white polka dot print.
The princess also wore a pair of beige and white heels and diamond jewelry.
Some experts believed that the dress was inspired by 80s fashion, thanks to its retro silhouette
and print.
As celebrity stylist Rachel Gold told the Daily Mail, that decade's style was definitely
back in vogue.
As she put it,
"The Queen plus Lady Diana have been seen wearing polka dots on occasions.
I am sure The Duchess of Cambridge, like all of us, enjoys wearing them because they are
a total classic yet still fun like her."
Alas, not everyone was a fan of Catherine's 2022 Wimbledon look.
The hosts of the Podcast Royal had plenty to say, with comments like,
"It kind of makes me wonder how much say Kate has in her wardrobe."
And,
"I'm just not sure [about] this recent polka dots, 1980s silhouette vibe."