Mad for plaid! Princess Kate has an aesthetic — and she’s sticking to it.
Through the years, Kate has dazzled Us with her collection of tartan coats, stepping out in different iterations of the classic design while representing the British royal family.
During a visit to the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital in Merseyside alongside husband Prince William in January 2023, the Princess of Wales looked timeless in a blue and green Holland Cooper coat. The outerwear piece featured crisscross patterns and was finished with shiny gold buttons.
The Duchess of Cambridge paired the look with a navy blue sweater dress, coordinating pumps and her go-to forest-colored Mulberry satchel. Kate previously wore the Holland Cooper design in December 2022 when paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II in Dean’s Yard at Westminster Abbey three months after the monarch’s death. She teamed the style with a green turtleneck and matching skirt by Iris & Ink. On her feet, Kate wore custom Gianvito Rossi suede boots.
The tapped the label for a different look back in December 2021 to attend a screening of Cruella at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland. That day, Kate looked as chic as ever in a blue, green and purple striped trench coat that was belted at the center.
Her most standout plaid moment, however, came in December 2017. Kate, who was pregnant with her son Prince Louis at the time, looked festive in a green and red plaid coat by Miu Miu for a Christmas Day church service in Sandringham. The U.K. native let the garb be the statement piece of her ensemble as she paired it with black tights, pointed-toe pumps and a fuzzy black hat.
Kate isn’t the only royal to frequently sport plaid. The motif has long been worn by other members of her family, including father-in-law King Charles III and his late mother. The tradition is believed to have been started by Queen Victoria — Elizabeth’s great-great-grandmother — after her many visits to Scotland, where the theme first originated, per the Smithsonian Museum.
Much of Kate’s wardrobe has been influenced by Elizabeth. In addition to plaid, the Colonel of the Irish Guards has adapted Her Majesty’s love of bright colors and fashionable skirts.
Keep scrolling to see Princess Kate’s best plaid coats through the years: