The Prince and Princess of Wales were the first members of the Royal Family to greet US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the first full day of their State Visit on 17th September. The royal couple were there to receive them in the Walled Garden on the Windsor Castle estate and went with them to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla.
This important role is something Prince William and Kate have taken on at several other State Visits and came ahead of a full ceremonial welcome for President Trump. In July when President Macron of France visited, the Princess of Wales went for a delicate pink frock by Dior.
Pastel pink is a big autumn/winter fashion colour trend right now, but Kate’s outfit was a huge step away from this. Instead, she went all-out in rich autumnal burgundy - and added a Chanel bag that, to me, suggests she’s shifted towards an even more timeless style than before.
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The quilted Cressida bag comes in several tones, including this elegant wineberry red which is reminiscent of Kate's bag's colour. It's compact yet structured and can fit your must-haves with ease. The braided metallic handle brings extra glamour and it comes with an adjustable strap too.
Shirt dresses are unbelievably classic and this one is given a wintery twist with the deep red corduroy fabric. There are buttons running down the front and the matching belt accentuates the waist. With knee high boots and a long coat your good to go.
High-waisted trousers are always lovely for autumn/winter as the shape is great for tucking shirts and jumpers into. These slightly cropped ones have front darts, front pockets and false welt pockets on the back. They fasten at the back and come with a belt too.
This slouchy shoulder bag is as practical as it is stylish. You can fit so many of your essentials in it thanks to the unstructured design. It fastens securely with a zip and is fully lined. Crafted from wipe-clean fabric, it also has an easy top handle strap.
Intentionally exposed seams add soft structure to this cosy staple sweater. The dropped shoulders give it a relaxed shape and you could easily tuck this into jeans and trousers. As well as this burgundy hue, there are a huge amount of other colours to choose from.
You can step into autumn in style with these 100% leather knee high boots. The toes are gently pointed and the heel is a manageable kitten heel so you can wear these day-to-night. Throw them on with a jumper dress and feel instantly put-together.
As we could’ve expected, the future Queen championed one of the best British clothing brands and wore a midi-length Emilia Wickstead coat dress. It had her favourite silhouette - a fitted bodice, collared neckline and flared skirt.
This shape is something Kate is very comfortable wearing and the tailoring and covered buttons made her dress feel so polished and sophisticated. A coat dress like hers is utterly ageless and the deep red wine colour will never go out of style.
"Burgundy is the autumnal equivalent of florals for spring," explains woman&home’s Digital Fashion Ecommerce Editor, Caroline Parr. "It might not be ground-breaking, but there's a reason it always comes back around. Deep red shades will complement black, navy, grey or camel, making it very easy to work into your seasonal wardrobe."
Last year burgundy was the "it" colour of autumn/winter and it’s a shade worth adding to your autumn capsule wardrobe because, as Caroline says, it "always comes back around". I particularly love styling burgundy with brown, tan and camel as they’re all neutral and warm.
Of course, if you want a tonal look then you can also go the same route as Kate did and match your accessories to the rest of your outfit. She wore burgundy court heels and a Jane Taylor hat and carried a dark red quilted Chanel bag.
The hardware, including the top handle strap, was gold and this brought out the richness of the burgundy colour even more. I’m used to the Princess of Wales’s signature style being classic but I think her recent preference for Chanel accessories takes things to another level.
A day earlier she attended the Duchess of Kent’s funeral and carried a black Chanel bag which she debuted in 2023. Although her Chanel bag collection might not be vast, she’s clearly loving them a lot more right now.
This caught my attention as many of Kate’s handbags tend not to have obvious branding. Chanel is associated with effortless, timeless elegance and her newfound love for Chanel bags has made Kate’s style even more classic than it already was.
Queen Camilla is also known for her own Chanel bags and so it’s interesting to see the Princess of Wales following in Her Majesty’s footsteps with fashion, which she doesn’t often do in terms of brands and silhouettes. Kate’s bag is a traditional, luxurious choice and these overtones feel very appropriate for a future Queen.
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