If I was Kate Middleton's stylist this is the colour she'd wear for Easter 2026 - and the trending lilac tone is pure spring

We haven’t seen the Prince and Princess of Wales attending the royals’ annual Easter Sunday service since 2023 and I’m quietly confident we’ll see them at Windsor Castle this year. After a difficult, much-scrutinised start to 2026 a show of unity from the senior royals would make sense and I know exactly what I’d love to see Kate wear.

As someone who’s covered the Royal Family for years, I know the formula they have for Easter - a smart, longer dress, matching hat and pastel tones. The Princess loves blue and whilst this might be a more accurate prediction, I would love her to bring back her lilac Emilia Wickstead dress - and here's why.

Shop Lilac For Spring

It’s a beautiful alternative to sky blue that still feels very spring-like and respectful. She wore this frock several times in 2017, including for a visit to Germany, and it’s got the same timeless silhouette and elegant midi-length she still gravitates towards.

For formal events like the Easter Sunday service, Kate keeps her ensemble very classic and minimal. This dress ticks those boxes and features a round neckline, long sleeves and a subtle fit-and-flare shape. It’s a similar style to the Princess of Wales’s lemon yellow Emilia Wickstead dress which she re-wore for a garden party in 2025.

If the weather is milder - as it’s supposed to be - this lilac dress doesn’t require a jacket and that means she can let the pastel shade speak for itself. Vibrant lilac is a big fashion colour trend for 2026 and it’s more fun than your typical blush pinks and baby blues.

Whilst it might look daunting at first, it’s simple to style if you keep the rest of your look neutral. When she’s worn this dress in the past, Kate’s opted for plain nude-beige court shoes - so what could be easier than sticking to this?

She’d also be unlikely to match with Queen Camilla, who rarely wears lilac, which is another point in this frock’s favour, given how Kate is mindful of this. Even so, as much as I want to see the Princess of Wales pull out this Easter egg-toned dress I suspect her outfit will end up being either blue or white.

Having covered the royals for so long, I can do better than that with my predictions, though. I actually have two looks that I think are strong contenders as Kate’s Easter 2026 outfit. The first is the white blazer dress from British clothing brand, Self Portrait, she wore to the Order of the Garter service last year.

The second is the bluebell coat dress she chose for the same service in 2022. The Order of the Garter service is held at St George’s Chapel too, so we know the Princess of Wales is comfortable wearing these looks to church.

They’re both formal, sophisticated and worn relatively recently so we know Kate still reaches for them. The blue outfit is my front-runner because it’s a very similar colour to her 2022 Easter look and can be coordinated with the rest of the Wales family’s outfits.

Both of these options are beautiful, though the lilac dress is something a little different and I’d love to see the Princess switch things up, like she did in 2023 when she wore electric blue. I might not get my wish granted on Easter Sunday but at least I can dream!