Kate Middleton uses these two affordable items to help her stay cool - and stylish - in the heat
These items are a royal saviour in this kind of weather and they also complement the elegance of her outfits
Even in a heatwave the Princess of Wales's outfits are always super elegant, so finding ways to keep cool and still look polished is a must for her. During Wimbledon the weather is often as scorching as it is right now and last year Kate reached for two items to help her out as she enjoyed the tennis.
She paired her gorgeous cobalt blue Roksanda dress with a floppy wide-brimmed sunhat from LK Bennett and a paddle fan. Whether you're ordering last-minute sunhats to beat the heat or already have one in your summer capsule wardrobe, something like hers is stylish and practical.
Shop Kate's Heatwave Saviours
The open-weave design of this affordable M&S hat gives it a breathable, breezy feel. It's got a wide brim to provide plenty of shade and the ribbon fastening helps keep it securely in place and adds a chic touch. Throw on with floaty dresses or with shorts and a vest top.
Featuring a black ribbon running around the brim for some contrast, this hat is such a timeless piece to wear when it's boiling hot. It's foldable which makes it great for travel and you can adjust the fit too using the strap. There's an inner band that helps wick moisture away too.
Crafted from lightweight raffia straw and trimmed with a cotton grosgrain band, this hat is a style statement as well as a practical piece. It featuring a wide brim that’s perfect for shielding your eyes and a woven sweatband too.
This design comes in so many different colours if you want your fan to make a bold statement, though the white one is so versatile. It's easily foldable and has a vintage feel to it, with a matching fringed tassel detail.
You can't really go wrong with neutral accessories and this foldable fan is a soft cream hue. It's crafted with fabric panels and has a single metal stud at the bottom to hold everything in place. If you want something more statement, H&M makes this in vibrant colours and patterns too.
You can currently pick up this fan even more affordably if you're an Amazon Prime member and it comes with a neat case to carry it in. It's handmade with lace and bamboo and the delicacy of it would complement a dress perfectly.
Sadly, LK Bennett has now closed but there are always so many options out there and the Princess was clever in choosing a light neutral design. White or tan hats will go with everything and are a softer contrast against most colours than a dark tone like black or navy.
This means you don't have to worry too much about whether your outfit goes with your hat and can confidently mix and match this summer accessory with different looks. Fedoras are popular, though wide-brimmed hats like Kate's shade your face from the sun more which is good news for your skin and your overall temperature too.
She's worn this LK Bennett piece to Wimbledon in 2022 too, this time paired with the sunshine yellow Roksanda dress she recently brought back for Ascot. Once again, the hat fitted in seamlessly and gave her some crucial sun protection.
Her hat wasn't the only item that came into play on Wimbledon's Centre Court last year, though. We also saw the future Queen and her daughter Princess Charlotte both getting a lot of use out of some Wimbledon-branded paddle fans.
Handheld fans just aren't the Royal Family's style and it would've been surprising to see Kate in her timeless outfit using a very modern item like this - even if products like the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan has got woman&home Homes Ecommerce Writer Laura Honey's seal of approval.
If you're not a fan of mechanical fans while you're out and about, the Princess's paddle fan could be the answer and these are also incredibly affordable. The Wimbledon one looks perfect for a day at the tennis, though I'd probably opt for a plain neutral fan that is big enough to make a difference but dainty enough to fit in my handbag.
They come in so many different colours and materials so there's plenty of choice and unlike handheld fans, they don't have to be charged. Something about the concertina shape also looks so chic and the Princess of Wales was serene as she kept herself cool at Wimbledon.
It's rare that we see her using any kind of cooling device so it was clearly very toasty that day. The rest of the time Kate relies on breathable fabrics and floaty silhouettes instead and although these are also brilliant to wear in the heat, sometimes even if the royals need a little additional help to remain cool, calm and collected.
