Princess Anne was the epitome of vibrant elegance in cherry red coat and tartan skirt for grand opening

Princess Anne was cosy and vibrant in her cherry red coat and pleated tartan skirt as she attended a recent January engagement.

When you find an outfit that you feel chic and comfortable in, it’s only natural to reach for it again and again and Princess Anne is a big believer in this too. The King’s sister champions the best British clothing brands and whilst she might likely have a clothing collection bigger than many people’s winter capsule wardrobes, she re-wears her staples consistently. Like her late mother Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne loves to go bold with colour and so we’re not surprised to see her bring back her cherry red coat for a recent January engagement.

The Princess Royal wrapped up warm when she opened a new ‘virtual reality’ immersive technology suite at the Fire Service College (FSC) which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. She wore the bright red cropped coat we last saw her style on Christmas Day and it’s always a fun addition to her cold weather outfits.

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It has red buttons running up the front that give it a military-esque feel and a high, straight collar. It’s got such a classic silhouette and the shorter length makes it easy to wear with fuller skirts and dresses underneath - as Princess Anne often does. The vivid scarlet shade is fabulous and really brightens up a grey day, though red is one of the more versatile bright hues.

It works with neutrals so well and whilst the royals do love stepping out head-to-toe in a specific colour, the Princess Royal’s outfit at the FSC showcased how great red looks with navy and black. Her skirt was pleated and checked, just like the one she wore on Christmas Day, and this proves once again that once she’s found a winning combination she sticks with it.

It has navy and red running through it and the more muted tones were a lovely contrast to Princess Anne’s cherry red coat. The skirt balanced out the statement shade, as did her knee high boots and accessories. Whenever we’re considering the best winter accessories we have to champion gloves as they are so practical but can help make an outfit look polished.

The Princess Royal wore black leather gloves and carried a matching handbag under her arm. Her black boots also looked to be the same colour and had a pretty tassel down one side. It’s possible that they could have been the Fairfax & Favor Regina boots, but either way they were very sleek with her pleated midi skirt draped over the top.

On Christmas Day, the Princess wore a red scarf draped over her coat and added a fluffy black hat, but she didn’t require these additions on this occasion. Her outfit looked cosy enough for the January day and her red coat was once again the star of this style show as she opened the lab, which will complement live fire training by utilising AI and fire simulations to improve firefighting skills, whilst ensuring safety.

Prior to this visit and Christmas Day, Princess Anne has also worn her red coat in the autumn. In September 2023 she attended the Braemar Gathering in Scotland wearing it with another tartan skirt and added a matching red hat and low-heeled court shoes to finish off her look.