Kate Middleton’s 12 Best Alexander McQueen Looks
Kate Middleton’s relationship with British design house Alexander McQueen goes way back to her early royal days. The couturier was even given the honor of designing her wedding dress. Many years and three children later, the 37-year-old Duchess of Cambridge continues to wow in McQueen. From the coat dresses she sports on royal engagements to the custom gowns she wears to formal affairs, here are Middleton’s 12 best McQueen looks.
1. The Royal Wedding Dress – 2011
The duchess selected Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton to design her iconic lace wedding gown. Middleton’s wedding day frock was Victorian-inspired (a specialty of McQueen) and featured a nine-foot-long train and 58 gazar and organza covered buttons down her back. It even had a blue ribbon sewn into the interior of the dress for her “something blue.”
2. The Royal Reception Dress – 2011
For her reception, Middleton swapped out her formal lace appliqué dress for a second McQueen creation: a strapless satin gown with crystal waist detailing. She completed the look with a winter-white shrug and her signature bouncy blowout.
3. Her First Royal Trip to L.A. – 2011
While visiting Los Angeles during her North American tour with Prince William, Middleton attended a black-tie event held by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). The Duke of Cambridge may be the president of the organization, but it was Middleton who shined the brightest in this lilac McQueen gown on the red carpet.
4. A Visit to Prince Edward Island – 2011
Still on the couple’s North American tour, Middleton debuted a nautical/1920s tennis-inspired crème and navy McQueen cable knit getup that we immediately fell in love with. If you look closely, you’ll notice there’s even a little anchor on the scarf.
5. A Christmas Party for Charity – 2015
Although K-Middy first wore this design during a 2012 flotilla along the River Thames to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee (left), we loved how chic she looked in this red frock (right) while attending an end of term school Christmas party at the Anna Freud Center. Note the drop waist and pleated detailing. It’s just divine.
6. Princess Charlotte’s Christening – 2015
Middleton looked resplendent at Princess Charlotte’s christening ceremony at St. Mary Magdalene Church on Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham Estate. She selected a polished cream fit-and-flare coat dress with an oversized collar and a distinct pleat in the back for the occasion.
7. Seaplane-ing in Canada – 2016
The Duchess of Cambridge went off her standard sartorial script and wore a red and white printed dress during a visit to Vancouver, Canada. The custom tiered long-sleeve look was adapted from a ready-to-wear look from the fashion house and was a rather festive option for a seaplane outing.
8. The BAFTAs Red Carpet – 2017
This is hands down one of our favorite K-Middy looks. The duchess opted for an off-the-shoulder black floral McQueen gown when she and Prince William attended the BAFTAs together for the first time.
9. Pippa Middleton’s Wedding – 2017
The Duchess of Cambridge celebrated the marriage of her sister, Pippa Middleton, to businessman James Matthews at St. Mark’s Church in Berkshire, England, while wearing a bespoke dusty pink pleated chiffon long sleeve V-neck dress.
10. Princess Eugenie’s Wedding – 2018
She brought her A-game again to Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank the following year. She selected a dark pink puff-sleeve frock with a pleated skirt. If it looks familiar, it’s probably because she wore a similar design in light pink to the 2017 Trooping the Colour.
11. The Naming Ceremony of the RRS Sir David Attenborough – 2019
Middleton re-wore her cornflower blue Alexander McQueen coat dress for the fourth time at a naming ceremony for the RRS Sir David Attenborough, a polar research ship, in Birkenhead, England. Although she paired it with an Asprey clutch, navy heels and diamond earrings this time around, she previously wore the coat twice in 2014 and once in 2016 (photographed from left to right above). It’s so chic we can see why it’s been a go-to for the duchess.
12. The Royal Variety Performance – 2019
Middleton selected a nude McQueen gown with black lace and velvet overlay that was just the right balance of sultry and classy for the Royal Variety Performance show this year. She even threw in her signature parenting move for good measure.
Take these 12 looks as proof: Kate Middleton and Alexander McQueen make a great team.
RELATED: Kate Middleton Debuts New Alessandra Rich Dress for Her Mary Berry Christmas Special
