Kate Middleton Wore Green to the BAFTAs—Here's Why She Wasn't in Black

Kate Middleton turned out for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (a.k.a. the BAFTAs) on Sunday night, along with husband Prince William. The vast majority of women at the British film awards were wearing black in solidarity with Time's Up, just as they did at the Golden Globes in January. However, Kate—who last year wore a black floral-print Alexander McQueen gown—showed up in a forest green Jenny Packham dress, adorned with a black ribbon around its empire waist.

The reason isn't because she's insensitive to the movements, though; instead, it's due to what one might call a royal fashion quagmire. Protocol states that members of the royal family aren't allowed to make political statements with their clothing. And yes, Time's Up is considered political—even given that anti-harassment movements ought to be bipartisan.

"The rule against royals making political statements is very vaguely defined, as there are no set parameters for what constitutes a 'political statement,'" Evelyn Wang wrote for Glamour.com earlier this month. "The Duchess of Cambridge has spent a lot of time advocating for better mental health treatment; one could argue that taking a public stance against sexual harassment and assault and in favor of gender parity is just as apolitical. However, both #MeToo and #TimesUp have been accused by some critics as being too politically-charged, which would subject Middleton to criticism of breaking protocol."

So yes, Kate unfortunately had to place royal rules ahead of dressing in solidarity. However, the black ribbon around her waist can be read as a subtle nod to the movement and as much of a show of support as royal tradition allowed—a safe, if not very daring, middle ground between solidarity and the confines of dressing like a royal.

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