The Duchess of Cambridge Drove Herself to Her Vogue Photo Shoot

The Duchess of Cambridge shot by Josh Olins. (Photo: Courtesy)
The Duchess of Cambridge, photographed by Josh Olins. (Photo: Courtesy)

Typical magazine photo shoots see their subjects wearing glamorous gowns, dripping with diamonds, and generally displaying the most lust-worthy luxury items on the market. But for the Duchess of Cambridge, who has the key to a vault filled with one of the world’s most extensive collection of tiaras and jewels, the vibe was quite the opposite of what one would expect when she was shot for British Vogue. According to Alexandra Shulman — the publication’s editor-in-chief, who interviewed Kate Middleton — the royal wanted the fashion to reflect her “private existence,” opting for “jeans, shirts, and T-shirts” instead. The royal even rolled up to the countryside location — driving herself — with rollers in her hair.

The Duchess of Cambridge in a striped Petit Bateau shirt. (Photo: Courtesy)
The Duchess of Cambridge in a striped Petit Bateau shirt. (Photo: Courtesy)

The issue, which is out in select European markets on Wednesday and everywhere else on May 5, reveals even more about the mother of two. Here’s everything we learned:

1. It was a laid-back shoot

The 34-year-old drove herself to the shoot in a parka with rollers in her hair that had been meticulously arranged by her own hairdresser, Amanda Tucker. However, her makeup was done by one of the magazine’s artists.

Another portrait from Catherine’s photoshoot for #Vogue100 with @britishvogue #KateMiddleton #DuchessOfCambridge 5.3.16

A photo posted by Kate Duchess of Cambridge (@katemiddleton.ig) on May 3, 2016 at 12:23pm PDT

2. The Duchess behaved like the perfect princess

According to Shulman’s review, Middleton didn’t whip out her phone once or complain about the cold, despite being on location in Norfolk in the middle of winter. Shulman writes that the Duchess “posed uncomplaining, often in a thin cotton shirt.”

3. The styling was inspired by the Duchess’s own look

Shulman was never going to dress Kate up in “gala gowns and tiaras.” Instead, she wanted her to be herself, writing that the Duchess wore what she “likes to wear when she is off-duty — jeans, shirts, T-shirts. The same as the rest of us.”

4. The Duchess wore a huge array of brands

In addition to a number of home-grown British labels — such as Burberry, Beyond Retro, Dune, and Cabbages & Roses — the Duchess modeled a Breton stripe top from Petit Bateau and a skirt from Le Kilt, a high-end brand that shows at London Fashion Week.

5. In one photo, the Duchess is wearing dungarees

A pair of flared overalls by AG Jeans look great on the royal — and shows how fantastic she looks dressed down.

6. The royal is pretty good behind the camera too

“From taking photographs of George and Charlotte, I have been struck by the wonderful lack of self-consciousness that you see in photographs of children, without the self-awareness that adults generally feel,” the Duchess explained.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.