The Special Meanings Behind Kate Middleton & Princess Charlotte's Trooping The Colour 2025 Outfits

As much as both Kate Middleton and Kensington Palace have tried to put more focus on the causes that Middleton champions than what she wears, it's hard not to pay attention to the royal's fashion choices. The princess of Wales has a penchant for turning a simple pantsuit into a fashion statement and makes simple outfits, like a jeans and striped shirt look classy. Though her style is relatively timeless, she also keeps up with what's current in fashion. Earlier this year, Middleton aced the butter yellow trend at a garden party. So when the princess attended the annual Trooping the Colour, fans were eager to see what Middleton would wear.

For 2025's Trooping the Colour, Middleton chose to pay homage to the late Princess Diana by wearing an aquamarine and ivory coat by Catherine Walker, a designer that Diana also often wore. The color choice is assumed to reference an outfit of the same color combination and by the same designer that Princess Di wore in 1992 during a trip to New Delhi. Princess Charlotte was also in the same color dress by Catherine Walker.

Middleton completed the look with a matching hat by Juliette Botterill Millinery and the late Queen's Bahrain Pearl Drop earrings, an accessory that Princess Diana often wore when she was a royal. "Pearls are one of the very few jewelry items you can wear in mourning and are inextricably linked with Queen Elizabeth and her personal jewelry legacy," author of Bethan Holt, author of "The Queen: 70 Years of Majestic Style," told People in September 2022. "It's a symbol of mourning a monarch but also a grandmother or great-grandmother." Princess Charlotte honored her great-grandmother by wearing the same diamond horse shoe brooch that she wore to Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

In addition to wearing designs by Catherine Walker frequently, Kate Middleton has often channeled Princess Diana and paid homage to her late mother-in-law in her fashion choices and the accessories she wears. Although most of the time, she nails the looks perfectly, occasionally she misses the mark. This notably happened in June 2025 when Middleton opted for a polka dot dress and clashing accessories. Although the pattern never really went out of fashion, Princess Di just made them work far better in 1986 when she attended the Epsom Derby.

But whether it's a hit or miss, it's really touching to see to Middleton, and now Princess Charlotte, pay tribute to Princess Diana. Especially during major events like Trooping the Colour, which is also the official birthday of the British sovereign. "Princess Kate has perfected the art of effective communication through the language of clothes," fashion commentator Amber Graafland told The Sun in May 2025. "Kate often uses her impeccable style to nod to her hosts on official visits. As Kate has become more comfortable with positioning Charlotte in the public eye, she has also started using her clothes to convey hidden messages." 

While it's not likely that Middleton will ever break any royal fashion rules the way Princess Diana did back in the day, the fact that Diana's memory is being kept alive through fashion is a beautiful ode to a woman the world lost too soon. Hopefully, Charlotte will continue the tradition as she gets older and becomes her own person.