Kate Middleton Stuns In An Unexpected Color

Kate Middleton has had her fair share of fashionable moments as the Duchess of Cambridge. In July, for example, Kate attended Wimbledon's ladies final wearing a pleated Kelly green dress by  Emilia Wickstead, paired with white pointed-toe heels (via Town & Country). During the Germany vs. England soccer match at the 2021 Euros, meanwhile, Kate opted for an eye-catching, yet inexpensive item: a red Zara blazer. According to Bethan Holt, author of "The Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style," Kate's affordable clothing choice is an intentional one.

"Her wearing high-street is a way for her to consistently remind people of that, and to show that she is one of us," Holt told Vanity Fair in February. "There's no better way than saying, 'hey, you can buy the same Zara jeans I'm wearing right now for £30.'" Will Kate be wearing fast fashion once she becomes queen? It's unclear. What's certain, however, is that her style will change. Holt thinks that Kate will be taking inspiration from Queen Elizabeth. "What you can see coming through is this very defined silhouette, kind of taking a lesson from the queen, who has that colorful coat that she wears," Holt said.

"Kate you can see doing it with a nipped-waist, knee-length dress in a block color," she continued. "I can imagine her having a whole wardrobe of those, which she wheels out for different occasions." It looks like Kate is already incorporating those changes, based on her latest look.

One day after attending the premiere of the new James Bond movie, "No Time to Die," Kate Middleton and Prince William made a surprise visit in Northern Ireland, stopping by Ulster University (via People). "They will spend the day meeting young people and hearing how organisations are engaging across communities to promote positive relations," their office said in a statement. "It is Their Royal Highnesses' first time in this area of Northern Ireland."

To mark her first royal visit to Northern Ireland, Kate went with a color-blocked outfit. She wore an eye-catching, all-purple suit by Emilia Wickstead, paired with a black turtleneck, matching heels, and a quilted purse. This was a pretty unexpected move, given that purple is more of a spring-friendly tone, rather than fall. Given Bethan Holt's Vanity Fair interview, however, this might be Kate's way to pay homage to Queen Elizabeth.

"Most of them were made by Emilia Wickstead, and there's a lavender one that she's worn quite a few times," Holt said about the queen's color-blocked outfits. "The one I'm thinking about recently hasn't been identified, but it was a blue dress that she wore to meet the Ukrainian ambassador in London in October."