Princess Kate has stayed loyal to quite a lot of fashion brands during her time in the royal spotlight, and Aspinal of London is certainly one of them. Established in 2001 by British entrepreneur Iain Burton, Aspinal of London has become a British heritage brand with a regal royal following. In fact, it's not just Princess Kate who wears the bags on repeat, Zara Tindall is also a loyal shopper. Kate's sister, the ever so stylish Pippa Middleton, has also been photographed wearing some of their designs.
When did it Princess Kate first discover her love of Aspinal of London handbags?
Well, Kate first introduced us to Aspinal of London when she wore a clutch bag during a service at Westminster Abbey. The bag was the ‘Blue Heart Clutch‘, a design collaboration with another one of Kate's favourite brands over the years, Beulah London. The collaboration benefited charity, with 25% of the profits from each sale of the bag going to the United Nations Blue Heart Campaign.
© Getty ImagesBut her real obsession with Aspinal of London came when the wife of Prince William stepped out in 2018 carrying the lavender Midi Mayfair to the Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit at London County Hall. She then wore the black version later in the year on a visit to Leicester City Football Club's King Power Stadium.
Princess Kate wearing the Aspinal of London Midi Mayfair bag
© Getty ImagesThe black bag then turned up again at the beginning of 2018 for a visit to Leicester...
© Getty ImagesShe was all smiles on a visit to The Royal Opera House in 2019 wearing the same handbag...
© Getty ImagesAnd then again for a visit to Bradford in 2020...
© Getty ImagesMore recently, in 2022, Kate stepped out for her royal duties at the University of Copenhagen wearing a red Zara blazer which she accessorised with, yes you guessed it, the same black Midi Mayfair bag, Our eyes darted straight to her arm candy.
© Getty ImagesThis bag has been worn again and again by Kate - proving everyone needs a LBB in their wardrobe (that's a little black bag, just FYI!).
Can you shop Kate's black Midi Mayfair bag?
You sure can. There are two different styles of black croc bags in the Midi Mayfair, but Kate's croc pattern is more in the style of this one...
Can you shop Kate's lavender Midi Mayfair bag?
About the Midi Mayfair bag: What does Kate love about it?
The Aspinal Mayfair Midi has become the best-selling Aspinal of London bag thanks to the link with Princess Kate. The website states that it's perfect for "transitioning from weekday meetings to evening events."
It is handcrafted from full-grain leather, and the compact top handle bag design features the brand's recognisable signature shield lock, which opens to unveil a luxurious grosgrain lining with a central zipped compartment and open pockets to either side. While Kate prefers to carry her Midi Mayfair with the top handle, she has the option to wear it cross body as the black bag came with a choice of two straps; gold metallic chain or leather.
Does the Midi Mayfair bag ever go on sale?
Yes, it does! The brand put on surprise sales throughout the year - especially during the likes of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and the January sales. It's also worth browsing in the Outlet section, but at the time of going to press we couldn't see any discounts for the Mayfair bags.
Can the Midi Mayfair bag be personalised?
Yes, but not on all the styles. I love this. We don't believe Kate went for the personalised option, but for an extra fee she could have had her initials printed on the strap like so...
Can you buy the Midi Mayfair in any other colours?
Yes, you certainly can. At the time of going to print there are 22 different prints and colour ways you can purchase online.
From navy blue to taupe and even embroidered velvet designs, there are so many stunning options to choose from. Which one are you tempted to buy?
The newest designs are the raffia styles, which we love. You can choose from black chevron, natural chevron and navy and ivory chevron.
Is Aspinal of London a sustainable brand?
You bet. The brand has made a commitment to act consciously and its goal is to make Aspinal of London as sustainable as possible. The brand's Sustainability Strategy, Bee Aspinal, centres around the "four Ps": Product, Planet, Partnership and People.
