Ever since she skyrocketed into the global spotlight making her royal debut at Garter Day in 2008, Princess Kate has transformed herself into one of the world's leading royal style icons, and an influential figure in wider contemporary style. She wears everything from household high-street brands like Zara to the most incredible cult-loved brands such as The Vampire's Wife, and you'll see her in almost any colour too: from buttercup yellow at Wimbledon years ago to the gorgeous burgundy she wore during the recent state visit of Donald Trump. However, there's one colour that she almost never wears – and hasn't worn now in nearly three years.
Royal style watchers have noticed that the Princess of Wales never seems to be spotted out and about in orange. It's not against royal protocol to do so, by any means, as the late Queen Elizabeth II was known for wearing it, and the 43-year-old has worn it out occasionally, so it seems that it's simply down to personal preference.
HELLO! previously spoke to colour analyst Gabriella Winters of Chromology UK, who has more than ten years of personal colour analysis experience. She revealed that the most likely answer is that the shade of orange doesn't suit Princess Kate: "I think the answer lies in DNA and Kate's awareness of how certain colours [are] less flattering compared to other colours."
She continued: "People absorb and reflect the same colours differently depending on their unique biological makeup. When a colour is placed adjacent to your face, it will reflect its wavelength onto you." Notably, wearing certain colours can make you appear healthier, with more radiant-looking skin, and those that complement the colour of your eyes or hair can make them 'pop' even more.
At the same time, she notes that: "Yellowish or greenish casts from too-warm colours are common, greyish or reddish casts from too-cool colours are also typical." While this certainly isn't the case in the few instances that the Princess of Wales has been pictured in orange, it's likely that this colour theory thinking is the reasoning behind her frequent eschewing of the colour.
The last time that Princess Kate wore orange for a public engagement was in January 2023, when she stepped out in a tangerine two-piece from Gabriela Hearst for a visit to Foxcubs Nursery in Luton. She teamed a slim-fitting turtleneck sweater with a matched ribbed midi skirt from the designer, breaking up the monochrome with a croc print leather belt from Ralph Lauren. As someone who writes about royal style every day, I'm a fan of the look – personally, I hope that she brings out some more orange outfits, though I don't think it's likely any time soon.