The Princess of Wales made her first outing of 2026 on Thursday, 8 January, the eve of her 44th birthday. Joining her husband, Prince William, she visited the Charing Cross Hospital in West London to surprise healthcare staff on their tea break, taking some time to discuss the pressures they face during the winter virus season.
For the mother-of-three, her fashion is a vital part of her public-facing messaging, and she has once again masterfully used her style to show her warmth, strength and support. She recycled her iconic burgundy Roland Mouret suit, pairing it with a similarly-hued silk blouse for a monochrome look. In the past, she has styled it with a crisp white shirt or a pastel pink blouse, so this styling swerve is new for her, in line with her signature style of recent months, where she has been opting more and more for monochrome outfits that elongate her frame.
While a monochrome outfit can often come off as rather striking, choosing it in a dark, muted and warm colour such as burgundy softens it for a much more gentle appearance, appropriate for an occasion where she needs to appear as especially approachable to the healthcare workers.
Constance Richardson, a London-based stylist specialising in colour analysis, spoke exclusively to us about the symbolism behind burgundy. She explained: "It suggests depth, maturity and opulence. It's a sophisticated alternative to classic red, especially for autumn and winter appearances."
Hence, burgundy allows the Princess of Wales to strike the perfect balance between conveying the luxury and opulence synonymous with royalty, and an affability that signals the forward-facing, modern and more grounded approach to royal duties that she and her generation of the British royal family are adopting.
Prince William and Princess Kate's joint outing
Though Prince William had already been scheduled to appear at the hospital, the Princess of Wales' attendance came as a surprise, as she wanted to join her husband to show her support for the NHS and to personally thank the teams at the hospital for their work. Their outing is to highlight the work of NHS Charities Together, of which the two have been joint patrons since the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the visit, the Prince and Princess of Wales will see how work funded by the Imperial Health Charity, which supports all five of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust's hospitals, is making a difference to the workforce and the patients.
As well as surprising staff on their break, they also met with volunteers who are managed by the charity that helps improve care for patients, taking pressure off the wider NHS workforce. Later, they joined a roundtable with NHS charity CEOs and trustees, policy makers and philanthropists to discuss the role of philanthropy in the NHS.