Princess Kate's hidden velvet dress has finally been identified - and it has a secret split

We couldn't actually see the dress in full at the time, as the focus was primarily on Charlotte, but royal fashion account @katemiddletonstyled, which identifies the royal family's stunning outfits, noticed Kate's dress was by Ridley London. Known as the 'Leonie' dress, it is made in sumptuous silk velvet and features a round neck, which you can clearly see in the footage of Kate and Charlotte. 

The dress has 3/4 length sleeves ending in a ruffled cuff and has a fitted skirt flaring at the hips with two tiers and a slit up the middle of the skirt. The Instagram account, which boasts over 28,000 followers, remarked that they weren't sure what Catherine was wearing at the time, but went on to state they were "pretty comfortable" that the Ridley London frock was the design in question.

As a fashion editor who has been specialising in royal fashion for over eight years, I think this is an incredible spot, and I'm also certain this is Kate's dress.

Kate has worn this brand before, back in 2019. The then-Duchess of Cambridge attended a photography workshop, wearing a beautiful ruffle dress featuring a striking paisley print by the high-end brand. 

Her most recent dress has eye-catching fluted sleeves that make a dazzling fashion statement, which is similar to her 'Falconetti' dress by The Vampire's Wife that she famously wore back in 2020 on a visit to Ireland. Its emerald hue captivated onlookers and cemented the brand's place in royal fashion circles at the time.

Although The Vampire's Wife dress was made with metallic gold lamé, it's still a textured fabric, similar to the velvet style Kate wore at Christmas, cementing the fact that Kate likes to invest in unique fabrics for special occasions.