Kate Middleton Makes Unexpected Nod to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Garden Party Appearance
Kate Middleton hosted a Buckingham Palace garden party on May 20—her first appearance at such an event in two years.
The Princess of Wales's ensemble was loaded with symbolism and meaning, from tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth to her husband Prince William to—Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?
Only Kate knows if it was a coincidence or not, but the future queen wore the same hat on Tuesday that she wore to Harry and Meghan's royal wedding in 2018, just one day after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary on May 19.In an unexpected sartorial decision, Kate Middleton not only paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth through her butter yellow Emilia Wickstead dress worn to yesterday's Buckingham Palace garden party and to Prince William through the earrings she chose—but the future queen also nodded to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in her ensemble.
Let's break down the entire look: the Princess of Wales's dress on May 20 was not only an homage to the late Queen's affinity for wearing bright colors (it made her easier to spot in a crowd, she explained), but Kate had also previously worn it to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, specifically to a Service of Thanksgiving celebrating her historic 70 years on the throne. Kate accessorized Tuesday with the same pair of Robinson Pelham earrings worn to her wedding to William on April 29, 2011. But that wasn't the only wedding callback Kate wore yesterday—her Philip Treacy hat was also worn to a well-known and widely covered royal wedding in recent memory: that of the Duke and Duchess of Susssex, who coincidentally had just celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary the day prior, on May 19.
Whether this was an intentional fashion nod—saying something without saying a word—or a true coincidence, there's no way that someone on Kate's team (or even Kate herself) wasn't aware of the decision. Kate has only worn the hat a couple of times—to Harry and Meghan's wedding, then to Trooping the Colour in 2019, and now to the garden party. The saucer-style headpiece is pale yellow and features a collection of round flowers complemented by a rosette, according to The Daily Express, which called it 'distinctive and eye-catching and a timeless, sophisticated choice for special occasions.'
While once fiercely close with brother-in-law Harry—Harry even said in the past that he considered Kate the sister he never had—thanks to Harry's strained relationship with William, Kate's relationship with Harry has cooled, as well. Kate appeared on the surface to have a friendly relationship with Meghan in the early years of Harry and Meghan's courtship, but in his 2023 book Endgame, royal biographer Omid Scobie wrote that when she became a member of the royal family, Meghan hoped Kate 'would be someone she could at least turn to for an encouraging word during her lowest points. They were once both outsiders, middle-class women brought into the House of Windsor for unimaginably different lives. Kate, however, was uninterested in forming this kind of bond with Meghan.'
Yet, as a source previously told Us Weekly, Kate and Meghan 'are two women under serious amounts of pressure, stress, and under a huge spotlight that no one can relate to—they will always have a bond that no one can break.' In her 2021 interview alongside Harry with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan called Kate 'a good person,' adding, 'I think so much of what I have seen play out is this idea of polarity, where if you love me, you don't have to hate her. And if you love her, you don't need to hate me.'
Of Kate's relationship with Harry today, Scobie wrote that Kate 'was closest to Harry, and she will always look back fondly on those moments…and the relationship he had with their children…but to her, there is no way she could ever trust them after all their interviews.' In addition to that, Harry and Meghan's decision to step back as working royals in 2020 and relocate to the U.S. also put more strain on William and Kate to 'fill the working void left behind,' Scobie added. Harry himself said that his family 'won't speak to me' in an emotional BBC interview earlier this month, one where he also sought reconciliation.
Yesterday's garden party saw the Prince and Princess of Wales mingle with 7,500 guests from a number of their patronages, military affiliations, and projects close to their hearts, including Homewards, Action for Children, and Ty Hafan, according to The Mirror. The couple also chatted with the family of Liz Hatton, a 17-year-old photographer who photographed William at an investiture and met with Kate at Windsor Castle last October before her far-too-soon death in December. Other attendees at the garden party included Holocaust survivor Steven Frank and 10-year-old Tony Hudgell, who missed a garden party last year because he got stuck in traffic, prompting another invitation this year. All's well that ends well, as yesterday was Kate's first garden party since 2023, so Hudgell might have missed 2024's party, but he got the chance to meet the Princess of Wales in exchange.
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