Prince William and Princess Kate were on hand to celebrate the installation of the first female Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, March 25, and Kate brought some old-school royal elegance to the event. Wearing a tailored gray coat and a show-stopping hat, the Princess of Wales gently referenced her royal role with her new outfit.
Princess Kate chose Suzannah London’s Washington cashmere coat, with the gray wrap-style topper featuring a classic Prince of Wales check pattern. Kate’s coat is tipped with black silk satin trim on the collar and running down the length of the coat, and Suzannah invites women to “step in and feel the sublime” with the sophisticated style.
The belted jacket was inspired by a vintage hunting coat, according to the brand, but the Princess of Wales looked as far from a hunting trip as possible as she entered Canterbury Cathedral in her glamorous outfit.
Kate paired her new coat with a wide-brimmed hat by Juliette Botterill, with the straw style featuring a black center with a massive black-and-white checked brim that coordinated with her coat. She wore her hair neatly tucked into a twisted updo under her hat, showing off her classic pearl earrings.
For the historic church service, Kate chose an old favorite pair of Cassandra Goad pearl cluster earrings accented with tiny diamonds, a style she's worn on numerous occasions from Trooping the Colour to the Wimbledon championships. She finished off the outfit with sky-high black heels by Ralph Lauren, a diamond cross necklace and her black quilted Chanel mini bag.
Dame Sarah Mullally is the first woman in the history of the Anglican church to become Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Prince and Princess of Wales stepped in for The King to honor her installation, as is tradition.
Their appearance comes after a palace source noted Prince William wanted to draw "a line in the sand" at the installation when it comes to his religious views. Although the Prince of Wales isn't a regular churchgoer, he's said to be "very seriously" planning for his role as the future head of the Church of England, the source told the Times.
