Kate Middleton's Best (& Worst) Trooping The Colour Outfits Of All Time

Catherine, Princess of Wales is undoubtedly one of the British royal family's modern style icons. Kate Middleton, who has had a stunning style transformation over the years, married Prince William in 2011. Despite the many style rules that members of the royal family must follow, Kate almost always manages to put together a stylish look. Keyword: almost. 

We've all had an outfit flop every now and then, and public figures like Kate are no exception to this rule. She's had some regal looks — like Kate Middleton's consistently incredible wedding guest outfits — but for every great ensemble, Kate has worn a less-than-stellar one; after all, we'll never forget some of Kate Middleton's most inappropriate outfits. 

One of the biggest yearly events for the royal family is Trooping the Colour, which celebrates the British Sovereign's (AKA the King or Queen's) birthday. Because it is such a big deal, we get to see a lot of interesting fashion from the women of the royal family. Attendees don their best hats and dresses for the event, but sometimes, they don't exactly look quite right. Kate Middleton's Trooping the Colour outfits are perhaps the most diverse in quality out of all the royal ladies'. Some join the cohort of Kate's best looks of all time, while others land her on the worst-dressed list.  

Kate Middleton's light blue dress was one of the worst Trooping the Colour looks of all time. Kate was outshined by sister-in-law Meghan Markle at the 2018 Trooping the Colour parade, even though the latter's dress was labeled inappropriate by royal standards. The Princess of Wales wore a pastel dress from Alexander McQueen that didn't complement her fair complexion. While her elaborate fascinator was a delight to look at, we can't say the same for the rest of her outfit.  

2024 was a difficult year for Kate Middleton. In March 2024, she revealed her cancer diagnosis and subsequent chemotherapy treatment. Despite her health challenges, she still managed to attend Trooping the Colour that year, and did so in glorious fashion. The Princess of Wales coordinated inverted color scheme outfits with her daughter, Princess Charlotte, donning a white dress with a large white and navy striped bow on the collar. Kate's navy and white disc-shaped hat was tilted just so, giving vintage Christian Dior in the best way.

There are many ways to style a wide-brimmed hat without looking like Freddy Krueger, and Kate Middleton ignored all of them. In 2023, Kate wore a retro green dress with padded shoulders, two breast pockets, and large ornate buttons. Combined with her ultra wide-brimmed hat, the entire look came out costume-y. That year, the Princess of Wales took over from her husband, Prince William, as the Colonel of the Irish Guards, which she honored with the green outfit and a gold shamrock brooch. Tribute aside, this look was a bit too on-the-nose for our taste.

Kate Middleton looked quite posh at the 2013 Trooping the Colour, which she attended while 8 months pregnant with her first child, Prince George. Kate wore an elegant pale pink coat dress with a Peter Pan collar designed by Alexander McQueen and a simple matching hat — not exactly what most would picture when thinking about maternity wear. The Princess of Wales was downright glowing at the ceremony, and her dreamy vintage dress became an instant classic.

In a move that landed her on the list of the worst Trooping the Colour looks for the second time, Kate Middleton wore a very strange outfit combination for the 2015 ceremony. She donned a blue coat dress with a white floral print (which bore an uncanny resemblance to wallpaper) and a large white hat that looked like a satellite dish. While the Princess of Wales usually looks fairly regal at public events, this entire look was a tacky fashion flop.

It's no surprise that this dress made it on the list of Kate Middleton's most regal looks. The Princess of Wales looked perfectly polished in her bright pink ensemble, which featured a modest neckline, long sleeves, and large well-pressed pleats in the skirt. She paired the dress with a round hat that featured architectural swirl details. Kate opted for a darker hue of pink here than in her 2013 look, showing that she can rock any shade of the color effortlessly.