The Princess in Purple & Your Favorite Wimbledon Looks

Hello, and welcome to a post with a poll on the Princess’s Wimbledon style and a look at designs she has worn in purple.

After seeing the Princess in a purple dress at Wimbledon, many of us tried to recall other instances where she has worn that color.

I thought it would be an excellent exercise to see just how frequently or rarely the Princess has chosen purple designs. It turns out she has not selected this color as often as I thought she had. We begin with the Issa dress worn in Canada in July 2011. 

The occasion was a concert on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill to celebrate Canada Day.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s dress featured a deep vee-neck, horizontal and vertical gathers at the front, a fitted waist, long sleeves, and a concealed back zipper.

She accessorized with her bespoke Anya Hindmarch ‘Maud’ clutch (£485) in black silk and her black Prada pumps. The Duchess wore deco-style diamond earrings and a matching bracelet believed to be a wedding gift from then-Prince Charles. She also wore the late Queen’s diamond Maple Leaf brooch.

In April 2016, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a purple half-Kira when receiving a ceremonial welcome in Bhutan. A woman’s Kira (also spelled Kera) is an ankle-length dress that is a traditional Bhutanese look.

The Duchess and Queen Jetsun Pema. Her wool cape was by Paul and Joe.

The Duchess did not wear a full Kira or dress but a skirt. The purple and teal fabric for the piece was sourced and woven in Bhutan by noted artisan Kelzang Wangmo.

She wore LK Bennett’s ‘Floret’ heels ($375) with Lavender Amethyst & Diamond Earrings (£4900) by Kiki McDonough.  

In February 2017, the Duchess debuted a suit by Oscar de la Renta when attending a health writer’s conference with Prince William.

The skirt suit was from the label’s Fall 2015 collection. Made in stretch wool boucle, the tailored jacket had a fitted bodice with a pleated, flared hem. The full skirt was constructed of the same material; it featured box pleats and a hidden back zipper. The Duchess accessorized with her Mulberry Bayswater Wallet Clutch, Gianvito 105 Black Suede Pumps ($795), and her Mappin & Webb Empress earrings.

The Duchess repeated the look in January 2019 for an engagement at the Royal Opera House.

On that occasion, she wore black patent Rupert Sanderson pumps, carried her black Aspinal Midi Mayfair bag ($865), and had on her Asprey Woodland Oak Leaf earrings ($12500).

The Duchess wore the suit for the third time when formally opening the EACH (East Anglia’s Childen’s Hospices) Nook Hospice.

The Duchess wore her Gianvito Rossi Piper Suede Pumps ($795) and Catherine Zoraida ‘Fern hoop’ earrings ($181). She also carried a clutch from the Aspinal/Beulah London handbag collaboration; a portion of the profits were donated to the UN’s Blue Heart Campaign Against Human Trafficking.

Below, a look at the three different engagements. Initially, I wasn’t planning to include this in the post because the color looks more magenta than purple, but in certain light (particularly the January 2019 engagement), the color seemed close enough for inclusion. The brand’s name for the color was “ultraviolet.”

In March 2019, the Duchess wore a Gucci blouse in a color called ‘pale violet orchid.’ 

The engagement was at a children’s center.

The  Gucci Silk Crepe Pussy Bow Blouse blouse was 100% silk satin georgette. It featured a loose silhouette, covered buttons on the back, a high collar with bow, and a straight hem. The Duchess wore her blouse with the buttons to the front (“backward” per product descriptions).

We saw another shade of purple in September 2021 when the Duke and Duchess were in Northern Ireland.

The separates were by Emilia Wickstead. The double-breasted Dida Jacket and slim-cut Gus Trousers were created in a custom color for the Duchess.

The Duchess repeated the styles in November of last year for an early childhood symposium.

In 2021, the Duchess wore her Emmy London Josie Block Heel Pumps ($595) in navy and carried a navy Jaeger handbag. In 2023, she wore her navy suede Gianvito 105 pumps ($795) in navy suede. 

The Princess wore a close-to-purple design, believed to be by Emilia Wickstead, during welcoming ceremonies for the South Africa State Visit in November 2022.

The midi-length design featured a fitted bodice, peaked lapels, an applied waistband, and a pleated skirt. The Princess wore Queen Alexandra’s Three Feathers Brooch for the first time and the Collingwood Pearl Drop earrings. Her hat appeared to be a Sean Barrett design. Her other accessories were all in the burgundy family: her Gianvito 105 Pumps in Bordeaux suede, Mulberry Bayswater clutch, and UFO gloves.

The Princess has worn lilac and lavender designs, including the Alexander McQueen gown worn in Los Angeles in 2011 and again in 2021 at the Earthshot Awards. There is also the Emilia Wickstead dress worn in Germany in 2017. and then again for a 2018 mental health summit. But they are not purple.

This brings us to the Princess’s Wimbledon appearance in a purple Safiyaa dress. 

The Safiyaa Cecilia Dress name for this dress color is “lilac.” The A-line midi dress has structured sleeves, an applied waistband, and gathers across the bodice.

As you can see, purple has not played a significant role in the Princess’s wardrobe. 

UPDATE 7:30 PM JULY 26: Here are three additional dresses I did not include in the post because I did not think they fit the “purple” description. In a comment, Cam asked about the LK Bennett Dee Crepe Shift Dress worn to an Early Years function in June 2021. In the center, the LK Bennett Madison seen in June 2022 for engagements in Cambridgeshire. On the right, the Marie-Louise Midi Dress by Faithfull the Brand worn when the Duchess helped plant the garden at The Nook Hospice.

It is great to have your input in the comments and via email because you never know what I’ll forget and leave out! The designs shown above weren’t included because they were not strong purple pieces, much like the Alexander McQueen gown and Emilia Wickstead dress shown just above the Wimbledon Safiyaa dress. 

One dress I should have included that is definitely in the purple family: the Prabal Gurung worn in Singapore on the first leg of the 2012 Jubilee Tour. Thank you to Janet on Facebook for her comment mentioning this one.

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And now for our poll on the Princess’s Wimbledon outfits. Because we’re looking at a total of 25 ensembles, I have divided the poll into three sections. The first is on repeated styles, and the second and third are on new designs. Next week, we’ll take the top two from each category and do one final vote. 

We’ll begin with Wimbledon ensembles that were repeated looks. From left to right, you see the Alexander McQueen sailor-style knit dress, the Joseph Vanessa Dress and Nessie Tweed Jacket, the cream Zimmermann Roamer Day Dress, the Jonathan Saunders Evelyn Dress, the yellow and white custom version of Roksanda Ilincic’s Ryedale Dress, the green Dolce and Gabbana dress, the polka dot Alessandra Rich skirt paired with the oft-worn One-Button Blazer by Smythe, the azure blue Alessandra Rich Pleated Embellished Silk Crepe de Chine dress (initially worn in early June), and the yellow Roksanda Ilincic customized Brigitte Dress.

Here is the poll. 

And now for our first batch of new looks worn to Wimbledon. From left to right, the white Temperley London Moraiah Dress, the red LK Bennett Cayla dress, the Alexander McQueen Obsessions Print dress, the Dolce & Gabbana black and white polka dot dress, Catherine Walker’s Wildflowers Print dress, the Jenny Packham ivory Tennis Ball dress, the yellow Dolce and Gabbana dress, and Suzannah London’s white Flippy Wiggle Dress. 

And now, the poll. 

And now, our final group of dresses. On the left, the Emilia Wickstead light blue dress, the green Emilia Wickstead Denver Dress, Beulah London’s Ahana Dress in blush, Alessandra Rich navy and white polka dot dress, Balmain’s minty green Two-Tone Crepe Blazer and UFO pleated skirt, the Self-Portrait Boucle Collared Chiffon Midi Dress in lime, Roland Mouret’s green Ruffle-Detail Asymmetrical Midi Dress, and the Safiyaa lilac Cecilia Dress.  

And here is the poll.