The Princess of Wales chose a Suzannah London coat paired with a Juliette Botterill hat for today’s installation of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Prince and Princess were greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Lady Colgrain. 
Here is a video of the couple as they arrived at Canterbury Cathedral on a damp and blustery afternoon.
The Prince & Princess of Wales arrive at Canterbury Cathedral pic.twitter.com/4acTa4a83C
— Imperial Material ♚ (@implmaterial) March 25, 2026
We learn more about today’s ceremony from this People story by Simon Perry.
The Prince and Princess of Wales stepped out to witness the first woman cleric to lead the Church of England during a service at Canterbury Cathedral on Wednesday, March 25.
Prince William represented his father, King Charles, 77, at the ceremony in which Dame Sarah Mullally was installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. It is an established tradition that the heir to the throne takes on the role of leading the royal family in witnessing the event.
You may recall the Prince and Princess meeting with Dame Sarah in early February. 
We return to the People story.
After the meeting with William and Kate on Feb. 5, Mullally said, “I know we hold the same hope for a better world, and I look forward to working together in the years to come. I will continue to hold them and their family in my prayers,” PA reported.
The couple greeted dignitaries and participants as they arrived.
In this brief video, you see the Prince and Princess as they were led to their seats in the Quire.
The Princess of Wales attending the installation of the new Archbishop of Canterbury this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/gPktNPK5H3
— Belle (@RoyallyBelle_) March 25, 2026
Clergy as they entered the cathedral.
The program for today’s special service. 
The royals as they sang one of today’s hymns. 
Also attending the ceremony was Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 
The Telegraph reports others at the ceremony included, “…Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, a delegation from the United Nations, faith leaders, charity representatives and schoolchildren….” We learn more about today’s service from this BBC piece.
In the choir she was installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury in the “Cathedral Chair” before moving to the famous “Chair of St Augustine” to be installed as Primate of All England.
While the service was rooted in historical significance, Dame Sarah had a hand in choosing some of the hymns.
There were also nods to the diversity of the global Anglican Communion – with singing in Urdu, a Gospel reading in Spanish and a prayer in the Bemba language of Zambia.

A view of the Archbishop. 
The Prince and Princess after the service concluded.
The Archbishop as the service concluded. 
And the royals as they made their way to the back of the cathedral. 
The Prince and Princess are speaking with the newly-installed Archbishop.
More from this Telegraph article.
After the ceremony, the Archbishop greeted the Prince and Princess at the West Door of the cathedral, where the trio chatted animatedly.
Dame Sarah gave a small curtsey to the Princess and laughed as she responded to remarks made by the Prince. At one point, the Archbishop placed her hand on her heart as she talked to the couple.
You can see it was just as windy after the service as it was before it got underway. 
This video from the BBC’s Lebo Diseko shows how gusty it was.
The Prince and Princess of Wales leaving the Cathedral pic.twitter.com/Twhu9J60iy
— Lebo Diseko (@lebo_diseko) March 25, 2026
Now, we turn to our look at what Kate wore, beginning with her coat by Suzannah London. 
The Washington Prince of Wales Check Cashmere Coat ($3875) is described as “taking inspiration from a vintage hunting coat” and being “Cut from an incredibly soft and warm luxurious cashmere virgin wool blend Italian cloth…with a modern semi-fitted cut, outlined in chic black silk satin and a soft A-line midi skirt.”
The fabric blend is 50% Cashmere, 47% Polyamide, and 3% Virgin Wool, and the lining is 100% silk satin. It is a double-breasted style, embellished with black faux-horn buttons and angled side pockets. It also included a self-belt, something the Princess chose not to include with her ensemble. I believe the Princess had the skirt narrowed, some of the skirt volume removed; it’s possible the bodice was also made a little more fitted.
Suzannah is not a new brand for the Princess. She has worn the label many times, including a green-and-white design seen in Galway in March 2020, the Flippy Wiggle Dress in both white (worn multiple times) and green (shown here in May 2023), and the Simple Coat Dress in navy with white trim (seen in November 2025), as well as the Budding Hearts Dress worn in Prince George’s first birthday photos (not shown in this montage).
Today’s other new piece was a statement hat by milliner Juliette Botterill. The Houndstooth Straw Boater (£690 roughly $925 at today’s exchange rates). It is crafted from black and ivory houndstooth straw. “Adorned with a single ostrich quill, it’s the perfect blend of classic style and modern flair! The hat is worn on a slim headband with hat elastic, available in your choice of hair colour for a secure and comfortable fit.”
As you can see, the Princess’s hair was styled in an elaborate updo.
The Princess brought back her Ralph Lauren Collection Celia Pumps ($750) in black calfskin with a pointed toe and 4″ heel. It is also offered at Farfetch ($783). 
She repeated her Chanel Mini Classic Handbag ($5400) in black lambskin. 
The Princess also wore her Cassandra Goad Cavolfiore Earrings ($10200) in 18-carat yellow gold with pearls and diamonds. And she wore the unidentified diamond cross pendant we have seen on several occasions.
UPDATE MAR 26: A quick shopping note I wanted to add to the post. With Nothing Underneath has created a discount code for WKW readers. The Princess has worn the Blue Poplin Boyfriend Shirt ($150, seen below left) and the Boyfriend Style in 100% Tencel ($230, seen below center), and the Jura Cardigan in Yak Wool ($290, shown below right). WKW readers can receive a 10% discount with promo code SUSAN10. 
VIDEOS:
Sky News offers four minutes of coverage in this video.
Dame Sarah Mullally is installed as the Archbishop of Canterbury in a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral.
She is the first woman to lead the Church of England.https://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/jmn2MEU5dd
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 25, 2026
I believe this video contains the entire service, and it appears to be viewable worldwide.
This is a very quick video with the Archbishop done during rehearsals for today’s service.
The Princess also wore her Susannah Goad Cavolfiore Earrings ($10200) in 18-carat yellow gold with pearls and diamonds. And she wore the unidentified diamond cross pendant we have seen on several occasions.



T
Tuesday 31st of March 2026
I love this hat, but I think the coat's checked pattern fights with the brim of hte hat. It's not my favorite coat--a bit of a snooze--so I'd lose the coat dress and have paired this witha beautiful black sheath with black coat over it, or something similarly monochromatic so the hat (and maybe a beautiful brooch...) could shine.
Anne
Monday 30th of March 2026
I love The Hat, just not with the houndstooth dress. Houndstooth to me is a fall/winter look, even if the actual dress were a much lighter fabric than a wool. The Hat (fabulous shape, very jaunty wearing with that dramatic tilt) is in a straw, which to me is a spring/summer look. Can you imagine that hat with a smart summer frock? As ever, I enjoy all of your comments!
VirginiaGinger
Monday 30th of March 2026
The hat reminds me of an American who hides her face with a similar style. Wish I could shake that. I prefer to see HRH's face and her leading the trends. Again, wish I could shake that.
Zell
Monday 30th of March 2026
@VirginiaGinger,
I don't see any resemblance at all. As I wrote elsewhere, the hat Melania wore looked to me like something a 1940s mobster would wear. It also completely hid her eyes, which I found very disconcerting.
Catherine's hat does not hide her eyes at all and it is very stylish and buoyant. To me, Melania wore a hat that looked scary.
apium
Sunday 29th of March 2026
I adore the hat. It speaks to me.
Mia Gottlieb
Sunday 29th of March 2026
Being Jewish, I’m not sure I understand the negative comments about Catherine's cross necklace. I always thought, on a day like this, it would be a respectful and beautiful addition to a religious ceremony. Perhaps others could enlighten me?
Wendy
Wednesday 1st of April 2026
@Zell, As the wife of a retired minister I’ve seen plenty of crosses on necklaces over the years. They go in and out of style but are always appropriate at church services. The diamonds are a matter of personal taste.
Zell
Tuesday 31st of March 2026
@QueenMab,
Doesn't sound bad to me, quite honestly, and doesn't seem wrong. I guess it depends on one's personal religious beliefs.
Zell
Tuesday 31st of March 2026
@Gottlieb Mia,
Awesome! 😊
QueenMab
Tuesday 31st of March 2026
@Zell, I’m guessing it was referring to a cross being encrusted with jewels
Gottlieb Mia
Monday 30th of March 2026
@Zell, we are agreed!