Kate channels Diana in powder blue at Trooping the Colour, royal family coalesces amid scandal
The Princess of Wales wore a pale blue Catherine Walker coatdress, coordinating with her children, as the Windsor family presented unity at Charles III's official birthday parade against a backdrop of Prince Andrew's legal troubles.
A centuries-old spectacle
Thirteen-hundred soldiers and two hundred horses marched down The Mall from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade for the King's Birthday Parade, a tradition dating to the 17th century. Charles III and Queen Camilla rode in a carriage while the Princess of Wales and her three children followed in a separate carriage. Prince William, the Princess Royal, and the Duke of Edinburgh participated on horseback. Forty-one cannon rounds were fired before the Royal Air Force aerobatic team streaked red, white and blue trails over the palace.
The Diana homage in baby blue
Kate Middleton's powder-blue coatdress, by Catherine Walker, echoed a near-identical look worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1987. The fitted silhouette, white contrast trim, and wide-brimmed Philip Treacy hat matched the late princess's iconic ensemble. On her lapel she fastened the brooch of the Irish Guards, the regiment of which she is honorary colonel, and Cassandra Goad's pearl flower earrings that she debuted at Prince Louis's christening.
Coordinated family dressing
A deliberate family palette ran through the Wales children: Prince George, 12, and Prince Louis, 8, wore dark suits with pale blue ties that echoed their mother's dress, while Princess Charlotte, 11, chose a white tea dress finished with blue details and organza hair bow. The styling underlined a unified public front from the direct line of succession.
A show of unity amid scandal
The celebration unfolded just as the monarchy contends with renewed scrutiny over Prince Andrew, who has withdrawn from all public duties and lost his honorary military titles. He was absent from the balcony and from the procession. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last attended the Trooping in 2019 and were not present. The slimmed-down balcony line-up featured only working royals, a visual statement of institutional resilience.
Ceremonial closing and a sombre note
The flypast by fourteen aircraft closed the public pageantry before King Charles and the senior royals retired inside. The day's events were to be followed by the funeral of Lady Pamela Hicks, the late Queen Elizabeth's cousin and former lady-in-waiting, who died earlier in the week.
