There are fashion moments that generate commentary and there are fashion moments where the global editor-in-chief of Vogue stands up from her seat at Wimbledon to applaud a woman walking past her, and Kate, Princess of Wales, produced the second kind twice in two days, wearing a £795 Roland Mouret red peplum dress to the women’s Wimbledon final on Saturday and a £1,650 Emilia Wickstead wool crepe midi dress in olive green to the men’s final on Sunday, which prompted Anna Wintour to give her a standing ovation, which is the fashion industry’s equivalent of a five-star review delivered in real time.
Kate attended both finals in her role as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which she has held since 2016, and which requires her to present the trophies to the singles champions, which she did. At the women’s final, she presented the trophy to Iga Swiatek, who won it. At the men’s final, she presented the trophy to the men’s singles champion, accompanied by All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton and club chairwoman Deborah Jevans. She also congratulated British pair Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid on their seventh Wimbledon Men’s Wheelchair Doubles title, posting on social media: “What a wonderful achievement, Alfie and Gordon! Huge congratulations to you both, an extraordinary partnership and another very special moment at Wimbledon. You continue to inspire so many.” She posted this while wearing a £1,650 dress to an event where Anna Wintour stood up to acknowledge her entrance, which is the specific convergence of the institutional and the personal that characterises Kate’s public role in a way that is difficult to describe without sounding like the GB News royal fashion desk.
On Friday, before either final, she had attended the DMMI Royal Charity Polo Cup at Guards Polo Club in Windsor with William, wearing a Temperley London black and white gingham dress, Sézane earrings, Ralph Lauren sunglasses, and Camilla Elphick tan slingback pumps, which royal watchers catalogued item by item on social media with the thoroughness of people who have decided this is how they would like to spend their time, which is not a judgment, merely an observation about the catalogue.
Per GB News, a royal watcher commented: “Can we talk about the last 3 days?! Because…. wow.” Another wrote: “The princess of Wales is the most beautiful woman.” A third noted: “A spectacular fortnight when you add in her three peaks achievement,” which is a sentence that places a three-day mountain climb alongside two Wimbledon fashion moments as items on the same list, which is the correct way to describe Kate’s fortnight.
Anna Wintour gave her a standing ovation. At Wimbledon. For walking past.
When the global editor-in-chief of Vogue stands up at Wimbledon for the Princess of Wales, what exactly are the fashion critics supposed to say after that?
Sources
GB News: Princess of Wales sparks fan frenzy with colourful outfit choices this weekend
