Kate Middleton delivered another diplomatic fashion moment earlier today, choosing a British-Nigerian designer for the State Visit welcome in Windsor.
The Princess of Wales centred her look around a grey and cream sharply-tailored ‘Blazer Frock Coat’ by Tolu Coker as she welcomed Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to the United Kingdom.
The coat is from Coker’s autumn/winter 2024 collection. It features a longline silhouette, a strong shoulder, a double-breasted front and a contrasting double lapel. The main coat is wool, while the ivory detailing is cotton.
My first impression? “Quintessential Kate“. The design is not a million miles away from coatdresses she’s worn in the past—particularly the teal Catherine Walker piece from Trooping the Colour 2025 (below).
Then I looked again and realised I was wrong. Coker’s design is a bolder, more fashion-forward piece (especially in comparison to previous state visits). The elongated blazer silhouette is distinctive, plus I love the balance of feminine and masculine. But it’s the waist-sculpting corset back that really caught my eye. We’ve never seen Kate wear anything quite like this before:
How amazing is that detail?
Of course, wearing a British-Nigerian designer has a diplomatic tie-in, but Coker’s commitment to sustainability will have appealed to the Princess, too. The designer uses deadstock fabrics and upcycled materials in her collections. Kate has made a clear shift towards sustainable, slow fashion brands in recent years.
Coker’s exclusive use of British manufacturers and seamstresses was likely another draw, particularly as the Princess has been championing homegrown textile businesses, manufacturers and mills ahead of awarding her first Royal Warrants this spring.
There’s also an interesting royal link behind the scenes: Tolu Coker received support from the Prince’s Trust (now the King’s Trust) at the start of her journey. And in a lovely full-circle moment, King Charles opened London Fashion Week earlier this year and sat front row to watch Coker’s Autumn Winter 2026 presentation.
The designer cites the “politics of identity and social climates” as her inspiration and describes her brand as “a vehicle for creating equity and social change.”
Hoping to buy the coat? You can. It’s a made-to-order piece costing £1,425. Delivery takes 6-8 weeks.
Next, let’s take a closer look at the Princess’s hat. It’s a teardrop-shaped beret by Jane Taylor. It’s the milliner’s ‘Persephone‘ hat:
The felt occasion hat features a tailored ivory bow crafted from luxurious satin and delicate organza. The piece is made-to-measure and costs £1,625. According to the milliner’s website, the grey colour is now discontinued, sadly.
Let’s look at Kate’s earrings. They are the Collingwood diamond and pearl drop earrings, which originally belonged to Princess Diana.
The elegant earrings feature large teardrop pearls suspended from a diamond scroll setting.
The antique earrings were a wedding gift from Collingwood Jewellers to the Princess in 1981. Kate has worn the earrings to numerous formal events since she debuted them around a decade ago.
Let’s look at Kate’s chic handbag now. It’s from the British brand, Mulberry. It’s the ‘Small Amberley’ bag in black croc-embossed leather.
Kate debuted the item during a visit to Trinity Buoy Wharf in 2022. She’s carried it on a handful of occasions since.
The bag features a flap-over front with tonal black ring hardware and Mulberry’s geometric rider’s lock closure. It’s finished with a luxury suede-lined interior.
If you’re hoping to buy the exact bag, you’re out of luck. Mulberry has discontinued the style. The Small Mulberry Top Handle Satchel is a nice alternative, though, if you’re looking for something similar.
Let’s finish with Kate’s footwear now. The Princess wore her Hugo Boss ‘Staple P90-L’ pumps in ‘anthracite‘. They complemented the grey tones of her outfit.
The grey shoes feature a pointed toe, a 9cm heel, and are crafted entirely from leather.
The shoes are not new. Kate debuted them a decade ago, during an event at the Natural History Museum in London. They retailed for £315 at the time. They are, sadly, no longer available to buy.
All in all, I liked the grey and cream combination today—I had been curious to see which direction she’d take. Normally, green would have been the obvious choice, given Nigeria’s flag colours and the Princess’s well-known use of diplomatic dressing. But having worn green for yesterday’s St Patrick’s Day parade, she changed tack and found another way to honour her guests—by wearing a designer with Nigerian heritage.
It’s a perfect example of Kate using fashion as a subtle yet effective diplomatic tool on the world stage—the whole look was a fitting choice for a high-profile state visit.
After formally welcoming the Nigerian President and the First Lady at the Fairmont Windsor Park hotel this morning, William and Kate accompanied the couple to Windsor Castle for the ceremonial welcome with the King and Queen, which included a carriage procession and Guard of Honour.
Pomp and pagentry at its finest. It’s what Great Britain does best!
Later, William and Kate joined the King and Queen, the President and the First Lady in viewing a special exhibition of items relating to Nigeria from the Royal Collection, in the Green Drawing Room.
The royals and VIPs later attended a state banquet. I will cover that ensemble in a subsequent post.
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