Kate wore a green suit for a meeting with Norwegian royalty at Windsor Castle on Thursday morning (2nd March 2023).
The Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit to the royal residence, where the two couples engaged in a productive discussion about “green energy, the environment and much more”.
The four royals also held a meeting with Norwegian business delegates.
Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit visited the UK for two days in an effort to foster economic cooperation between their two nations, with a focus on environmentally friendly industry and technology, as well as strengthening cooperation in the energy sector.
Literature was another area of focus for Mette-Marit. The Princess is an avid reader and has spent many years promoting literature among younger people.
The visit was a great opportunity to mark the historical ties and relations between Norway and Great Britain, and to build on the good relations that already exist between the two Royal Families.
Haakon is heir apparent to the throne of Norway. His father, King Harald, is a second cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth.
The Norwegian couple had planned to visit London last year (September 2022). Sadly, the visit had to be postponed following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
William and Kate last met with Haakon and Mette-Marit during their official overseas visit to Norway in 2018. The Norwegian royals greeted the then Duke and Duchess off the plane after they touched down in Oslo.
In Norway, William and Kate spent time with Mette-Marit and Haakon at a State Dinner during the visit, plus the four royals spent time outdoors at the Holmenkollen Ski Jump.
On Wednesday evening, the two Norwegian royals attended a networking reception in London. I thought I’d mention this because Mette-Marit wore a shimmering dress that may look familiar to some:
It’s by The Vampire’s Wife, it’s the Falconetti dress,. Kate owns it in emerald green. The Princess debuted it at a reception during a visit to Ireland in March 2020. We saw Kate in the green metallic dress for a second time, in an official portrait painted by Jamie Coreth, unveiled in June 2022.
Now let’s look at Kate’s outfit during the meeting at Windsor castle.
Kate’s green suit & matching blouse:
Kate wore a green suit with a matching green pussybow blouse—both from Burberry, according to Vogue. It was a bold and stylish choice for the Princess. The vibrant green is eye-catching and a flattering colour.
It looks like the suit was bespoke—made just for Kate. At the time of writing, Burberry do not sell the suit or blouse in this colourway. (Shown above, the blouse in beige and the blazer in grey.)
Kate’s choice of green may have been a nod to the importance of green energy and sustainability, a topic the four royals discussed during the meeting.
Of course, red would have been an obvious choice—it’s the dominant colour on the Norwegian flag that also features in the Union Jack. Wearing the colour would have been a way to subtly highlight the close ties between the UK and Norway. However, just the day before, Kate wore a vibrant red coat for a visit to the Welsh Guard for St. David’s Day. It’s possible that she wanted to avoid repeating the colour so soon after her previous engagement.
During the meeting with the Norwegian royals, Kate flew the flag for homegrown fashion, opting for a classically British tailored suit from a famous London-based brand synonymous with British fashion and heritage.
The pussybow blouse added a touch of femininity and elegance to the look. The overall effect was sophisticated and polished, with Kate looking every inch the modern-day royal.
Kate has worn the suit jacket and blouse on two previous occasions, both promoting the ’Shaping Us’ campaign. The suit and blouse’s colour is quite similar to the campaign’s branding, which I’m sure is no coincidence.
The Princess finished her outfit with a pair of simple emerald and diamond drop earrings.
Sadly, I cannot tell you anything further about the earrings. Kate’s them a handful of times in public since 2012 (though she might have owned them for longer of course). She tends to pair them with green outfits.
I love all shades of green, mixing them with each other, and these colors really work together. She always looks great in shades of green, too. Earrings are nice, too.
I don’t care for the tailoring of the suit, or the style of the blouse. First off, the way those buttons are on the sleeves bugs me, it’s as if Burberry put the wrong sleeve on the wrong side of the jacket because the placket is facing inward rather than the standard outward direction. I would guess they did this intentionally as some sort of design feature, but I don’t like it. Burberry did it with the sleeves on the blouse too and I don’t care for it there, either. I also think that McQueen does more fashion forward tailoring and so I hope she sticks with them, and sends this Burberry suit to another home. It’s just too dated and not in a good way. Kate looks great in a strong lapel, not this. This suit isn’t interesting or flattering on her. I’m sure it’s very well made, with nice wool, but Kate deserves better than this.
As a seamstress myself, I always try to figure out ways to salvage things. I don’t think it’s worth it to deal with the jacket and without getting a better photo of the pants/trousers, it’s hard to say anything about them. The blouse though could be modified to change out that bow. I just think it’s too thin and looks “mumsy”. I’d probably put a wider one on and tie it in different, more fashion forward ways. Or design a different collar altogether. The silk charmeuse fabric is beautiful.
I know it’s a nod to a famous British fashion house and all, but this suit falls short. I did love that plaid dress she wore by Burberry while on tour, so it’s not as if some of their designers don’t do modern styles. Fashion should be fun; put things on and feel fantastic! I can’t imagine feeling that way while wearing this.
I too think the fit is terrible and the look is “mummsy”. The trousers (from what I can see) are not flattering. I bet Kris (above) could properly fit them. The earrings are beautiful. Love them!
Kate looks beautiful in green. It seems the suit is slightly too large and the blouse tie could be a little more structured.
Hair, makeup and smile lovely!
Those sleeves!. They look they have been put in back to front. Not a fan of the jacket styling but the colour is lovely.
Hello,
I submitted a comment a few hours ago (my first ever) but it was not accepted. I’m baffled as I thought it was positive and respectful.
Not sure if my comment not being approved was an accident or because it was not acceptable.
I enjoy this blog and thought it a good place to engage with others who enjoy viewing Kate’s style choices..
Feeling disappointed …
You posted at 10pm my time, I was on my way to bed! I’ve just woken up and approved your comments, it’s 7am here. 🙂
Hi again!
Maybe my comment is/was still waiting for approval. Apologies if you’d not had an opportunity to see it. You are probably very busy!
Really enjoy this blog, the writing and photos are great!
Thanks for the kind comments. Due to the amount of spam, the comment approval process is manual. I look every few hours 🙂
I love this blog, too. Carly really does a great job of tracking down the information and her writing is really just perfect.
Careful, my head won’t fit through the door!
Seriously though, thank you 🙂
Kris is correct. This is by far my favorite Kate fashion blog. It is full of detailed clothing information…which I love in case I want to purchase an item I have seen on Kate.
Also, it seems fashion conversation and the event information seems to stay on topic. Personally, I don’t care for blogs that get a bit gossipy about the royals. I’m here for clothing, the event, accessories and the jewelry.
If I remember correctly, Carly is in the UK and London is 5 hours ahead of my time zone. Additionally, I believe Carly is dividing her time between family and her writing. I mean no disrespect for the person that wondered about the time delay with approving comments. I love to see new people making comments. Welcome!
Totally agree, Gail, about the gossip on other blogs. I don’t think I’d make it as a royal due to feeling like living in a fish bowl. Having to do the walk-abouts, meeting people constantly, dealing with the staff in the palaces, the media, following all the old fashioned “rules”. Honestly, it’s a lifestyle that is not for the faint of heart. Needing bodyguards? Not being free to go for a walk by myself? I don’t think I could take being in the public eye all the time. So, I have a lot of empathy for those who live this lifestyle.
Although I might make some criticism of garments (as in this ensemble) it’s only because I want Kate to look her best – which she usually does. I love fashion and she certainly has some fantastic ensembles. My favorite lately was her red McQueen suit!
The colour of outfit is nice, but personally I think that the cut of the suit as well as the blouse don’t fit with her beauty
I love Kate’s style generally and I love this blog for showing us ways that we can access it.
But I am not a big fan of this jacket or blouse as they are just a bit too shapeless for me.
I prefer when she wears jackets that they have a wider lapel and a bit of taper at the waistline.
Also when she wears a skirt she always looks better. She is so slim that she looks less boxy when she wears things that are more figure flattering
and less manly looking. Perhaps I am a bit old fashioned and traditional…. But even in mourning clothes she looked more fashionable.
Thank you Carly for providing this excellent blog, you deserve every word of appreciation!
Please accept my apology regarding my comments concerning my first ever post. I initially thought it might have not been accepted due to a minor criticism of Kate’s outfit. I’m so glad you host a blog that accepts respectful opinions of varying kinds .
Observing Kate’s clothing choices is a fun means of escapism
…and I really enjoy reading everyone’s opinions!
Hi Julia, thanks for dropping by again! I understand, sorry I was probably a bit tired, cranky and confused when I replied before. 🙂 Yes, criticisms are allowed here. I try not to censor people—unless they’re completely off topic. I am just a bit slow to approve comments sometimes.
I’m enjoying reading everybody’s opinions too 🙂
I liked the green suit, but the blouse was a poor choice. Perhaps if it had a better neckline, but the bow just looked sloppy, as though it had been tied in a hurry.
Would love information on the b/w houndstooth skirt, please.
Hi, it’s in this post here: https://katemiddletonstyle.org/south-wales-2023/