Kate Middleton looked striking in a checked coat and statement hat this afternoon, as she attended a historic ‘enthronement’ service at Canterbury Cathedral.
The Princess of Wales accompanied her husband, Prince William, to the installation of The Right Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury—the first woman to hold the role.
Her striking coat—a Suzannah London piece—formed the centrepiece of her outfit.
Rendered in a traditional Prince of Wales check, the fabric choice felt particularly fitting, echoing the Princess’s own title.
The coat is cut from a luxurious cashmere and virgin wool blend fabric. It’s softly structured, with a gentle A-line skirt, a wrap-style front, a removable waist tie and a double-breasted fastening. The coat’s finished with a distinctive black silk satin trim on the lapels and at the closure.
Suzannah London say the coat’s design is inspired by traditional British tailoring—specifically vintage country and hunting coats.
The ‘Washington’ coat is currently available to buy online, priced at £2,850.
Although not a regular in her rotation, Kate’s no stranger to Suzannah London. The Princess has turned to the British designer on numerous occasions since she joined the Royal Family in 2011. She owns quite a few 1940s and 1950s-inspired dresses from Suzannah, including the company’s white ‘Flippy Wiggle’ dress, the green polka dot ‘Valarie’ dress and the green ‘Budding Heart’ tea dress.
Kate’s eye-catching straw boater hat is a Juliette Botterill design.
Crafted from a black and ivory straw woven into a houndstooth pattern, the exaggerated brim gives Kate’s look a sense of occasion and drama, which works for the cathedral setting.
The hat features an oversized, sculptural brim with softly frayed edges and a black structured crown. It’s finished with a single ostrich quill.
The hat is part of Botterill’s Spring/Summer collection and is currently available to purchase via the designer’s website, RRP £690. Each hat is made-to-order with a lead time of three weeks.
Kate’s turned to Juliette Botterill on several occasions in recent years (she’s worn the milliner’s designs for the last 3-4 years).
Let’s move on to the Princess’s accessories now, starting with her earrings. A familiar pair that we’ve seen before. They’re the ‘Cavolfiore’ earrings by British jeweller Cassandra Goad.
Crafted in 18ct yellow gold, the earrings feature a cluster of luminous pearls, each centred with a small diamond. The earrings resemble a cauliflower head (hence the name—the Italian word for the vegetable).
The Cavolfiore earrings are currently available via Cassandra Goad, priced at £7,245.
The earrings are handcrafted in London and measure approximately 20mm each.
The Princess has worn the Cavolfiore earrings since 2018, first debuting them at Prince Louis’s christening. They have since become a firm fixture of her jewellery collection, reappearing at everything from Remembrance services to Wimbledon and Trooping the Colour.
To the service, Kate carried her ‘Imogen’ gloves by British heritage brand Cornelia James.
Crafted from fine merino wool jersey, the gloves featured a close, elegant fit with a softly structured cuff and a discreet bow detail.
The Imogen gloves are currently available via Cornelia James, priced at £130. They are available to purchase online in a range of colours, including the navy tone worn by the Princess.
Cornelia James is a longstanding favourite of the Royal Family, having held a Royal Warrant as glove maker to Queen Elizabeth II.
The Princess has worn the brand’s gloves for well over a decade. She often wears them to formal engagements, cold-weather events, and military or ceremonial occasions. She debuted the ‘Imogen’ style in 2012 and has worn them more than 15 times in public to date.
You may have spotted the Princess carrying a black Chanel bag today. It’s the company’s Mini Classic Flap bag in black lambskin.
The bag is crafted from quilted leather and features the house’s signature interlocking CC clasp. It also comes with a gold-tone chain strap that can be worn on the shoulder or crossbody—Kate tends to tuck the strap in and carry it in her hand.
Chanel has the bag listed on their website with an RRP of £4,080.
The Princess has owned the Mini Classic Flap for several years—she debuted it at the Rugby World Cup Quarter Final in 2023. This is the 8th time we’ve seen her carry it to date.
Kate’s got two other Chanel bags in her enviable handbag collection—a ‘wallet on chain’ in black lambskin and a classic flap bag in burgundy, with a decorative enamelled handle.
The Princess debuted a new pair of shoes with her outfit today–the Ralph Lauren Celia style in black leather.
The shoes feature a 100mm heel and a pointed toe. They’re made from 100% leather (sole, lining and outer).
If the name feels familiar, that’s because Kate owns them in ‘golden brown‘, too.
The black shoes are available at FarFetch.com for $783.
The Princess finished her outfit with a sparkling cross necklace crafted from a cool-toned metal like silver or white-gold.
I don’t know anything about the necklace, unfortunately. Kate’s worn two different silver-coloured cross necklaces during her time in the Royal Family. We’ve never identified either piece.
Kate’s look felt entirely appropriate for the significance of the occasion—chic and striking. The monochromatic palette appeared to be a deliberate choice, allowing her to recede slightly so as not to compete with the Archbishop’s bright ceremonial robes.
Stripped of colour, the look relied on precise tailoring and an effortlessly polished aesthetic to make its impact.
The service marked the formal installation of Dame Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury—the symbolic beginning of her public ministry as leader of the Church of England.
Held before a congregation of around 2,000 guests inside Canterbury Cathedral, the ceremony combined centuries-old tradition with more modern, personal touches.
In her first sermon as Archbishop, Dame Sarah reflected on her life and path to the role, noting that her teenage self would “never have imagined the future that lay ahead”.
Guests in attendance reflected her own background, with nurses and carers from Canterbury invited in recognition of her previous career in healthcare.
The service itself followed the historic structure of an enthronement—complete with deeply symbolic religious rites. These included the Archbishop knocking three times on the cathedral door with her staff before entry and swearing an oath on the bible.
At the same time, there were clear nods to the global nature of the Anglican Communion. Elements of the service included singing in Urdu, a Gospel reading in Spanish, and prayers in Bemba, a language spoken in Zambia.
The service marked a significant shift in the Church’s long history. All 105 previous Archbishops of Canterbury—dating back to St Augustine in 597—have been men. Women were only ordained as priests in the Church of England in 1994, making Dame Sarah’s installation a landmark moment.
In the days leading up to the service, she also undertook a near 90-mile pilgrimage from St Paul’s Cathedral in London to Canterbury.
That’s all for today, I’ll be back with another post on Easter Sunday, if not before.
Leave a Reply