Her departure outfit mixed modern style with a nod to royal symbolism
On her wedding day in 2011, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, looked every bit the fairytale bride in her Alexander McQueen gown. Yet the morning after, she offered the world a very different style moment.
As she and Prince William left Buckingham Palace for a brief UK getaway ahead of their Seychelles honeymoon, Catherine swapped the ivory train and tiara for a chic, thigh-grazing purple-blue dress cinched at the waist. She paired it with a cropped black jacket and glossy black patent wedges—an April choice that stood out against the season’s softer colors.
The look defied the expectation of a traditional “going away” ensemble, and celebrity stylist Angela Kyte praised it as a confident expression of her own style.
“Catherine’s post-wedding outfit is a lesson in understated elegance,” Kyte told HELLO!. “The cobalt-blue dress paired with a tailored jacket was both practical and refined.”
Kyte also noted that the color echoed the sapphire in Catherine’s engagement ring and symbolized loyalty, fidelity, and stability. The jacket, she added, brought structure to the soft dress, creating a polished balance that marked a deliberate departure from the grandeur of the bridal gown.
