Here’s the thing about Prince of Wales check: it’s not just any plaid. It’s the granddaddy of checks, a pattern so fancy it has its own title. Originally named after King Edward VII (who was apparently a big fan of black-and-white squares), it’s been around since the 1800s. So really, Kate was wearing a piece of living history—or as I like to call it, “I’m too important to wear regular stripes.”
But here’s a surprising fact: that check was not originally for royalty. It was first used on forest rangers’ uniforms in the 1840s. Yes, you heard that right—Kate Middleton basically dressed like a 19th-century Scottish park ranger. And she looked fabulous. Somewhere, a real ranger in a damp forest is nodding in approval.
The true hilarity? The coat she wore costs more than my first car. And my second car. And probably my third, if I’d ever owned a third car. It’s by a designer named Catherine Walker, who might as well be the royal family’s personal fabric whisperer. One sniff of that wool and she can tell you if it’s been near a corgi.
Why We Even Care About a Check
Look, I get it—it’s just a pattern. But we’re talking about Kate. She could wear a trash bag and there would be a 10,000-word Vogue analysis on “the poise of the polyethylene.” The magic of this particular check is that it’s versatile: you can dress it up with pearls or down with jeans. Kate chose “up,” because she’s at a military event, not a pumpkin patch.
Coronation Fashion: What Queen Camilla and Princess Kate Wore - The New
And let’s be honest—she did this on purpose. The woman knows that every time she wears something with a label, a million fast-fashion knockoffs will hit the market within 48 hours. She’s like a one-woman stimulus package for the textile industry. I bet somewhere in Bangladesh, a factory worker just got a raise because of that coat.
At the installation ceremony, she stood next to Prince William, who wore his military uniform and looked like he was trying to recall if he turned off the oven back home. Kate, meanwhile, radiated “I own this room, but I’m also your friend” energy. The check helped. It whispered, “I’m approachable but also intimidatingly well-pressed.”
