On Saturday morning Catherine, Princess of Wales, tiptoed back onto the public stage for the first time since announcing her cancer diagnosis this year in her signature colour-coordinated way, joining the rest of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the traditional final flyover of King Charles' birthday parade. She wore a knee-length white Jenny Packham dress with a black-and-white striped belt and a jaunty bow around her neck, topped off with a Phillip Treacy hat, angled just so.
The nautical theme was reflected in the navy suit with a sailor collar and white trim worn by Princess Charlotte (who also wore white shoes to accompany her mother), along with matching navy double-breasted suits with gold buttons, white shirts and bright blue ties of Princes George and Louis, which made a perfect trio with the Union Jack with William's bright red military uniform, which in turn matched that of Charles and Prince Edward.
As a family unit, on the balcony, they created the image of a united front, unmistakably controlled and unmistakably harmonious, for a photo shoot around the country. Nothing worrisome to look at here, the image seemed to say. It's business as usual. It will all be fine.
It was a typical image-building by the princess, who is still recovering. Catherine has always been finely attuned to the attention paid to what she wears as part of a family whose job is to symbolize, rather than speak, and the communication opportunities built into it. From the beginning of her marriage, she has used her clothes to indicate a clear compromise between tradition and modernization. Her wardrobe often seems geared towards conveying a respectful sensibility towards the future, rather than, say, a royal in a gilded bubble, whether that's mixing high-fashion brands with high fashion, recycling her dress several times , rent an evening dress or support British designers. .
Instead Catherine chose white, in itself a color full of meaning: of new beginnings, rebirth, purification.
She chose Jenny Packham and Phillip Treacy, both brands she has often worn before, both mainstays of the British fashion establishment.
And she chose a dress that looked like it had been recycled: first worn in 2023 at Buckingham Palace before King Charles' coronation, and now revisited. After all, right now she has other things to think about than shopping. But dressing for a purpose is also part of the job.
Looks like he's getting ready to do it again.