Check out these Kate Middleton then and now photos that showcase her stunning transformation into a royal

Kate Middleton Then and Now: Her Transformation into a Royal


The Kate Middleton fashion evolution starts here
It’s hard to believe, but the Princess of Wales was once a college student at the University of Saint Andrews, in Scotland. She and Prince William were just friends when Kate strutted down the catwalk of a 2002 university fashion show in this Charlotte Todd see-through number, but the two would become an official item in late 2003.

William’s girlfriend, Kate Middleton
In March 2004, Prince William and Kate Middleton went public with their romantic relationship while skiing in Switzerland. In the early months, Kate’s style was still that of a typical college girl. Here, she’s wearing a crisp white tee with a hip-hugging, thigh-grazing skirt, wide belt and knee-high boots by designer Penelope Chilvers.

Commoner Kate: not yet a princess
Let’s face it, this is not Middleton’s best look. But keep in mind that on this day in April 2005, she’s a 23-year-old student doing what college girls do: taking in a game and chowing down on some burgers with her gal pals. Kate is so unguarded in this photograph that it’s clear she’s new to the routine of being photographed—anywhere, everywhere and at any time whatsoever.

Kate’s fashion transformation begins
Kate is seen at the June 2005 wedding of Hugh Van Cutsem and Rose Astor, where William was an usher in the wedding party. Earlier in the year, Kate had not been invited to the wedding of William’s father, Prince Charles—now King Charles III—to Camilla Parker Bowles, so this is progress, both in her romance with William and her personal style. She’s elegantly dressed in a smart blazer and snappy fascinator, though not nearly as put-together as she appears today.

The downside of fame: Kate in a compromising position
Two weeks after photographers capture Kate’s poise at the Van Cutsem wedding, a wily member of the paparazzi managed to snap this unbecoming image of the princess-to-be. Hey, those seats look uncomfortable! It seems Kate still isn’t accustomed to being hounded by photographers, but who has perfect composure 100% of the time?

Kate steps out in Uggs
Kate does some last-minute shopping before she and William head to Mustique (a private island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) for a holiday, in April 2006. She’s wearing a pair of Ugg boots with her jeans tucked in, which, if you remember the fashion from the mid-aughts, was totally “in.” Twenty years later, you’d be hard-pressed to find Kate in such a casual look.

“We were on a break”—royal style
It wasn’t the first time they’d broken up—there’d been rumors of a brief split in the summer of 2004—but Kate and William’s 2007 split was probably their most significant. Here, Kate is seen partying in London in April of that year, shortly after the breakup made the news. By summertime, the two lovebirds had rekindled their romance.

Kate’s style evolution continues in a trendy halter
Kate attends a private party in Chelsea on June 14, 2007, wearing a Topshop halter dress that shows quite a bit of skin. Topshop, a trendy, ready-to-wear London-based clothing store, closed its brick-and-mortar flagship after being bought by fast-fashion giant ASOS in 2021, but you can still find their threads online.
Here, Kate appears to be enjoying the single life … though word has it she and William secretly got back together the week before. It seems the future princess is having a last bit of fashion fun before tucking into the official royal life.

Finally, an iconic moment: Kate’s royal transformation
Now we’re talking! Looking demure and composed at her first royal event, Kate stands next to Prince Harry at the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle in 2008. By now, Kate and William were back together and stronger than ever, and on June 16 of that year she attended this stodgy affair that goes back 700 years.

Kate modernizes the royal family, one jacket at a time
A leather jacket on a soon-to-be royal? Yes please. Kate attends a charity polo match at Cirencester, in the Cotswolds, on June 7, 2009, wearing a casual outfit accessorized with a Prada handbag and chunky wedge shoes, upping her so-cool fashion quotient significantly from previous years.

Kate’s style evolution: looking every bit the royal fiancée
Kate and William got engaged in October 2010, and two months later, on December 18, the future princess made her debut as a royal fiancée, at a Teenage Cancer Trust fundraising event in Norfolk. Dressing the part in a black and white Alice Temperley dress, black velvet jacket and pumps, Kate paired this elegant outfit with what will become her signature small clutch handbag.

The royal pillbox hat makes an appearance
Kate attends the wedding of Harry Aubrey-Fletcher and Sarah Louise Stourton at St. Andrew’s Church in Aldborough, North Yorkshire, on January 8, 2011. She accessorizes her Libélula jacket with a royal staple, the pillbox hat, while walking with her bodyguard Karen Llewellyn (also smartly dressed in a classic pea coat).

First Wimbledon as a married royal
Kate, now the Duchess of Cambridge after marrying Prince William, attends the fourth-round match between Britain’s Andy Murray and Frenchman Richard Gasquet on Day 7 of the 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Players in the tournament, held at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club, must wear tennis whites, and here, Kate appears to be following the dress code in solidarity.

Pregnant with Prince George
In December 2012, Kate and William announced that they were expecting their first child. Kate, pictured here looking a little tired, is so ill with morning sickness that royal watchers speculated that she was expecting twins. As we now know, that did not happen: Prince George was born on July 22, 2013.

A stylish royal maternity dress
Six months pregnant with Prince George, Middleton looks elegant at the National Review of the Queen’s Scouts at Windsor Castle on April 21, 2013. She’s wearing an intentionally frayed mint-green cotton tweed coat by Mulberry, a Whiteley taupe beret and nude pumps by L.K. Bennett.

Brightly attired for a tribal trip
On April 7, 2014, Kate and William visited Wellington, New Zealand, and met with Maori tribesmen. Kate is wearing a bright red military-style coatdress by designer Catherine Walker, with a matching pillbox hat by Gina Foster. (The diamond and platinum fern brooch was on loan from Queen Elizabeth.)

Pretty in pink, pregnant with Princess Charlotte
In her third trimester of pregnancy with Princess Charlotte, Kate turns up at the Commonwealth Day Observance at Westminster Abbey, on March 9, 2015, wearing a pale pink Alexander McQueen coat with pearl buttons. It’s not hard to imagine Kate as a future queen in this elegant and modest ensemble.

Kate’s transformation: her look is evolving
On a visit to India on April 11, 2016, Kate wears a flattering cream-colored midi dress by Emilia Wickstead, whose clean, tailored look is becoming a favorite. By this time in the Kate Middleton fashion evolution, the future queen knows exactly what she likes—and the image she wants to project.

Kate Middleton suits up in an iconic throwback
Speaking of tailored, the princess looks like a Fortune 500 CEO in this Gucci textured tweed dress that she wore to London’s Victoria & Albert Museum—aka the V&A—on June 29, 2017. Classic yet timeless, this chic look embodies Kate’s influence on royal modernity.

Bundled up for winter, Kate’s evolution continues
On a visit to Sweden on January 30, 2018, Kate, pregnant with Prince Louis, wears a rich forest-green Catherine Walker coat with asymmetrical buttons and a faux-fur collar and cuffs. She accessorizes the warm, winter ensemble with a Dr. Zhivago–inspired hat. Look familiar? It’s not the first time she’s worn this classic look, which the late Queen Elizabeth also favored. Here, Kate adds a Stuart Weitzman handbag and boots.

Maternity blues (or is it purple?)
In the third trimester of her pregnancy with Prince Louis, Kate looks cool and collected onstage at the first Royal Foundation forum in London, in February 2018.

Kate’s royal transformation continues
Kate demonstrates one of the hallmarks of royal etiquette, the curtsy, as she greets Queen Elizabeth outside St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. Here she’s wearing an Easter-egg-blue suit that complements the queen’s smart seafoam green.

Kate as a future queen
The evolution of Kate Middleton is nearly complete. Here she is at a December 2019 evening reception, wearing several symbolic accessories that royal watchers will know on sight: the “lover’s knot” tiara made famous by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, the blue sash she received as a Grand Dame Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and a yellow ribbon and brooch, known as a royal family order, given to her by the queen.

Kate and Camilla: future queen and queen consort
Kate and Camilla visit the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall, a rehabilitation facility for armed services members in Leicestershire, on February 11, 2020. Kate spoke to staff and patients while wearing a statement Alexander McQueen suit appointed with classic military details.

From commoner to princess, and back again (fashion-wise)
The Kate Middleton fashion evolution has plenty of room for casual togs and athletic gear, as seen here at the Salthill Knocknacarra GAA club in Galway, Ireland, on March 5, 2020. (GAA stands for the Gaelic Athletic Association.) She competed in an orange sweater by Really Wild, black skinny jeans and New Balance sneakers. Apparently, members of the club were shocked at the royal family’s hidden talent for Gaelic hurling and football.

Kate modernizes the royal family, one appearance at a time
Kate and William visit Barry Island, in South Wales, to speak to local business owners about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on August 5, 2020. While the visit was intended for business, the power couple managed to have a little fun while they were there. Shown here in a light summer dress, Kate prematurely celebrated grabbing a blue toy at the Leisure Island Amusement Arcade claw machine, only to see the toy drop just before reaching the chute.

Kate as a future queen: solemnly looking the part
The then-Duchess of Cambridge stands during the National Service of Remembrance on November 8, 2020, wearing a custom black Alexander McQueen coat with a Philip Treacy hat and diamond earrings. Despite the U.K. issuing a lockdown earlier that week due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kate appeared in person at the event, held at the Cenotaph war memorial in London. The outdoor ceremony overlooked the monument, which honors military members who lost their lives in World War I and World War II.

Kate’s royal transformation is complete
Kate walks the red carpet with her husband and children on their way to attend a pantomime performance at London’s Palladium Theatre on December 11, 2020. (The smartly dressed future queen knows how to make an entrance!) The show was hosted by the National Lottery to thank essential workers, who were gifted tickets to the show, for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the looks of this well-dressed royal family, we will be watching more fashion-forward and iconic moments from Kate’s royal transformation for years to come.
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