As Kate Middleton wears a red Alexander McQueen coat for St David’s Day, a look at her love for the colour

Although Kate Middleton obviously chose to wear red for St David’s Day, she has shown on previous occasions how much she loves the colour. Kate is the newly appointed Colonel of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and made her first visit today in her new position (along with Prince William) to the Combermere Barracks in Windsor. 

For the occasion, Kate wore a red Alexander McQueen coat and black hat. She accessorised with Gianvito Rossi high heeled black boots and a Mulberry handbag.

It goes without saying that whenever Kate Middleton wears anything, it attracts attention. When she stepped out in a striking red Alexander McQueen trouser suit for a special event at BAFTA, once again all eyes were upon her.

The first thing that the fashion press picked up on was her £1980 Alexander McQueen suit and the fact that she was re-wearing a pair of earrings by Chalk, a jewellery brand by London-based architect Malaika.

I have always known that Kate is a fan of red, but she seems to have become more drawn to the colour in December of last year. This might have something to do with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, choosing to wear white (a Nicolas Ghesquiere for Louis Vuitton) to receive the Ripple of Hope award. On the very same night, Kate decided to wear a red gown by Jenny Packham for the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace.

Some will say that the contrasting colours were just a coincidence, but I feel it was a turning point in Kate deciding to wear red more often. Red has, of course, been seen as a powerful colour. According to Forbes, "Princess Diana was often seen in public wearing red. The colour red is often used to send messages of confidence to the public. In colour psychology, red elicits the greatest feelings of any colour."

Here are some of Kate Middleton’s most stylish red outfits in recent years

Kate’s red Needle & Thread sequin dress

Although Kate first wore this Aurora Ballerina Needle & Thread red dress back in 2020, she re-wore it on her official Instagram to promote the ITV show, the Together At Christmas Carol Concert, which she hosted. It was the perfect choice for the festive season

Kate’s red Ralph Lauren polo neck sweater and Christopher Kane skirt

This is one of my favourite Kate Middleton’s red looks to date. She wore this look when she gave a speech at The Forward’s Trust’s 'Talking Action on Addiction' campaign event in London in October 2021. As Vogue revealed, Kate "leaned into autumn’s early tones and the burgeoning colour-blocking trend-but in her own refined way".

Kate’s red Catherine Walker coat dress

Kate looked very elegant in a red Catherine Walker coat dress that she wore in December 2021 for a Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey. She finished off the outfit with red Gianvito Rossi heels.

Kate’s red Catherine Walker coat dress

Kate opted for a darker red Catherine Walker coat which she teamed with a floral fascinator for the Commonwealth Service in 2020. She recycled the outfit as she had previously worn it on Christmas Day in 2018.

Kate’s red Jenny Packham dress

Both red and Jenny Packham seem to be Kate’s go to colour and designer for the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace, as she wore a red gown by the designer not only for the 2022 Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham palace but also for the one in 2016.