Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, stepped out on Wednesday to attend a museum opening in London in an elegant day dress that she first wore at a sporting event in 2021.
For her visit to the Young V&A museum, which is the childhood-focused sister institution to the Victoria & Albert museum of which Kate is patron, the princess wore a pale pink day dress from the brand Beulah London.
In keeping with her tendency to re-wear items from her expansive wardrobe built up over her 12-year marriage to Prince William, the pink Beulah dress in the style "Ahana" was first worn by Kate to the Wimbledon tennis championships in 2021.
Retailing at $916, the mid-length dress features a fit-and-flare silhouette made in wool crepe with a standing collar, cropped sleeves and matching covered belt.
To accessorise her look on Wednesday, the princess wore a pair of white high-heeled pumps and a pair of diamond "Empress" style earrings from crown jewelers Mappin & Webb.
Kate isn't alone in showing love for the "Ahana" dress, with a number of other royals both in Britain and around the world having worn the simple design for important engagements.
A member of the extended British royal family, Lady Frederick Windsor, was spotted alongside King Charles III and Queen Camilla wearing a yellow version of the design at Royal Ascot on June 24.
Lady Frederick is better known as Sophie Winkleman, an actress who has starred in Peep Show and Two and a Half Men, while also being married to the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (cousins of King Charles).
"This dress is the royal dress style of the last few years," royal fashion expert Christine Ross told Newsweek after Kate's museum appearance on Wednesday.
"Lady Frederick Windsor and Princess Beatrice both wore the long-sleeve version of this dress to the same Jubilee event last year, and foreign royals Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway own the Beulah frock as well.
"The dress made several appearances at Royal Ascot on fashionistas and influencers alike," she continued. "The flattering cinched-in waist and flared skirt create a beautiful shape, while Beulah's expert tailoring and craftsmanship make it a quality piece to last several seasons."
Princess Beatrice, the elder daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, is a particular fan of the "Ahana" dress, owning it in multiple colorways and sleeve lengths.
For Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee service of thanksgiving in June 2022, the princess wore a long-sleeved variation of the dress in sky blue and ended up matching with Lady Frederick, who wore the same dress to the same occasion, but in pink.
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway are celebrated leaders in fashion, often looking to British brands as well as designers in their own countries for inspiration. Both royal women will one day be Queen consorts of their respective nations. In Europe, the title "Crown Prince/Princess" is used to denote those who are next in line to the throne.
British royals don't use "crown" prefixes for their senior royals, instead Prince William and Kate have been given the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales.
Beulah London was founded in 2010 by friends Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan, who have stated their mission as being able to empower women through the business of fashion. This extends to employing women around the world to make their products and donating 10 percent of their profits to charity.
Kate's decision to re-wear a dress that was last seen on the royal during the 2021 Wimbledon tennis championships comes as the 2023 tournament prepares to begin on July 3.
Kate attends the championships on multiple days, being a firm tennis fan. This year she recorded a special promotional video with eight-time former winner Roger Federer, celebrating the tournament's ball boys and girls and highlighting their skills.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
