Kate Middleton Makes New Fashion Statement During Appearance With William

Princess Kate Middleton stepped out alongside husband Prince William after a slew of public absences.

Kate, 43, appeared to be in good spirits as she and William, also 43, as they welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, to Windsor Castle on Tuesday, July 8. King Charles III and Queen Camilla are hosting the overseas guest at Windsor, and plan to throw a banquet in their honor. Emmanuel and Brigitte’s visit marks the first time France has made a U.K. state visit in 17 years.

The royal family members were photographed mingling with Emmanuel, 47, and Brigitte, 72, as their plane landed at RAF Northolt on Tuesday. They were subsequently driven in carriages to Windsor.

While William opted for his classic navy suit for the outing, Kate went for a fashion risk with a pale pink Christian Dior ensemble paired with a matching hat. The outfit was part of Dior’s 2024 collection, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the brand’s first-ever female designer. Tuesday marked the first time Kate wore Dior for a public outing, but donning the French designer seemed to be a way to honor the guests from France.

Kate Middleton Makes Low-Key Public Outing After Skipping Royal Ascot

Kate kept on a big smile while greeting Emmanuel and Brigitte, even having a subtle PDA moment with William, with her hand on his back.

Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Kate would be joining William to greet the French President after skipping a few other public appearances. She made headlines last month after pulling out of a scheduled outing at the Royal Ascot. A last-minute switch of attendees took her name off the list, leaving William, Charles and Camilla as the only royals in attendance on June 18.

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Tuesday might mark one of Kate’s first appearances this month as there’s speculation she’ll attend the ongoing Wimbledon tennis tournament.

Kate Middleton Is Returning to Royal Duties on ‘Her Own Terms’

Late last month, the Daily Mail’s royal editor Rebecca English speculated that it was “very likely” Kate would attend the tennis event, which kicked off on June 30 and is set to end on Sunday, July 13. However, she and William have yet to make an appearance.

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Kate did speak at the Colchester Hospital in Essex on July 2, offering an update about finding a “new normal” after completing chemotherapy last year. (Kate announced in March 2024 that she was diagnosed with cancer. She has been in remission since January.)

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment,” she said. “Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult.”