The Fashion Faux Pas Kate Middleton Made During Prince Louis' Debut That Raised Eyebrows
Regardless of whether you're a royal enthusiast or not, you've likely heard of some of the strict rules the royals have to follow. From their public conduct to their fashion choices, many aspects of royal life are dictated by long-standing regulations.
For the British royal family, even childbirth isn't exempt from tradition. Since Princess Anne's first delivery in 1977, royal women have famously been giving birth at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London. William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, welcomed all three of their children there. After each birth, the couple appeared on the Lindo Wing steps to introduce their newborn and pose for the much-anticipated photographs. Naturally, Kate consistently made sure that when she stepped out with her newborns, she looked nothing short of fabulous. With her brown locks impeccably styled and a full face of makeup, the royal gave no indication that she had given birth just hours earlier.
However, during Prince Louis' debut in 2018, Kate's unexpected fashion faux pas was hard not to notice. She wore a midi-length dress in red with a white Peter Pan collar, which looked eerily similar to the one featured in the 1968 horror movie "Rosemary's Baby," which is not the storyline anyone would want associated with their baby.
The red dress caused an online upheaval of conspiracy theories
After giving birth to her third royal baby, Prince Louis, Catherine, Princess of Wales, managed to look stunning, adhering to one of the pregnancy rules the British royal women have to follow. However, her choice of attire stole all the attention during the photo-op at the Lindo Wing entrance. Designed by Jenny Packham, the red dress Kate wore sparked comparisons to a dress worn by Rosemary Woodhouse, the protagonist of "Rosemary's Baby." The only notable difference between the two pieces was their length and subtle sleeve detailing. Notably, in the film, members of a Satanic cult go after Woodhouse's baby, whom they believe is the son of the devil.
Social media users quickly pointed out the similarities between the two dresses, with many suggesting that Kate intentionally referenced the movie. "This was absolutely NOT a coincidence. It is too exact. She was clearly trying to make a point when wearing that dress," stated one X (formerly Twitter) user. However, others weren't as convinced, dismissing the comparison as a conspiracy theory. Another person took to X to share, "I agree it's freaky — but I also find it hard to believe Kate would even know about that movie." As it turns out, while Kate's dress choice may have been inspired by a similar look, it wasn't one from a horror movie.
Kate's look was a likely reference to the late Princess Diana
Contrary to widespread online speculation, the dress Catherine, Princess of Wales, chose to wear to Prince Louis' debut was more likely a tribute to the late Princess Diana rather than a reference to a costume from "Rosemary's Baby." In 1984, Diana made an appearance at the Lindo Wing steps with newborn Prince Harry, donning a striking, bright red overcoat with a white collar peeking from underneath. In comparison, Kate opted for a similar color scheme, possibly as a homage to Diana, but with a more contemporary silhouette. Furthermore, both Harry and Louis are second-born sons, so honoring Diana in this way would make sense.
Notably, this wasn't the first time Kate's post-birth attire was compared to Diana's. When Prince George was born in 2013, Kate donned a light-blue polka-dot dress for her Lindo Wing appearance, reminiscent of Diana's green polka-dot dress she wore when presenting Prince William on the same steps in 1982.
Despite debunking the fashion conspiracy theory, the association between "Rosemary's Baby" and Kate wasn't limited to the now-infamous red dress. Three years earlier, when Kate was spotted pushing Princess Charlotte in a vintage-style pram, many online drew parallels to the pram featured on the movie poster for "Rosemary's Baby." However, the Balmoral Pram used by Kate is renowned as top-tier in the world of prams and simply happens to resemble those from the 1960s.