Kate Middleton's Wedding Guest Looks Over The Years, Ranked From Worst To Best

Someone in Princess Catherine's position has a lot more to think about than your average invitee when getting dressed for a wedding, including whether her shoes break any unwritten rules of royal dressing. The late Queen Elizabeth II couldn't stand wedges, so you wouldn't see Catherine wearing the offending footwear at a wedding, even though they're often more comfortable and easier to walk in than high heels.

Modesty is also of utmost importance: Hemlines can't be too high, and necklines shouldn't dip too low. Then there's Catherine's unique position as a public figure whose fashion decisions get endlessly dissected by the media. She might not hide easter eggs everywhere like Taylor Swift, but she's surely learned by now that people will search for deeper meaning in whatever she wears. This is why it would be fascinating to know her thought process behind the looks she chooses as a wedding guest, but we'll just have to settle for ranking them from worst to best based on aesthetics alone.

A year after the news broke that Princess Catherine and Prince William were dating, she attended the 2005 wedding of Hugh Van Cutsem and Rose Astor. While she was still a ways away from the altar, Catherine followed one royal dress code rule by wearing pantyhose. Their high sheen was reminiscent of what you see on a Hooters waitress' legs.

Things didn't get any better above the knee. There were way too many different widths and styles of lace on Catherine's skirt, which looked like a downmarket discount rack find or an overly fussy DIY job. It's like the designer couldn't decide which trim to use, so they raided all the lace spools at the fabric store. The tortoise shell buttons on Catherine's blazer also clashed with her outfit's black-and-white color scheme, which included some whites that weren't as bright as others, making them look a little dingy. But on the positive side of things, at least Catherine had plenty of room for improvement.

Perhaps Princess Catherine was perfecting the art of aspirational dressing at the May 2006 wedding of Harry Lopes and Laura Parker Bowles, the daughter of the queen consort. When King Charles III and Queen Camilla got married the year prior, the latter sported a feather headpiece and heavy coat. Catherine's outfit almost felt inspired by Camilla's bridal look, but her feathers were a little more untamed; a fascinator that makes it look like a quail crashed into your forehead isn't exactly the height of fashion. It didn't help matters that Catherine's flipped-out hairstyle contributed to the chaos above her neck.

From the shoulders down, things went from helter-skelter to ho-hum. Catherine's off-white and gold Day Birger et Mikkelsen coat dress looked more suitable for someone Camilla's age than the then-20-something-year-old royal. The garment was just too stiff and dense, with the texture of the brocade fabric being the only thing that saved it from being entirely forgettable. At least the tiny bows on Catherine's pumps didn't feel as matronly as the rest of her look.

When Princess Catherine is invited to a wedding, re-wearing an outfit is one way she can graciously keep the focus on the bride. It also earns her praise for being relatable, frugal, and eco-conscious. But surely she could have plucked something a little more visually compelling out of her closet when getting dressed for Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall's 2011 wedding. We've already touched on a few issues with the Day Birger et Mikkelsen coat dress, but here's another one: That wide strip of fabric at the bottom looks like it was tacked on to make the garment longer.

When this wedding took place, Catherine was a fresh inductee into the royal family, having tied the knot with Prince William three months prior. With her elevated status, she upgraded her look a little more. It appeared polished, thanks to the cleaner lines of her asymmetrical floral hat — no more spider plant gone wild — and her decision to wear her hair back. As for footwear, instead of giving us even a hint of Carrie Bradshaw's closet, she played it totally safe by opting for a pair of nude pumps with a low platform.

While the Alexander McQueen coat dress Princess Catherine wore to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2018 wedding wasn't actually white but a very pale shade of yellow, she had been photographed in it before, so surely she was aware that it read that way. The re-wear also sparked a fiery debate online, where those who believed it was white accused Catherine of defying an unspoken rule of wedding etiquette: Guests shouldn't wear the color unless the bride requests it.

Catherine's coat dress had zero adornments, and if she wasn't wearing it to a wedding, there wouldn't have been much to say about it other than it looked crisp and clean. Maybe her intention was to avoid upstaging Meghan on her special day by choosing something so plain, but it still became a big story because of her color choice. Instead of simply noting what she wore, some journalists dedicated a lot of ink to defending her. On Reddit, U.K. residents have argued that Meghan's fellow Americans take the no-white rule a lot more seriously than the British, so it's possible Catherine didn't realize what a commotion her almost-white frock would cause. At least the dress debate saved her from being accused of smuggling a bridal bouquet underneath the napkin on her head.

Can you smell the Pine-Sol and potpourri? Or does this outfit evoke the taste and aroma of licorice pastilles and lavender tea? While grandma's house is a comforting space, it doesn't translate well into a wedding look. For Emily McCorquodale and James Hutt's 2012 nuptials, Princess Catherine put together this confounding ensemble. The floral pattern on her dress looks like something you might see on a sofa that a grandmother has had for ages (does anyone even upholster furniture in fabric with designs like that anymore?). The belt on Catherine's coat is also very grandmacore: It could have been crafted from bits and bobs of sewing notions and trimmings from grandma's cookie-tin stash.

Then there's the coil on Catherine's hat. It should be a playful detail, but instead, it resembles an oversized citrus peel cocktail garnish with the color leeched out of it. The drab color palette also washes her out, and it clashes with her bright blush and rosy lipstick. Everything about this ensemble just makes it another example of Catherine dressing much older than she is.

There's not a lot to say about this mid-tier look, which Princess Catherine wore to Lucy Meade and Charlie Budgett's 2014 wedding. Her tweed Missoni coat did at least have more of a modern feel, thanks to its lack of a collar and hidden placket. However, it was pretty shapeless, and heavier fabrics just don't seem to suit Catherine very well. Unfortunately, one of the most remarkable things that the media could comment on was that another guest showed up wearing the same boxy coat.

What kept this weighty look from sinking lower on our ranking is Catherine's milliner. Sylvia Fletcher threw Catherine a sartorial lifeline with that cute black cocktail hat, which was color-coordinated with her plain pumps. We also wish we could see a lot more of the bright purple and blue floral dress peeking out at the bottom of her coat, even if it clashes with the dark tweed.

When Nicholas van Cutsem and Alice Hadden-Paton wed in 2009, we got to see one of Princess Catherine's flashiest wedding guest looks. Brocade is one of those old-money fabrics that feels very luxurious; you expect to see it framing the windows of stately manor houses or covering the seats and backs of palace furniture. But when it's cut and pieced together to perfection in the hands of a capable designer, it gets an upgrade from couch upholstery to couture. Unfortunately, while the tailoring of Catherine's Jane Troughton coat dress was impeccable and the periwinkle color very pretty, one little detail kept it from looking as luxurious as it should have.

There was a major disconnect between the doodle-style floral embroidery on the bodice of the coat and the vintage vibe of the fabric; the odd addition made it feel more suitable for a preteen princess in a Disney Channel original movie. Catherine also couldn't resist that royal urge to wear a silly fascinator, and it looked like hers was sprouting antennae. That's one (extremely unfashionable) way to let everyone know you're a future queen bee.

The design and fit of this dress are great, but the graphic zero-in-italics pattern was a bit loud for a wedding. It felt more suited to a night out partying at one of Princess Catherine's pre-princess haunts, like Boujis nightclub, where she was actually photographed wearing it. Catherine was on a break from William at the time and was enjoying a night out with her sister, Pippa Middleton.

But by the time Catherine showed up to Sam Waley-Cohen and Annabel Ballin's 2011 wedding, she had married her prince. She made sure her headwear game was on point with that architectural mesh Sylvia Fletcher hat, which was arguably more stylish than any of the tiaras we've seen Catherine wear. Still, her Zara sheath dress didn't feel royal. The bold print is something you might see in a makeup commercial designed to grab viewers' attention — you almost expect Catherine to whip out some mascara and tell you to "get the London look."

Princess Catherine's color story at Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling's 2026 wedding was nothing to get excited about, and her tweed dress wasn't exactly groundbreaking — conservative coat dresses with A-line skirts and buttons are one of Catherine's wardrobe workhorses, after all. But there were a few things about the Roland Mouret garment that kept it from being bland. In addition to the buttons, the pleats, belt, and collar with raw edges gave it extra dimension. Sure, the fringe read a little dish towel, but it also brought a charming homespun quality to Catherine's look.

The dress was also apparently new, and it's highly unusual for Catherine to debut a fresh 'fit at a wedding. Her Jane Taylor London hat was another addition that livened things up a bit, and she even wore it backward, which was an inspired choice. It showcased the folded fabric detail on the brim from an interesting angle, and the placement also ensured that it didn't distract from Catherine's lovely face as much.

The proportions didn't seem quite right when Princess Catherine paired a polka-dot skater dress with a Ralph Lauren coat for the May 2013 nuptials of William van Cutsem and Rosie Ruck Keene. However, this was because her outfit wasn't designed for a pregnant woman, and Catherine was just a little over two months away from giving birth to Prince George.

After learning that Catherine suffered from severe morning sickness during her pregnancy, it was great to see her having fun with maternity fashion. She didn't ditch her heels for the special occasion, and she completed her outfit with a jaunty Vivien Sheriff hat that was a little bit reptilian and avian with its scale-like design and feather accents. The ensemble had a lot of fans, as Catherine's affordable Topshop dress quickly sold out online.

In some photos from Harry Meade and Rosie Bradford's October 23, 2010, wedding, Princess Catherine is grinning like the cat who got the cream, and for good reason: She had just learned that she had her own wedding to plan. Unbeknownst to the public, Prince William had proposed to her days earlier, so she probably had "something blue" on the brain when she chose her outfit, and it wasn't whatever the bride would wear to fulfill one of the requirements of that popular old wedding rhyme.

William had given his future bride Princess Diana's sapphire engagement ring, so the color of Catherine's jewel-toned dress could have been a nod to her exciting new accessory. It's also possible the royal blue hue was inspired by her future regal status. Whatever the case, the color was absolutely gorgeous — then she had to go and cover some of it up with a faded black blazer. The garment had a corporate vibe that significantly dialed down the wow factor. But Catherine was joining The Firm, so perhaps the choice was fitting.

Perhaps you've noticed by now that it's rare to see Princess Catherine wear colorful prints to weddings. That's one reason this 2008 ensemble, which she chose for Lady Rose Windsor and George Gilman's wedding, is such a standout in her fashion archives. Her knee-length dress' flowy design blended the watercolor pattern's blues, pinks, blacks, and whites when she moved, making the lively garment spring to life. It also featured a neckline that dipped a little lower than we're used to seeing on her wedding guest looks. Over the dress, she wore a chic pale blue jacket that featured notch details and three-quarter-length sleeves.

Catherine's light and airy look was one of Lindka Cierach's creations. Cierach famously designed Sarah Ferguson's wedding gown, and she was reportedly working on a custom look for Carole Middleton when she needed a mother-of-the-bride dress in 2011. However, Middleton had a major falling out with the designer, according to the Daily Mail, and she made a last-minute call to wear a different dress. Cierach later ditched her couture career and decided to become a healer, telling the Mail in 2015, "I used to get very drained by being with difficult people." It's a real pity, too, because it would have been great to see Catherine in more of her designs.

Based on the outfit Princess Catherine put together for Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mark Tomlinson's 2013 wedding in Arosa, Switzerland, the weather was a bit chilly that day. However, Catherine exuded warmth in her fur-trimmed coat and pillbox hat. Her outfit's rich and luxurious color palette was espresso and cream, bringing to mind a piping hot mocha latte. It complemented her chocolatey tresses perfectly.

Catherine also wore a Max Mara dress featuring a blurred leopard-print pattern. When combined with her coat's strong, structured shoulders and hat's throwback quality, it was giving early adopter of the mob wife aesthetic — if said mob wife had impeccable taste and knew how to properly spend her husband's ill-gotten gains. Carmela Soprano might be a Y2K fashion icon, but she lacked this level of class.

Remember when Pippa Middleton wore that white dress to Princess Catherine's wedding and almost upstaged her sister on the world stage? Well, some fans likely felt that Catherine returned the favor when Middleton and James Matthews tied the knot in 2017. At the wedding, Catherine was a vision in her tea-length blush gown, which featured bishop sleeves with long cuffs, a deep V-neck, and peplum-like flaps at the waist. The only strike against it was that the gathering on the bust made it look baggy.

The dress, which was designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, definitely screamed princess. Because it matched the wedding decor, it also looked especially amazing when photographed near the roses that were so artfully arranged around the entrance to St Mark's Church. Catherine's hat even featured an exquisite fabric rose as the cherry on top of this treat of a look.

Princess Catherine doesn't often wear bright colors to weddings, so when she does, they really make an impact. Her list-topping wedding guest look is also the most vivid of the bunch, a berry-hued Alexander McQueen confection that she wore to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's 2018 wedding. Like the runner-up, it was also designed by Sarah Burton.

While Catherine opted for a monochromatic look, her outfit was anything but one-note. Instead, several striking flourishes harmonized to create a joyous symphony for the eyes. They included the sleeve's muted leg-of-mutton design and the pleating on the neckline and skirt, which was gathered and folded at the waist to create a unique textural detail. Her velvet pumps and matching clutch were sumptuous additions that made her overall look feel even more indulgent, and she wasn't finished serving yet. Catherine crowned herself with a gorgeous Philip Treacy hat that featured floral accents and a birdcage veil. But the best thing about the winning look is how its color really brought out Catherine's natural radiance.