Princess Kate breaks mould with striking post wedding outfit

The Princess of Wales may have embodied a storybook bride on her 2011 wedding day but her “going away” look the next morning told a different, and rather unexpected, style story.

Just hours after dazzling the world in her iconic Alexander McQueen bridal gown, Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, stepped out of Buckingham Palace hand in hand with Prince William for a short pre-honeymoon getaway in the UK before the couple jetted to the Seychelles a month later.

Gone was the sweeping ivory train and tiara; in its place, a floaty purple-blue dress with a belted waist and a hemline daringly above the knee. 

She teamed the look with a cropped black jacket and matching black patent wedges for an April departure, when lighter summer tones typically start to take centre stage.

The choice may have broken from traditional post wedding attire, but it has earned praise from celebrity fashion stylist Angela Kyte, who called it a confident, modern move that showcased Kate’s personal flair.

“Kate’s going away outfit after her royal wedding is a masterclass in understated elegance and a deliberate departure from the grandeur of her bridal gown,” celebrity fashion stylist Angela Kyte told HELLO!.

She explained how the cobalt-blue dress, cinched at the waist and paired with a tailored black cropped jacket, offered a blend of modern practicality and refined sophistication. 

The colour choice, Kyte noted, was no accident: not only did it echo the deep sapphire of Kate’s engagement ring, but it also symbolised loyalty, fidelity, and stability.

“The black jacket brings structure and formality,” Kyte added, “balancing the softness of the dress with a grounded, polished finish.”