Kate Middleton Already Preparing To Be A Queen; Modernizing Her Image As 'Powerful' But 'More Casual'
Kate Middleton's sartorial shift in recent months may hint at the kind of queen she wants to be when she and Prince William eventually take the throne.
The Princess of Wales has been switching up her style and modernizing her image as she takes on more responsibilities in the British monarchy following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year.
She has traded her traditional coat and frilly dresses for more modern looks, including power suits and casual outfits, to reflect her more prominent role.
"Kate feels the spotlight more than ever since the queen's passing," one unnamed source told Us Weekly. "She's in a new phase of her life, and she wants her image and actions to reflect that. Kate used to portray the perfect, feminine wife, mother and caregiver. Now she wants to be seen as a powerful and kind humanitarian leader."
"Kate wants people to see her as a strong leader, someone who's capable of taking the title of queen into a new generation," the insider added.
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According to the source, Princess Kate met with stylists and other team members following Queen Elizabeth's death to discuss an image revamp.
Part of the plan entails swapping long dresses and heels for items like "pants, more casual shirts and less high-priced clothing" along with "more accessible pieces," the insider explained.
Brilliant to see the close-knit partnership between Standfast & Barracks and House of Hackney here in Lancaster.
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But Princess Kate isn't only making changes to her wardrobe.
As shown by her visit to a London school in February for her Place2Be charity, the future queen has been "much more 'boots on the ground'" during royal engagements, the source added.
Page Six pointed out that since Sept. 8, which marked the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's death, Princess Kate has worn mostly blazers and pants to royal engagements, including a beige Roland Mouret trouser suit to a September visit to a London charity and a bright yellow L.K. Bennett jacket and black pants to the Royal Foundation event Exploring our Emotional Worlds last month.
The young people here today have been nominated by ten leading mental health and youth charities to talk about specific challenges and the solutions their generation needs.
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Royal historian Jessica Storoschuk suggested to Page Six Style last month that Middleton's sartorial shift could have been brought about by the passing of Queen Elizabeth, who "rarely wore trouser suits for official engagements."
"As we are now firmly in the King's reign, Catherine is now starting to establish herself in her new role as Princess of Wales," Storoschuk explained. "Her trouser suits could be seen as a visual cue of her professional approach to her new position in the family."
