The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot today. Catherine attended the parade for the first time as the new Colonel of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards (the outgoing Colonel is Prince William!).
For this event, the princess wore a vibrant turquoise coat and matching hat described by the milliner as, “A wonderfully romantic hand-sculptured heart-shaped cocktail hat. Made from a luxurious felt with a matching pleated crin detail which fans around this stunning-shaped hat.”
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Kate often wears green for this event but the deep teal is a brilliant choice, not only because it looks lovely on her but because it stands out so well at this parade while still being visibly connected to the traditional green. The familiar scale of this design works well on her and the crin trim gives lovely lift and liveliness.
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Milliner: bespoke version of the Clio design by Jane Taylor. Coat by Catherine Walker
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Prince William wore the uniform and cap of Colonel of the Irish Guards.
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What do you think of the Princess of Wales’ new hat?
Images from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
I did wonder if this was too blue of a turquoise/teal for St. Patrick’s Day, but upon learning blue was the original color for the saint, this makes more sense for the occasion. Otherwise it’s a fantastic ensemble for Kate, and it was nice to see her wear her hair down and relaxed for something different. Nothing more to say other than brava!
The design, fabrics & colour of the hat make a fantastic combination – lots of visual interest – and suit her wonderfully.
I also like the design of her coat/dress but find use of the same colour throughout the look too flat & boring: perhaps incorporating some yellow/orange tones to either the hat & shoes or coat/dress could have enlivened the overall effect.
A very pretty hat, and a really striking colour. There are lots of very considered touches here for this special occasion for Kate, such as the four buttons echoing the Guards’ jackets which is really impressive.
This hat made me think of another one from the same milliner; https://royalhats.net/2014/08/04/european-royals-commemorate-ww-i-in-belgium/
What’s really striking in the contrast between the two for me is the much sharper and indeed chic-er approach to big occasion dressing Kate has moved to; the whole look is so much more cohesive and striking. She really does nail this dress code whilst still staying true to her own individual style.
I agree! Very sharp, with lots of attention to meaningful details.
Beautiful ensemble, love the hat.
Another blog (What Kate Wore) notes that the colour of the Pr of W’s outfit matches the plume colour of the regiment; blue was the colour originally associated with St. Patrick.
The pleated crin trim even looks a little like the plume, too. Add in the coat’s buttons in groups of 4 (as the Irish Guards wear on their scarlet tunics) and you have a lovely ensemble, perfect for taking her first salute as Colonel of the Irish Guards. You can tell that Kate and her team pay attention to the little details.
Another reason why this was such a great colour choice for this event.
I do really like the hat with this trim. The coat is equally beautiful until you see the length. The royal ladies have been wearing this length but it is not breathtaking in any way. Kate is way too slim for this style. I hope it stops.
Fabulous! Beautiful outfit overall and Princess Catherine looks radiant. The hat is perfect in its simplicity.
Totally fabulous … and she matched her buttons (groups of four) to the Irish Guards’ uniform … wow!
That button detail (groupings of 4) is incredibly considered!