Kate Middleton’s Royal Blue Dress in Scotland Was Full of Meaning

Kate Middleton and Prince William are sending a sartorial message in Glasgow, Scotland, where they are currently attending the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. At a reception for winners of the Earthshot Prize, William’s initiative to find creative climate change solutions, the pair both wore blue outfits adorned with red poppies, and the symbolic meaning couldn’t be clearer.

Middleton wore a royal blue coat dress from London-based brand Eponine, per Harper’s Bazaar, accented with Rupert Sanderson heels and blue topaz earrings by Kiki McDonough, according to People. It seems the blue was intentional, as William also wore the hue, albeit in a navy tone. Together, the pair visually referenced our shared “blue marble,” and we can’t help but think there’s a bit of an oceans vibe as well. They both wore red poppy brooches, a symbol of remembrance in the UK. 

And as one Twitter user pointed out, the dress is past season. “Makes sense for sustainability. She’s probably had this piece a while.” 

In a video message for the conference, Queen Elizabeth II, William’s grandmother, wore bright grass green, plus a butterfly pin. Gives a new meaning to the term Earth tones.

Earlier in the day, the pair visited Alexandra Park Sports Hub in Dennistoun to meet with scouts, grill veggie burgers, sprinkle flower seeds and learn bicycle maintenance skills, per Yahoo! According to their source, Kate Middleton’s vest was from the brand Ganni and made from 100% recycled polyester. 

Her mother-in-law, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla, later recycled buttons from a different outfit onto her Bruce Oldfield dress for the reception that evening, according to Hello! These are small steps toward sustainability, but they at least demonstrate an awareness of the problem of limited resources.

As William put it while speaking at the Earthshot event, “If we are to achieve our goal to repair our planet in what is now less than a decade, it is our shared responsibility to continue thinking differently, acting boldly, and making the impossible, possible.”