All hail the queen (or princess, rather) of the royal rewear.
After skipping the BAFTA Awards in 2021 and 2022, Kate Middleton made her return to the event’s red carpet Sunday, clad in a white Alexander McQueen dress fans will certainly find familiar.
The Princess of Wales actually first wore the Grecian-style gown, which originally featured floral appliqués at the shoulder, on the 2019 BAFTAs carpet, accessorizing with a pair of Princess Diana’s diamond-and-pearl drop earrings, the Queen Mother’s Diamond Quatrefoil Bracelet, a crystal-embellished Alexander McQueen clutch and glittery Jimmy Choo pumps.
For the dress’ second outing four years later, Middleton swapped out the flowers at the shoulder for a flowing length of white chiffon fabric.
She also completely changed the look and feel of the gown by adding black velvet opera gloves, a matching black Jimmy Choo clutch, gold Aquazzura pumps and Zara’s Cascading Flower Earrings — the latter originally a steal at $28, though they’re now sold out.
Middleton also went with a different hairstyle this time around, trading the more formal updo she wore in 2019 for sleek, straight, center-parted strands.
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The princess is a pro at recycling her old red carpet looks and giving them new leases on life; for her last BAFTA Awards appearance in 2020, she selected a white-and-gold McQueen gown she’d previously worn for a 2012 state dinner in Malaysia.
And after wearing an off-the-shoulder black Alexander McQueen dress to the 2017 BAFTAs, she converted the floral design into a cap-sleeved creation for a 2019 gala at London’s National Portrait Gallery.
But few of her red carpet rewears can compare with the lilac McQueen gown Middleton chose for the 2021 Earthshot Prize Awards, 10 years after debuting the design (albeit with a different belt) at a 2011 BAFTA Brits to Watch event.
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Designed by Sarah Burton, Alexander McQueen has long been a go-to label for the Princess of Wales, who famously wore a long-sleeved lace gown from the house on her wedding day in 2011.
Considering a McQueen evening gown can easily cost five figures, it’s nice to see Middleton getting her money’s worth.