Normally, Prince William and Kate Middleton are model members of the Royal Family. While Harry and Meghan are always causing headlines and doing their own thing, you can count on William and Kate to always say, do, and wear the right thing. After all, what else would you expect from the future King and Queen of England?
However, this wasn’t always the case. Both of them were young once, and like Harry, William has been known to party (and dance, albeit badly) on occasion. Meanwhile, Kate has been known to wear inappropriate outfits, including the naughty little number that helped her catch the eye of William when they were in college.
On one occasion, though, a young William had to put his foot down regarding one outfit he found seriously inappropriate. What was the outfit? What made it inappropriate, and how did Kate react to the future King’s criticism? Keep reading to find out!
William calls out Kate’s inappropriate outfit
So, what’s up with the Kate outfit that sent William into a tizzy? In February 2025, an anonymous royal dished on the matter to The Times. “Before Kate realized that as a senior royal, you have to dress carefully, having taken advice, she once bought an outfit that William considered inappropriate.”
Apparently, William didn’t hold back in his critique of Kate’s outfit. According to the royal insider, “He told Kate she looked as if she’d just run through a charity shop covered in superglue.” Not the kind of sentiment you’d expect to hear from the future King, and not something a girl sees as her happily ever after!
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How did Kate react to getting called out?
Obviously, Prince William wasn’t afraid to speak his mind to Kate about how inappropriate her outfit was. And he didn’t hold back using some fairly cheeky humor to do so. That brings us to the obvious question: how did Kate react to the call-out, especially considering that this apparently took place in front of other people?
That same anonymous royal gave the surprising answer to The Times. “Everyone thought this was very funny, including, to her credit, Kate.” This goes to show what a great sense of humor Kate Middleton really has. This took place back when she was new to the family, and she has obviously gotten a lot better at dressing like a future queen. Meanwhile, William has been at the center of controversies regarding everything from goofy dance moves to an alleged affair, and we can only hope Kate matched his energy when teasing him about these would-be scandals!
Kate’s history of wild outfits
Now, we know what you’re thinking: what the heck did Kate wear that William thought was so inappropriate? Sadly, the anonymous royal who discussed this didn’t spill the beans on exactly what Kate wore that set her husband off. However, based on the somewhat scandalous wardrobe Kate rocked before joining the Royal Family, we can make some educated guesses.
Kate’s pre-Buckingham Palace wardrobe can be mostly summed up with one word: “legs.” From her pre-honeymoon blue dress to the yellow hot pants she wore for a charity roller disco (no, really!), Kate loved showing off her legs, which admittedly have always looked great. And during her brief break-up with William before they got back together, she wore a few “revenge dresses” that showed her at her leggy best.
Based on that, our best guess is that the outfit William hated so much was likely a colorful number that showed off her legs too much for his liking.
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Her wardrobe is all grown up now
These days, you rarely see Kate wearing anything cut above the knee. In fact, her wardrobe has gotten much more conservative over the years. Is this a result of William controlling what she wears? In all likelihood, Kate has simply grown up, and her wardrobe has grown up with her.
For example, Kate is far likelier to wear blazers, pantsuits, and other attire that is more befitting a future Queen than the party girl looks she had in college. She now looks much more relaxed and at peace with herself while still sporting outfits that perfectly accentuate her beautiful body.
Kate wants everyone to stop obsessing about her clothing
Obviously, everyone loves to know what Kate is wearing, which is why Buckingham Palace has historically provided updates about her wardrobe. But according to one insider, the palace is going to step back from letting us know about her clothing at Kate’s own request. According to the insider, Kate wants the public to focus more on what she’s doing rather than what she’s wearing.
“There is an absolute feeling that it [the public work] is not about what the princess is wearing,” the source told The Times. “She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people, and the causes she is spotlighting.”
Does this mean we won’t get more official fashion updates? Not necessarily. But the source says that Kate is thinking more about “substance” than “style” these days and desires for Palace messaging to reflect that. We get it, and let’s be honest…who would know more about both style and substance than Kate Middleton?
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