One of my favorite British expressions is “butter wouldn’t melt.” It’s used to describe someone with a fake-nice persona who is not-so-secretly a major pill or a cold, vindictive B. In recent days, we’ve gotten to see more of the Princess of Wales’ butter-wouldn’t-melt vibe. To be fair, she’s had that vibe for many years now. Kate’s mother Carole Middleton has also been described in the same way, so it seems like a Middleton trait. Catherine Mayer is writing openly about Kate “being capable of a coolness that sometimes chills.” Then there was Kate’s icy glare at Trooping the Colour. And now this – during Garter Day on Monday, Kate’s mask repeatedly fell and she looked like Cruella in a bad brocade coat.
Speaking of, Kate is being praised for “championing British fashion” because she… ordered a bespoke coat from a British dressmaker and made the guy add no fewer than TWENTY BUTTONS to it. She also codesigned the coat (that explains the buttons) and apparently she asked for that hip padding/pocket situation. Anything to make it look like she’s not built like a plank of wood, I guess.
The Princess of Wales put on a sartorial display at the 2026 Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle. Kate, 44, joined Prince William, the King and Queen, and other senior members of the Royal Family for the annual Service of the Most Noble Order of the Garter at St George’s Chapel on Monday.
For the occasion, she chose a custom coat dress by British designer Patrick McDowell, a piece she collaborated closely with him to create. Kate previously met the designer in May 2025 when she presented him with the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, recognising his commitment to sustainable fashion.
True to her signature elegant aesthetic, the mid-length honey-coloured coat dress featured a classic lapel collar, single-breasted front and angular pockets.
The unique design was crafted from a bespoke English rose silk damask, woven especially for the Princess by Stephen Walters & Sons in Sudbury, Suffolk, Britain’s oldest working silk mill. The golden-hued fabric features a subtle rose motif, paying homage to British heritage and craftsmanship.
Kate completed the look with a Jane Taylor wide-brimmed hat and Gianvito Rossi court shoes, while her brunette locks were styled in a half-up, half-down hairstyle, showcasing her sparkling Robinson & Pelham diamond drop earrings.
In keeping with McDowell’s commitment to sustainable fashion, the garment was created using precise pattern-cutting techniques to minimise fabric waste, while its internal construction allows it to be easily altered, repaired or repurposed for future engagements.
‘It has been a wonderful collaboration, developing one of my existing pieces with Stephen Walters, for Her Royal Highness,’ McDowell said in a press release.
“Commitment to sustainable fashion” – my good sir, this woman’s closet is basically an airplane hanger full of fussy, button-slathered coatdresses. Yes, this one is slightly different from the other fifty yellow/butter/off-white coats she has, but let’s not call this an ode to sustainability. Sustainability would be Kate simply wearing an old coat which we haven’t seen in years. I’m specifying “in years” because Kate sometimes makes a big show of repeating a look, but she’ll wear the same (ugly) dress twice in a month and it makes no sense. Anyway, the damask fabric is more suitable for a couch and the design is giving “we used to make coats out of our curtains during World War I.”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
