Kate keeps to royal fashion tradition with emerald arrival

The Duchess of Cambridge has followed royal tradition by arriving for her first official visit to Ireland dressed in the republic’s national colour.

Kate emulated the Queen and Duchess of Sussex by wearing green, in a symbolic gesture to the country.

The duchess was dressed in a stylish emerald green coat by Catherine Walker and a patterned lighter green dress by Alessandra Rich, with matching green clutch bag.

In 2011, the Queen made a historic trip to Ireland – the first by a British monarch since the nation gained independence from Britain.

Her jade green ensemble stood out as she carried out visits in Dublin.

It was created by Stewart Parvin and consisted of a crepe coat and silk jade green and blue floral dress.

The Queen in Ireland
The Queen in Ireland

Her matching hat was designed by Rachel Trevor-Morgan and featured hand-made roses.

Meghan opted for emerald green for her arrival in Dublin in 2018, as she and the Duke of Sussex carried out their first overseas tour as a married couple.

The American former actress, who is now quitting as a senior royal, wore a fitted block-colour Givenchy dress for the occasion.

Harry and Meghan
Harry and Meghan

The Duchess of Cornwall chose a turquoise jacket and skirt when she carried out her first official visit to Ireland in 2015.

The Prince of Wales and Camilla have made five joint visits to Ireland over the past five years, a sign of the closer Anglo-Irish relations ushered in by the Queen’s tour.

On official trips, the monarch often uses her outfits as a diplomatic tool, complimenting host nations by incorporating national colours or emblems.

Royal visit to Ireland 2015
Royal visit to Ireland 2015

At a state dinner in Lahore during the 1961 tour of Pakistan, she wore a magnificent duchesse-satin gown in ivory and emerald green, the national colours of the country.

In India in 1997, the Queen was seen in saffron – one of the colours of the Indian flag and a holy colour for Sikhs – as she visited the Sikh shrine of the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

The Queen in India
The Queen in India

For her 1974 tour of Australia, designer Ian Thomas created a dress and cape of bright yellow silk-chiffon, embroidered with sprays of wattle, the national flower of Australia.

A few years later, on a visit to Canada for the 1976 Montreal Olympics, one of the Queen’s gowns was embroidered with stylised Olympic rings.

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