Princess Kate's Elie Saab Gown in Jordan Was an "Unusual" Choice

Prince William and Princess Kate in Jordan

(Image credit: Photo by Shutterstock)

published 2 June 2023

Prince William and Princess Kate just made a surprise appearance at the royal wedding of Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan and, true to herself, the Princess of Wales gave us an important lesson in wedding-guest dressing.

The royal fashion icon stunned in a long-sleeve, mock-neck dusty pink gown with stunning lace embellishments, designed by Elie Saab. Paired with statement drop earrings and a gold clutch bag, the dress looked absolutely sumptuous on the princess.

Now, a royal fashion commentator is asking the hard questions: whether Princess Kate was inspired by the Barbiecore trend when choosing her look. I mean... yes and no, right?

"Kate wore pink for the third time in the last week or so, which is an unusual move for the princess," Miranda Holder told Express.

"A wedding of course is the celebration of love, making pink the perfect color to continue this theme, but it is indeed intriguing that the Princess has worn this color three times in a row."

Another of these times was when Kate rewore a pink dress by ME+EM for the Chelsea Flower Show in London recently.

"We know enough about the inner workings of the royal wardrobes to understand that this is no coincidence, so perhaps the Palace is wanting to position Kate as a softer, gentle princess for the rest of this year," Holder suggested. "Perhaps in anticipation of a new role within the Firm."

"Her appropriately modest Elie Saab gown with high neck, flared cuffs and beautiful embroidery and ruching detailing on the bodice looked sophisticated without being ostentatious," the expert commented, adding that this "feels very different in tone to the power suit-wearing business-like Kate we witnessed at the beginning of the year."

The Princess of Wales, clad in a bright pink suit, visits the Foundling Museum on May 25

Here, Holder is likely referencing Kate's foray into the business world in early 2023, on behalf of the Business Taskforce for Early Childhood.

Kate and William's visit to Jordan was unexpected, and has unfortunately come with a bit of a tense-looking moment, but hopefully all's well that ends well on that front.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.

Stay In The Know