The Subtle Message the Prince and Princess of Wales Are Sending with Their Clothes in Boston This Week

(Image credit: Getty)

published 2 December 2022

Royal drama continued (as ever) to swirl as the Prince and Princess of Wales touched down in Boston yesterday for their first U.S. tour since 2014. The couple stepped off the plane Wednesday afternoon to news that Prince William’s godmother, Susan Hussey, had resigned her longstanding role as a lady-in-waiting at Buckingham Palace amid disturbing accusations of racism. The next day, Thursday, the trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s forthcoming Netflix docuseries—simply titled Harry & Meghan—dropped, taking even more attention away from the work surrounding environmentalism William and Catherine were in Boston to undertake.

And while the Palace has recently said it wanted less focus on Catherine’s clothes and more on her work—understandable—she and husband William were sending a clear message through their sartorial choices on the first two days of their U.S. tour: the two of them are a united front.

The two stepped off the plane (a commercial flight, no less) at Boston Logan International Airport on Wednesday wearing coordinating navy suits, Catherine in a cropped Alexander McQueen blazer over a turtleneck, paired with ankle-length pants. (Catherine also wore this same suit two other times this year: the bubblegum pink version in June, and an all-white version in August.) William chose a blue tie to wear with his suit.

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Their first engagement of the tour took them to Boston’s City Hall, where William gave remarks alongside Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Governor-Elect Maura Healey. Again, the prince and princess coordinated their looks, William wearing a tie to match Catherine’s Burberry tartan dress and Alexander McQueen coat. To wrap up the evening, the couple went from navy to green to blue, Catherine in a vintage blue Chanel jacket, with William in a coordinating blue button down.

Then, on Thursday at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Massachusetts and Roca in nearby Chelsea, a new coordinated color: maroon this time, Catherine in a burgundy Roland Mouret suit and pink pussybow blouse; William’s matching sweater made it abundantly clear and obvious—they’re standing together sartorially (and otherwise).

So far, the only break in color coordinating across the visit happened at their third and final engagement on Thursday, to Boston Harbor. The Waleses bundled up to face the chilly temperatures in parallel looks, both in long coats and scarves crossed identically. Catherine’s double-breasted Alexander McQueen trench coat was dark brown with an orange knit Gabriela Hearst turtleneck dress underneath, while William wore a dark blue coat and a blue scarf with navy trousers. Catherine wore gloves; William, despite the freezing temperatures, did not. Kathy Abbott, CEO of Boston Harbor Now, offered William a hand warmer, which he declined, laughing and saying “I don’t want to be rude. I’m keeping them [his hands] in my pockets—when I can feel them again, it will be better.” Catherine pointed to her own brown gloves and looked happy to have opted to wear them.

Even as drama surrounds them, the couple has made it clear: we’ve got each other.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.