Royal fashion review 2025: Kate's full-circle moment, Meghan tightens control and York sisters find their lane

Princess Kate

After a “brutal” 2024 for the Princess of Wales, 2025 became the year Kate’s wardrobe started speaking in a clearer register again.

The Princess of Wales had a full-circle moment on Christmas Day by re-wearing a coat she had worn on her first engagement in 2025.

On December 25 at Sandringham, Kate wore the brown check Blazé Milano coat that she had also appeared in at the hospital where she received cancer treatment and announced she was in remission.

Photographs of the two engagements side-by-side provide a clean piece of visual storytelling, perfectly amplified by the Princess of Wales.

Then came Trooping the Colour. Kate chose an aqua Catherine Walker coat dress with a white collar and lapel and a Juliette Botterill hat. The matching look with Princess Charlotte showed perfect clarity: fresh colour, sharp structure, and a look that was instantly recognisable on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Kate also dazzled at the 2025 state banquets. The mother-of-three wore tiaras at all three occasions: the French state visit on July 8, the US state visit on September 17, and the German state banquet on December 3. By doing so, Kate made a return to full ceremonial confidence.

For France and the US, she opted for Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot, a crowd-pleaser but also a serious heirloom that has become part of her working “future Queen” kit.

For Germany, Kate raised the stakes and debuted Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet, paired with a Jenny Packham gown.

That’s the move that defined Kate's 2025 fashion wardrobe, because it was not a casual choice. The debut prompted significant interest because the tiara had not been seen publicly for more than 20 years.

Furthermore, at her own Together at Christmas carol service, she wore a forest-green Catherine Walker coat dress reworn from earlier years. It was deliberate repetition, not wardrobe fatigue.

Taken together, Kate’s 2025 wardrobe was not about reinvention but about control — using repetition, ceremony and symbolism to tell a complete story from beginning to end.

Meghan Markle

Meghan’s 2025 fashion story was about control through selectivity. The Duchess of Sussex had fewer public moments, but still made an impact each time.

The Invictus Games in Canada were the biggest sustained run of looks, and the choices were consistent.

She wore Canadian brand Sentaler for the Invictus opening ceremony and also stepped out in a minimalist asymmetrical A.L.C. dress for an Invictus reception, a notable shift toward pared-back styling.

Outside Canada, Meghan made two New York trips. In April, she wore a tan Ralph Lauren linen suit, a silhouette that looked more suited to an office boardroom, as opposed to a working member of the Royal Family.

In October, the duchess visited New York again, this time opting for a Max Mara black coat with Hermès accessories, leaning into quiet, expensive-looking basics.

The Duchess of Sussex drew widespread attention with a surprise Paris Fashion Week appearance in two custom Balenciaga looks.

The minimalist outfits received extensive international coverage, mainly due to it being Meghan's first time back in Europe in two years.

The 2025 takeaway with Meghan is that she dressed like a brand owner and an international celebrity first. The point was not fitting into British royal style codes. The point appeared to be opting out of them.

Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice’s 2025 marked a turning point due to its consistency across very different diary moments.

At Royal Ascot, she wore a pink gingham set by Beulah London, a confident choice because it was playful without being silly.

In September at the BGC Group Charity Day, she switched gears completely in a black Ralph Lauren shirtdress. It read as serious and professional, without trying to come across as a working royal.

She also backed Princess Eugenie’s anti-slavery work at a September event in a Zara skirt she has owned for years, a reminder that Beatrice frequently rewears items already in her wardrobe.

At Christmas, she appeared polished in a Cara Cara houndstooth coat with a red hat and a small white handbag.

The tartan perfectly matched her sister, Eugenie, a deliberate show of unity that distanced them from the ongoing controversies surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.

Princess Eugenie

Eugenie’s 2025 was about sharper styling and a move away from the more eccentric outfits that characterised the princess and her older sister in the 2000s and 2010s.

At Royal Ascot, she wore a full white skirt with a beige cropped top and wide-brim hat, plus the return of her M2Malletier bag. This was the clearest example of her moving away from fussy detail.

On the final day of Ascot, she went the other way with colour, stepping out in a tangerine-orange look that was bold but still occasion-appropriate because of its simple silhouette.

At Cheltenham, Eugenie and her cousin Zara Tindall wore matching burgundy hats on Style Wednesday. It was a coordinated choice that generated notable coverage.

Zara Tindall

Zara Tindall remains the royal most likely to dress like a real British woman with a real calendar.

At Royal Ascot, her day-four look featured wide-leg trousers. This was notable as Zara did not default to wearing a dress due to protocol, underlining the freedom she has as a non-working royal.

At Kate’s carol service, she wore a midnight blue Alice + Olivia coat and Aquazzura heels, which was evening-appropriate and one of the most popular looks from the night.

With Beatrice and Eugenie absent, Zara was Prince William’s only Mountbatten-Windsor-side cousin to attend, ensuring her fashion was closely watched.

Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

Queen Camilla wearing the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik at the Diplomatic Corps reception was a standout fashion moment in 2025, because the tiara is inseparable from Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding day.

It was an unmistakable fashion vault statement: Her Majesty has access to any royal jewel, regardless of its recent associations.

At the German state banquet, Princess Anne wore the Cartier Aquamarine Pineflower tiara. In doing so, the Princess Royal complemented Sophie's aquamarine tiara, showing their close bond as two of the hardest-working royals.

GB News' 2025 royal fashion verdict

Kate dressed like a future Queen with increasing confidence and chose the year’s most meaningful symbols. Meghan dressed like a controlled global brand operating outside British royal codes. Beatrice and Eugenie professionalised their style, while Zara remained the most natural — and therefore the most relatable.