We’re Still Thinking About The Form-Fitting Cocktail Dress Kate Middleton Wore To The Coronation Eve Reception—Royal Blue Is Definitely Her Color!

Is royal blue Kate Middleton’s color of the year? After wowing fans in a stunning royal blue, one-shouldered Jenny Packham gown for a surprise Eurovision Song Contest appearance earlier this month, just a few weeks after dazzling them with a blue cocktail dress at a pre-coronation party, we’re going to say yes!

King Charles, 74, may have reportedly had a problem with the Princess of Wales, 41, potentially upstaging him at the coronation (spoiler alert: she did anyway!) but there wasn’t any talk of him worrying about her outfits in the lead up to it. And that’s probably a good thing, as Princess Kate definitely stole the show at the pre-coronation reception at Buckingham Palace on Friday, May 5th in a stunning royal blue ensemble we can’t stop thinking about several weeks later.

The Princess of Wales looked incredible in a Self Portrait midi dress in the most striking shade of royal blue, with a high knot-detail neckline and sparkly buttons on the sleeves and shoulders. Kate finished off her bold, chic and regal look with a silver Jenny Packham ‘Casa’ clutch bag, Aquazzura ‘Love Link’ 105 slingback pumps in a matching shade of blue, and sapphire and diamond fringe earrings which reportedly belonged to the late Queen Mother. Wow!

With its long sleeves, modest neckline, and chic silhouette, it looked like the traditional elegant dress we would expect the Princess of Wales to wear. However, the version you can buy in stores and online actually comes with quite a daring thigh-high front slit, which Kate reportedly had removed when she had the dress altered to make it more appropriate for the occasion. She is also thought to have modified the neckline too, to ensure no skin was exposed.

Of course, if Kate had decided to keep the slit, it wouldn’t have been the first time she dared to bare with a leg-grazing slit – who can forget her bright green Solace London dress from the Earthshot Prize Awards last year? – but we get why she went for a classic and demure modification on the eve of such a historic event.