Kensington Palace set record straight on Kate Middleton controversy following backlash

Kensington Palace has taken the rare step of issuing a fresh statement clarifying one of its policies regarding Princess Kate after facing a backlash from her fans

Kensington Palace issued a statement clarifying the official policy for sharing information about Princess Kate after a backlash over new guidance.

At the start of the month, the Sunday Times published an article titled “Princess of Wales: Focus on my work, not my wardrobe,” which quoted a royal source as saying that Kate “wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting”.

The report further stated she found it “frustrating and difficult” when the spotlight is instead on what she looks like rather than her work. On Tuesday, a Kensington Palace spokesperson responded with a rare statement where they insisted there was “no change in our approach to sharing information”.

They told the Mirror: “Over the last week, I have received numerous questions about a story regarding The Princess of Wales’s clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits.

“To clarify, the comments that appeared in the article were from me, not The Princess of Wales. The comments that were reported should not be directly attributed to The Princess of Wales. To be clear, there has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness’s clothing.”

Royal fans had been left disappointed by the possibility that the Palace would no longer share details of Kate’s clothing, with one expert admitting that his heart ‘sank’ when he heard the news. The Princess is considered a global style icon, with fashionistas rushing to buy whatever the Princess wears in record time.

As such, fans argued that Kate plays a key role in shining a spotlight on British designers and boosting the British fashion industry. Her endorsement was recently estimated to be worth £1bn annually to the fashion industry, according to Newsweek.

Kate has undergone a style shift in recent years. When she first embarked on royal life, the Princess relied heavily on floral dresses that were fitted and flared. But she now has a new fashion formula, and it’s boosted her style credentials even further.

The mum-of-three’s go-to outfit now typically consists of a beautiful tailored trouser suit, a T-shirt or blouse and pointed court shoes. It’s seen as an ideal choice for a modern-day Princess; polished and formal but also relaxed and understated with the addition of a more casual top.

According to a number of experts, the change in Kate’s style sends a clear message. “I think it marks a new era in her royal life,” Bethan Holt, fashion director at the Daily Telegraph told People magazine. “It shows her confidence is growing and that she’s willing to take more risks and do something that might not have come naturally to her.”

Bethan continued: “She’s transforming before our eyes. She might not be able to say to us, ‘Look, my life is now completely different, me and my husband are one step closer to the biggest job of his life,’ but she is saying that through her fashion choices.”

Her comments have been echoed by royal style expert Miranda Holder. ” Princess Kate ‘s image has definitely taken on a more business-like feel ever since she became the Princess of Wales; her more serious wardrobe reflecting the gravitas of her heavyweight role within the Firm,” she told HELLO! . “She has literally been rebranded in line with her new level of authority as the Princess of Wales and her position as our future Queen.”

Notably, Princess Kate is not the only royal to undergo a major style shift at a pivotal time in her life — so too did her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. “Diana had her own trouser suit moment in the late 1980s at a time when she wanted to be taken more seriously,” Holt further added. “She said to designers, ‘I’m sick of the frothy ball gowns — I want to wear menswear.’ And she had these fabulous power suit moments!”