Kate Middleton Coronation Robe: All About Its Meaning

Jul 08, 2023

The future queen wore a blue robe to reflect her status as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

There was much speculation about what Kate Middleton would wear to the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla — and her wardrobe delivered.

The Princess of Wales arrived in a formal robe, wearing the Royal Victorian Order mantle reflecting her status as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. Queen Elizabeth named her granddaughter-in-law as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, the highest possible rank, in 2019 — and the news occurred on Kate and Prince William's 8th wedding anniversary. The Royal Victorian Order was created by Queen Victoria in 1896 to allow her to recognize people who helped her or represented her. The ruling monarch personally selects who is given the honor.

At the request of the King and Queen, Prince William and Princess Kate both wore formal robes and mantels for the historic occasion.

The robe largely covered up her gown, a dress by Alexander McQueen (who was behind her 2011 wedding gown) in ivory silk crepe with silver bullion and thread work embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs to signify the four nations of the U.K.

Princess Charlotte, 8, matched her mom in an Alexander McQueen dress with similar designs.

Queen Camilla's attire was similar — and that was done deliberately, royal embroiderer Chloe Savage exclusively tells PEOPLE.

"Kate and Camilla together were involved," says the expert embroiderer, who was previously tapped for both Princess Kate and Meghan Markle's royal wedding gowns.

"The whole floral theme, if you look at the train of Camilla, her Robes of State which were custom done, full of floral embroidery. If you noted, all the girls wore floral themes. Floral runs through consistently as a royal family theme down to Meghan's veil. It's all significant, what gets used," she says of the symbolism on display at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.

Savage had a hand in Kate and Camilla's formal coronation robes, saying "months" were spent on the ceremonial vestments, and contributed to the Princess of Wales' floral silver headpiece. The Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen topper featured silver bullion, crystal and silver thread work with three-dimensional leaf embroidery — and a mini version was made for Princess Charlotte!

"Everyone had a bit of a go because they needed so many flowers and leaves," Savage says of her embellishments.

As the wife of Prince William, heir to the throne, Princess Kate kept the focus on Queen Camilla on coronation day by not wearing a traditional tiara — but the Princess of Wales still needed a regal headpiece.

When deciding on what Kate would wear on her head, hats were ruled out, Savage tells PEOPLE: "Of course hats aren't going to work when you're going to be photographed from above. It's going to get in the way of everything, so hats were a no-go."

And with a tiara out, "custom headpieces was a sensible route. And of course, Kate matched her and Charlotte's."

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Another fun matching moment? Savage, a graduate of Paris' prestigious École Lesage embroidery school, also notes that "Charlotte's dress is also a miniature of the one the [Queen's Companions] wore, in the same cream satin."

(The Queen's sister Annabel Elliot and friend Fiona Mary Petty-Fitzmaurice stepped into the spotlight to support her as Queen's Companions, a modern spin on Queen Elizabeth's six maids of honor from her 1953 crowning.)

"I suspect it's a bolt of fabric," she continued. "I suspect they bought one specific bolt, and it's all from the same because they're absolutely dead matching. There's no way that's by accident."