How Queen made huge request of Kate after marriage exposed — ‘She’ll be watching closely’
KATE MIDDLETON was expected to make a huge change at the request of the Queen following her first few years of marriage, according to newly resurfaced reports.
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Kate has long been recognised for her sense of style and has become an icon within the fashion world. More recently, she has been credited with changing her appearance to appear more regal — with some critics even suggesting that she spent £200,000 to up her fashion game as she takes on more royal responsibilities. However, this was not the first time Kate altered her appearance in response to her royal life.
According to royal correspondent Katie Nicholl back in 2014, the Queen specifically decided that the Duchess of Cambridge’s royal wardrobe needed an upgrade.
Writing in The Mail on Sunday, she explained how Kate’s grandmother-in-law initiated a “subtle but significant regal makeover”.
She wrote: “The Duchess will deploy a couture wardrobe of day dresses with lower hemlines than she has previously favoured.
“She will be encouraged to wear the tiaras favoured by the Queen and Queen Mother and an aide is being lined up to help her with her wardrobe.
“Meanwhile, Her Majesty has offered the services of her most trusted member of staff, her personal dresser Angela Kelly, to help Kate prepare for her trip.”
Kate was expected to revamp her wardrobe prior to her tour of Australia, after she had been criticised for having a few mishaps with her dresses in the weeks leading up to it.
Ms Nicholl continued: “This forms part of a deliberate move to shift the Duchess’ image from High Street to high end, timeless Royal elegance — without losing her freshness and informality.”
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Ms Kelly dressed the Queen for countless occasions and overseas engagements for more than 20 years.
She became the monarch’s personal assistant, advisor and curator.
A Palace source told Ms Nicholl: “Angela has been asked to start selecting jewels ahead of the trip.
“She knows most of the pieces in the Queen’s private collection.
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“Her understanding is crucial because this trip will be about Kate appearing more royal than ever — you can expect to see a lot more tiaras and the Queen will be watching closely.”
As the future Queen consort, Kate is expected to uphold the values of the Royal Family.
In 2014, the “frilled, girlish frocks” she enjoyed were outlawed, because they reportedly detracted from her new image.
She was allowed to take statement jewels from the Queen’s personal collection, too.
This was a key turning point, as Kate is not from an aristocratic family — like Princess Diana was — and therefore does not have a family tiara.
Royal biographer Sarah Bradford pointed out why this particular tour was key for Kate’s position on the royal frontline, too.
She said: “The Queen has a strong relationship with Australia and New Zealand, and by sending the Duke and Duchess, she is projecting an image of the future.”
Kate’s presence with the-then nine-month-old Prince George would also have triggered the memory of Diana’s tour around Australia and New Zealand in 1983.
She took the unprecedented move of taking the then nine-month-old Prince William with her, and winning the hearts of the Commonwealth member state — just as Kate managed to do decades later, with George in tow.