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Business Insider

It’s tradition, darling – every year, the well-heeled of Britain don their finest suits, dresses and hats for the Royal Ascot.
The Berkshire racecourse for which the event is named – founded in 1711 by Queen Anne – naturally always hosts members of the royal family for the event. But Kate Middleton had been married to Prince William for more than five years before she made her debut.

Since her inaugural appearance in 2016, she’s been seen annually wearing elegant dresses, eye-catching hats and heirloom jewellery. For this year’s event, she stepped out in her boldest Ascot look to date with a vivid red dress by Alexander McQueen.
Here Style remembers Kate’s best race-day looks over the years.
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1. White lace Dolce & Gabbana dress, 2016

For her first Royal Ascot appearance, she wore an A-line dress by the Italian luxury label, which had a high neckline, long sleeves and a full skirt, with nude pumps by Gianvito Rossi, a woven clutch bag by LK Bennett and pearl drop earrings.
She previously wore the dress – which cost US$4,383, according to a 2016 Vanity Fair report – just a month earlier, at the Windsor Horse Race, where she paired it with a red coat from Zara.

For her hat – a Royal Ascot must – she wore a gold-hued number with a large cream rose. It was designed by one of her favourite milliners, Jane Taylor.
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2. Alexander McQueen dress with Queen Elizabeth’s earrings, 2017

The following year, she wore a similar white dress – this time by Alexander McQueen – that fell just below her knee – as royal protocol dictates.
“This year Kate made a return appearance, and … if you thought you were in fact looking at a picture of her at last year’s Royal Ascot, it would be understandable,” wrote Vanity Fair’s Josh Duboff in 2017, despite also noting that the latest dress had a higher neckline.
She accessorised the dress – which had a lace overlay reminiscent of her wedding gown – with suede nude Gianvito Rossi pumps and a Loeffler Randall clutch.

Her custom white hat was also similar to the 2016 design, although it had additional, delicate floral embellishments.
She also wore earrings reportedly borrowed from Queen Elizabeth.
3. Sky-blue Elie Saab dress with velvet polka dots, 2019

Known to recycle her best looks, the classy royal rewore this Elie Saab dress for a garden party at Buckingham Palace in March this year.
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The sky-blue dress features velvet polka dots, sheer sleeves and a large bow detail. She finished the look with a hat by royal favourite Philip Treacy.
Her topaz and diamond earrings were by Kiki McDonough.
4. Polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich, 2022

Beyond the polka dots, her 2022 outfit shared other elements with her 2019 look, from the cuff sleeves and fitted waist to the high neckline. This midi-length dress also had a pleated design across the chest.
She paired it with brown pumps and a brown clutch.
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She also wore a saucer-style hat by Sally-Ann Provan and a pair of diamond and pearl earrings that had once belonged to Princess Diana.
Her brown hat was designed by Sally-Ann Provan – another favourite milliner of the royals, and it featured white orchid embellishments.
5. A bold red dress by Alexander McQueen, 2023

Middleton returned to the races earlier this month in a dress featured a V-neckline, a belted waist and long sleeves with a slight puff. She wore coordinating red heels by Jennifer Chamandi.
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Her coordinating hat by Philip Treacy featured large flowers, keeping with her floral-hat theme, and she finished the look with a pair of black and gold earrings by Sézane – a departure from the heirloom jewellery she’s worn to the event in the past.
This article originally appeared on Insider.
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5 times Kate Middleton rocked regal fashion at Royal Ascot: the Princess of Wales’s best looks, starring designer dresses by Dolce & Gabbana, and Alexander McQueen – and Queen Elizabeth’s earrings

Kate Middleton’s Royal Ascot looks over the years. Photo: Getty Images; WireImage

Britain’s Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, arrive for the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse on June 23. Photo: AP

Kate Middleton debuted at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England, in June 2016. Photo: Getty Images

Kate Middleton wore a Jane Taylor hat at Royal Ascot in 2016. Photo: Getty Images

Kate Middleton wore a similar white dress at the Royal Ascot in 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Kate Middleton reportedly borrowed Queen Elizabeth’s earrings at Royal Ascot in 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Catherine, the then-Duchess of Cambridge attends Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse in June 2019. Photo: Samir Hussein

Kate Middleton completes her look with a Philip Treacy hat. Photo: @princeandprincessofwales/Instagram

Catherine, the then-Duchess of Cambridge attends Royal Ascot in June 2022. Photo: Samir Hussein

Kate Middleton wore earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana to the Royal Ascot in June 2022. Photo: Getty Images

Britain’s Princess of Wales waves to the crowd as she walks from the Parade Ring at the Royal Ascot on June 23. Photo: AP

Kate Middleton did not wear heirloom jewellery at this year’s Royal Ascot. Photo: AP

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Kate Middleton and Britain’s late Queen Elizabeth both wear hats to a children’s sports event in 2012. Photo: AP

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Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh on the day of their coronation at Buckingham Palace, Britain, in 1953. Photo: Getty Images

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Kate Middleton, then Duchess of Cambridge, in her Alessandra Rich for a D-Day exhibition at Bletchley Park, England. Photo: Sopa Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Kate Middleton and US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin arrive for a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in June 2019, in London, England. Photo: WPA/Getty Images

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Kate Middleton attends day one of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse in June 2019, in Ascot, England. Photo: WireImage

Prince William and Kate Middleton visit the Aga Khan Centre in October 2019, in London, England. The visit was ahead of their royal tour to Pakistan. Photo: WireImage

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton arrive at Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, in October 2019. Photo Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Kate Middleton departs after attending the Royal Variety Performance with Prince William at the London Palladium in November 2019, in London, England. Photo: WireImage

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