13 July 2023 , 11:45
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Her polished style of mixing high-end designer pieces with High Street bargains means the Princess of Wales' wardrobe is the envy of many.
The 'Kate effect' often sees the clothes she wears sell out as eager fans scramble to try to recreate her looks themselves at home, and it's rare she gets criticism for her mainly well-thought-out outfits.
But there have been two occasions where Kate appears to have made a blunder with one of her stunning designer pieces after it was spotted by eagle-eyed fans - but many praised her for it.
The first instance of this happening came in March 2019, when she visited the Henry Fawcett Children's Centre in south London. For the outing, she wore a pair of black wide-leg £130 trousers by high street brand Jigsaw along with a show-stopping Gucci pussy-bow blouse in purple.
Kate on a visit to the Henry Fawcett Children's Centre in 2019 (PA)
Kate wore a purple Gucci blouse (GC Images)But some pointed out Kate had actually worn wearing the eye-catching £795 silk blouse back-to-front as the buttons should have been at the back - not the front as Kate wore it. A description on the Net-a-Porter website confirmed that Kate wore the item the wrong way.
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That's because the description of the Gucci garment on the site read: "Cut from fluid silk-crepe, this style has a loose silhouette and features fabric-covered buttons that run down the back."
The blouse as shown on the Net a Porter website (Net a Porter)
The model wore it with buttons at the back (Net a Porter)But despite the blunder being noted at the time, it didn't stop Kate from wearing the blouse a second time - and again, she wore it with the buttons wrongly down the front. Kate rewore her blouse as she sat down to answer fans' questions on her early years research, 5 Big Insights on Instagram.
She had been working on the vital project for much of 2020, and more than half a million people answered her call to join the survey - making it the largest-ever response from the public to a survey of its kind.
But despite the mistake, many fans pointed out how they preferred the blouse how Kate wore it - even though it might not have been as intended.
Kate rewears the blouse in 2020In recent years, royal fans have seen Kate blossom from a quiet and reserved bride-to-be to a confidence-filled senior royal.
Kate is often described as the monarchy's greatest asset and, among royal fans, is a clear favourite member of the Firm. But how has she managed to carve out her role as an assured Queen-in-waiting?
Well, according to a royal expert, it is all down to the way she uses her 'soft power' of being strong and making her opinion count but at the same time being charming and gentle - much like the way her husband Prince William's great-grandmother, the late Queen Mother, used her influence.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, told OK! magazine: "People always used to describe the Queen Mother as 'steel in a velvet glove'. She was always charming, gentle and much admired. But, she was also the strength behind her husband, George Vl, and at the Palace, her opinion counted. I think Kate has some of those same qualities.
"She has learned the craft of being royal over a number of years and earned her place as a senior member of the family. Gradually, she has also earned the respect of the public and, I believe, of the rest of the family. We look at her now not just as William's wife, but as our future Queen."