The Firm was quick to jump to Princess Kate’s defense after false rumors surfaced regarding her fashion protocol – and they’re keen to protect her in any other ways possible, too, as she continues to ease her way back to full royal duty.
“There’s a huge feeling amongst not just the royal family but also within all the people that work for them, that Kate can do no wrong, so of course everyone is appalled that she’s even being questioned over this,” a source exclusively tells In Touch. “She’s being told by everyone to totally ignore the detractors and continue to do what makes her feel comfortable.”
The controversy arose after a report in the Sunday Times published on February 1 – which was later disputed by Kensington Palace on February 11 – seemed to imply that the Palace would no longer release details about the Princess of Wales’ outfits during her public appearances now that she’s recovered from her cancer treatment.
The quote in question came from a spokesperson for the royals, who said, “There is an absolute feeling that the [public work] is not about what the princess is wearing … She wants the focus to be on the really important issues … Do we need to be officially saying what she is always wearing? No.”
Many outlets then stepped in to criticize the princess, specifically for seemingly ignoring public interest in her fashion, but the Palace quickly stomped them out.
“Over the last week, I have received numerous questions about a story regarding the Princess of Wales’ clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits,” the same spokesperson said. “To clarify, the comments in the article were from me, not from the Princess of Wales … To be clear there has been no change in approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness’ clothing.”
The source assures that if Kate “wants to share information about the brands and designers that she’s wearing,” then the royal press office “will happily share that information and if she chooses not to, they will absolutely back her.”
Princess Kate’s fashion has been making headlines since she first got together with Prince William in the early 2000s. For over 20 years, Kate, 43, has faced criticism, praise and every reaction in between for her clothing. While it’s clear many royal fans take her outfits very seriously, “The fact that it’s even being turned into an issue is just outrageous, in a lot of people’s view,” the source adds. “William is especially incensed, he can’t believe after all she’s been through over the past year that anyone would dare try and make her feel bad, or like she’s made some sort of protocol mistake.”
Kate, who briefly took time away from her royal duties to undergo chemotherapy, announced her cancer was in remission in January 2025 as she rejoined her heir-apparent husband, William, 43, during public events and philanthropic outings. She’s become one of the most important royals regarding their relationship to the public and the press, which is why the source notes this false story is so infuriating for the whole family.
“There’s literally no one in the family that’s more aware of protocol and always follows it to the letter,” the insider insists. “Not only that, but this is all coming to the fore because of a desire to have more focus on the charity work she’s doing, so it speaks pretty poorly of the people that are questioning this, it’s very disheartening and Kate’s got full approval to just ignore the fuss and do as she pleases going forward.”
“If she wants to share details on what she’s wearing it’s her prerogative, full stop.”
