Sometimes, choosing the right outfit can feel stressful even for mere mortals.
Now imagine if the eyes of the world were watching, and stakes were high. For royals, this is a reality of their many state visits and royal tours.
The technique of diplomatic dressing is how they navigate this - and the likes of Queen Elizabeth II was a master at it. In its simplest form, it's about clothes which honour a host country, be it a subtle print or a shrewd choice of designer.
We break down everything you need to know about the subtle art of diplomatic dressing and the most memorable royal looks.
What is diplomatic dressing, and how have the royals mastered the art?
Diplomatic dressing can involve following local customs
Through the Princess of Wales' best looks over the years, we're used to certain style secrets and a familiar roster of designers. However, in the spirit of diplomatic dressing, royals like Princess Kate will happily swap the status quo and embrace local customs and practices.
In 2019, she made headlines for going barefoot and donning a traditional dupatta headscarf when visiting a mosque in Pakistan.
Diplomatic dressing can involve creative nods to country flags
Another foolproof way to do diplomatic dressing well is by letting a country's flag inspire one's fashion choices. The late Princess Diana did this impeccably during a tour of Japan in 1986.
Diana wore a dress featuring large red polka dots, a not-so-subtle nod to the Land of the Rising Sun.
When in Paris, think Chanel
A more subtle way of diplomatic dressing involves opting for designers native to the country in question.
And for visits to France, this is a great opportunity for style icons like the Princess of Wales to opt for some elegant Chanel designs.
For a trip to in 2017, Princess Kate paid homage to the legendary fashion house by wearing a multicoloured tweed blazer dress completed with a branded belt.
Marking history through intentional fashion
In 1986, the late Queen Elizabeth II added another moment to her historic, 70-year reign when she became the first British monarch to visit China.
Dressing accordingly, Her Majesty had a custom gown made for the event.
Dining with leader Deng Xiaoping, the Queen wore a specially created dress adorned with China's national flower, the tree peony, hand-beaded by Ian Thomas.
Queen Camilla in Dior
During King Charles and Queen Camilla's three-day state visit to France, Her Majesty dazzled in custom Dior during a dinner with President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte.
Camilla showcased the mastery of the French fashion house in a midnight blue gown with a cape, designed exclusively by Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Queen Elizabeth’s Maple Leaf brooch
During a visit to Canada in 2010, the late Queen Elizabeth offered a masterclass in honouring the country she was visiting. Not only was she wearing red and white – the colours of the flag – she not-so-coincidentally sported one of her most on-theme accessories, a Maple Leaf brooch.
Part of the illustrious collection of magnificent brooches, the Diamond Maple Leaf Brooch was made by Asprey and was first given to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 1939 ahead of her and King George VI's first royal tour of Canada.
Meghan Markle in Colombia
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, might not be a working royal anymore, but in 2024, she and Prince Harry still enjoyed a highly-publicised four day trip around Colombia.
Showing a fresh, modern way of diplomatic dressing when not officially representing a country, Meghan made sure to wear the designs of upcoming designers from the region.
One of her standout dresses was a bold, colourful print dress made by Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz.
Princess Kate puts a spotlight on Singapore designers
In 2012, the now Prince and Princess of Wales went on a tour of Singapore on behalf of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.
Embracing the bright colours and floral designs evocative of Singapore, Princess Kate started the tour off strong with a unique and unforgettable purple dress by designer Prabal Gurung.
Local customs in local fashion
During their tour of India, Kate Middleton didn't just master diplomatic dressing, she one-upped this by carrying out the local pastime while wearing local designs.
The Princess of Wales - known for her sporting prowess - joined in with local children for a cricket game.
Wearing a colourful, print gown by Indian fashion designer Anita Dongre, there were reports that the 'Kate Middleton effect' happened afterwards and the designers website crashed afterwards due to the surge in demand.
The shamrock brooch
A Shamrock brooch has become as much a tradition at the St Patrick's Day Parade as the appearance of Seamus, the mascot dog.
The dainty brooch has plenty of history with the royals, having been worn by Princess Anne and the Queen Mother in the past.
However, due to her appointment as Colonel of the Irish Guards, Catherine wears it for her annual St Patrick’s Day visit and other related appearances.
Queen Elizabeth embraces La La Land
While on a visit to California, visiting President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy in 1983, the late Queen Elizabeth commissioned a special gown with a nod to the land.
She wore a gown designed by Sir Hardy Amies that featured a print of California poppies.
Princess Kate's grand entrance
In 2011, fans were eagerly awaiting to see what the now Princess of Wales would wear throughout her first joint overseas tour alongside Prince William.
The pair's first tour involved touring across Canada and North America, and Kate started the trip on a style high.
The Princess stepped off the plane in Ottawa wearing a lacey dress by Montreal-born designer Erdem Moralioglu - better known just as Erdem.
Vibrant in Tuvalu
For a trip to Tuvalu in 2012, Kate Middleton got into the spirit with both a more vibrant, playful colour and a designer thought to be a local.
Kate wore a bright yellow eyelet dress that was reported to be bought locally, though the designer was not given.
It showed a different side to diplomatic dressing - allowing the royals (especially the younger ones) to show off a more youthful, relaxed side.
Princess Catherine’s subtle New Zealand nod
Not every example of diplomatic dressing has to be so overt.
The Princess of Wales offered an authentic spin on staying true to her own style while honouring a host country during a 2014 trip to New Zealand.
Kate wore a Jenny Packham gown - a favourite designer of the Princess' - which featured a silver fern print across the shoulder. The silver fern is a symbol of New Zealand.
Princess Diana in Thailand
Always one to find a way to do things her way, Princess Diana's stylish touch elevated diplomatic dressing during a 1988 visit to Thailand.
Princess Diana wore an asymmetric, draped gown in warm purples and pinks, worn in a sari-style, a nod to the traditional dress worn in Thailand called the Chakkraphat.,
The lotus flowers in her hair were also intentionally chosen, a tribute to their national flower.
Kate gears up for the Olympics
Before the 2016 Rio Olympics kicked off, Kate Middleton got into the spirit of things while attending events for Team GB by spotlighting Brazilian designers.
For an event, Kate wore a stunning, cream dress by London-based Barbara Casasola. The dress featured patterns inspired by the body art sported by Brazilian aboriginal tribes.
The Canadian fascinator
During their first joint overseas tour, the now Princess of Wales proved to be a deft hand at diplomatic dressing. During one appearance at Parliament Hill, Kate proved that it can be done with some subtlety, as her fascinator (in a Canadian red!) had very chic maple leaf shapes.
Honouring American legacies
Diane von Furstenberg is one of the biggest names in American fashion, having popularised the wrap dress and creating a whole empire. So the Princess of Wales proved her style acumen and gave a nod to the legacy of the American designer when she visited Los Angeles alongside Prince William in 2011.
The exact dress Kate wore was the lawn green Maja dress.
Visiting New Zealand
We know that the Princess of Wales LOVES Emilia Wickstead, having worn many different creations from the designer over the years.
And her love of the designer made it perfect for her 2014 tour of New Zealand, as she got to wear her trademark style - this time, a smart, polished monochrome set in a shade of teal - and honour the host country.
Emilia Wickstead may be London-based now, but she's New Zealand born.
Spotlighting lesser known designers
One of the reasons royal tours are always so anticipated by fans is the chance to see the likes of Kate Middleton, Duchess Sophie or Princess Anne embrace different designers from around the world.
In the case of 2017's visit to Poland, Princess Kate wowed in a geometric cocktail dress designed by Polish designer, Gosia Baczynska.
Dressed down diplomatic dressing
It's not just gowns for state dinners and fancy receptions that the royals use as an opportunity of sending messages with their clothes, even when they're keeping it casual they tend to spotlight local designers and customs.
In 2020, William and Kate went on a tour to Ireland in early March.
While there, Kate stuck true to her country girl roots in a sporty, weather-defying outdoor coat. This chic outerwear was by the Irish brand Dubarry.
Kate in Canada, 2016
We’ve seen royals go all red and white for Canada, and the art in diplomatic dressing is making sure it never feels too much. Proving that she could serve diplomatic dressing in a way that wasn’t repetitive, Kate wore blue – but there were still nods to the country with the leaves in the fascinator.
Meghan Markle’s blue cape dress
Meghan Markle might have had a limited run as a working royal, but she certainly picked up the skills with aplomb.
Displaying her flair for diplomatic dressing in an elegant and simple caped evening gown by Safiyaa, the Duchess' dress was the perfect shade of Fijian blue for her first tour overseas.
Fitting in with the locals
Blue jeans. Cowboy hat. Rhinestone buckle belt. Princess Kate proved she could hang up the tiara and embrace Calgary cow girl chic with the rest of them during her overseas tour to North America in 2011.
Diplomatic dressing allows royals to embrace less formal looks and offers fans a chance to see them blending in and letting their hair down.
Visiting the Taj Mahal
With a print evocative of mosaic tiles, Kate wore a most fitting dress for her visit to the Taj Mahal, alongside Prince William.
Princess Kate's dress didn't just evoke the style of Asian tiles and artwork, it was designed by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan.
Duchess Sophie visits Ukraine
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh has certainly learnt a few tricks in diplomatic dressing after watching her mother-in-law over the years.
Stepping into her more prominent role in the Royal Family, Sophie had a standout moment while visiting Ukraine.
A floral dress by Etro bore a pattern resembling the traditional Ukrainian Petrykivka style of painting in a thoughtful and touching nod to the country.
Even the men can get in on the action
At the COP28 summit - the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Dubai - King Charles proved that even the royal men can dabble in some diplomatic dressing.
Wearing a tie with a print of the Greek flag, it was suggested at the time that Charles might have been subtly showing support for the country during a political row over museum artefacts.
More local luxury for Kate
During their royal tour of Pakistan, Prince William and Kate Middleton got into the spirit of things with plenty of visits to hospitals, mosques, schools and more.
For the appearances, Kate switched up her style and embraced plenty of local designers. One memorable and elegant ensemble which exuded quiet luxury was a cream set featuring intricate embroidery, made by Pakistani brand Élan.
Cosy diplomatic dressing
To beat the cold weather during a tour of Norway and Sweden, a pregnant Kate Middleton combined cosiness with diplomatic dressing with her choice of chic outerwear.
The Princess wore a warm, fur-trimmed coat by Swedish designer Ida Sjöstedt.
The late Queen repays a compliment
In 1960, Thailand's king presented the late Queen Elizabeth with the country's highest order of chivalry.
Over a decade later, when the Queen attended a state dinner in Bangkok, she honoured this by commissioning a Hartnell dress designed specifically to match the yellow sash and insignia she was gifted.
A gracious display of respect - and a shrewd way of showcasing the power clothing could have on diplomatic relations.
Wearing traditional styles
What's great - and what has become a highlight of William and Kate's royal tour moments - is seeing how the Princess of Wales blends local customs with her own style.
During the tour of Pakistan, Kate stepped out in one of her go-to colours, a rich, royal blue. But she had swapped her typical style for the traditional kurta. It was an inspiring way of giving fans something they expected with something new - and the colour was brought to life with her choice of accessories including sapphire blue earrings.
Bending the rules out of respect
Diplomatic dressing isn't just picking out local designers or having fun with the flag colours. Sometimes, the choice of attire can seem even more significant and respectful - especially if it sees the royals bending their usually rigid rules out of respect.
One royal custom dictates that a member of the family should only wear black when in mourning. However, Queen Elizabeth II proved to be a gracious guest when she followed papal protocol and wore black, including a veil, to see to see Pope John Paul in 1980.
As head of the Church of England, this helped smooth relations with the Vatican.
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