Bring on the bows! Kate Middleton’s traditional Christmas tree design has us ready to deck the halls

Catherine, Princess of Wales’s traditional Christmas tree with shimmering gold and red colour scheme is the welcoming display we’ll be recreating.

The Princess of Wales is someone we always find ourselves turning to for style inspiration so it’s no surprise that when we’re in need of some Christmas decorating ideas she’s our first port of call too. Decorating a living room for Christmas is often focused around the tree and Kate’s traditional Christmas tree design from a few years ago is so traditional and cosy. Whilst we don’t know what the Wales family’s Christmas tree at Adelaide Cottage looks like this year, in December 2022 the Princess was photographed in front of a red and gold Christmas tree in a post shared for her Together at Christmas carol service.

It’s not clear exactly where this snap was taken, although the gorgeous fireplace, book-laden shelves and gold-framed artwork on the wall suggests it could have been at one of the royal residences.

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Either way, Kate’s tree was fabulously festive and whilst there was no tinsel in sight, it was covered in shimmering fairy lights. Having warm-toned fairy lights instantly makes your tree look that bit cosier and inviting and they perfectly complemented the gold and red decorations. Some of the best Christmas tree decorations are those you can bring back year after year and the combination of gold and red is not only stunning, but incredibly timeless and festive.

The glimmer of the gold and richness of the deep red was a lovely contrast and Kate also chose to have minimal baubles and other ornaments. Instead, bows were a big thing on this royal Christmas tree and the Princess mixed in different textures of velvet and a more sheer, metallic fabric.

We’ve never really considered going all-out with bows before, but we definitely will do after coming across this royal tree throwback. It seems that once again Kate was ahead of the trend too as woman&home's Digital Lifestyle Editor Tamara Kelly reveals that bow decorations are hugely popular for Christmas 2024.

"The Royal Christmas tree is the epitome of traditional style with warming tones of burnished gold and ruby red, delicately highlighted by the glow of warm white lights," she says. "It's the perfect balance of understated glam and heirloom style. I particularly love the decadent red velvet bows, they add a softness to the scheme and are one of the biggest Christmas decorating trends taking over for 2024."

Bows can be picked up so affordably and the royal Christmas tree in Kate’s photo shows just how much of an impact they can make. Texture is an important factor when you’re decorating a tree and since the Royal Family are said to steer clear of it, having bows or other softer, fabric ornaments are a great alternative.

Keeping to warm tones and warm lights also accentuated the traditional and "heirloom" style of the tree. This traditional tree design is clearly a favourite of Kate’s, as in 2023 she was pictured decorating another Christmas tree with similar red and gold baubles. Whether or not you’re a fan of these colours yourself, it’s easy to take inspiration from this tree by choosing warm fairy lights, keeping to minimal colours and adding some beautiful festive bows.

Tamara Kelly

Tamara is a highly experienced homes and interiors journalist, with a career spanning 20 years. Tamara has spent the last 17 years working with the style teams at, Woman & Home, Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home, and it’s with these award-winning teams that she gained a wealth of knowledge and honed her skills and passion for shopping, styling and writing about every aspect of lifestyle and interiors.