Royal women sure know how to make a style statement. However, the many cases of princesses wearing high-street fashion – from Kate Middleton to Meghan Markle – are proof that they’re not averse to a chic bargain among the pricey pieces in their palace wardrobes.
Often, they will incorporate a more affordable item into their look in the form of an accessory – like the Princess of Wales’ Monsoon wedges or the Duchess of Sussex’s Missoma jewellery. Yet, sometimes the high street piece will take centre stage – like Princess Beatrice’s Zara jacket or Queen Letizia’s Massimo Dutti dress.
So, while it might seem like the royals’ looks are always eye-wateringly out of budget from designer brands, there are many instances in which you can get your hands on such items for yourself – and usually, you’ll hardly be able to tell the difference. Prepare to be inspired to buy…
Princesses wearing high street fashion
Kate Middleton in Reiss
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Kate Middleton started how she meant to continue by wearing a dusky pink shift dress by Reiss for her first official royal engagement following her 2011 wedding to Prince William. She wore the sleek frock, along with smart black accessories, to meet Barack and Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace.
Meghan Markle in Massimo Dutti
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If there’s one royal who knows how to make a high street piece look far more expensive than it is, it’s Meghan Markle. Prince Harry’s wife wore a brown Massimo Dutti turtleneck to Canada House in London in 2020, along with a brown satin midi-skirt and camel coat.
Crown Princess Mary in H&M
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Crown Princess Mary of Denmark exuded elegance at an official engagement in Copenhagen in 2023. The royal wore a green floral H&M Conscious dress that she’d transformed into a midi-skirt, which she styled with an off-shoulder black long-sleeved top.
Meghan Markle in Banana Republic
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One of Meghan Markle’s most memorable dresses from her royal tour of South Africa in 2019 with Prince Harry was the camel tuxedo dress from Banana Republic. She wore the high street frock, along with a pair of nude heels, to visit the University of Johannesburg.
Kate Middleton in Reiss
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Kate Middleton looked sharp on a visit to the London headquarters of the Disasters Emergency Committee in 2022 to learn about the ongoing support for people affected by the conflict in Ukraine. She paired a cream blazer jacket from Reiss with a white top and black trousers.
Princess Eugenie in Maje
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All eyes were on Princess Eugenie during a visit to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore in 2019. She looked chic in a cream tweed dress by Maje, which she elevated with a black handbag from Chloé, as well as smart black heels and a headband.
Kate Middleton in Veja
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Kate Middleton’s many pairs of trainers sure show she knows that comfort is key while on royal duties and she often wears them on her more active engagements. The princess slipped on a pair of Veja shoes to plant a tree during a visit to the University of St Andrews in 2021, which she styled with a black blazer, black jeans and a striped monochrome top.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh in Beulah London
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You can’t go wrong with a statement dress, as royal women have shown time and again. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh stepped out in a coral pink midi-dress from Beulah London, which she paired with a nude clutch bag and heels, to visit the Abbey Road Studios in 2024.
Meghan Markle in Reformation
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Meghan Markle wowed on one of her first royal engagements after announcing she was expecting her first child with Prince Harry at the beginning of their Australia tour in 2018. The Duchess of Sussex wore a strappy grey and white midi-dress from Reformation, with black sandals, to visit Fraser Island.
Meghan Markle in M&S
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Even high-street knitwear has found its way into royal wardrobes. Meghan Markle visited Pop Brixton in London in 2018 in a black bell-sleeved jumper from Marks & Spencer, which she paired with wide-legged black trousers and a skinny black leather belt.
Meghan Markle in Banana Republic
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Meghan Markle is certainly partial to a shirt dress – and turned to the high street for the black mid-length number that she wore to the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 in Germany. The duchess paired the Banana Republic frock with minimal jewellery and smart black heels.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh in Strathberry
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Royal women know that accessories can make a huge difference when it comes to a more formal outfit – and the items needn’t be pricey. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh wowed at Royal Ascot in 2024 in a lacy white Suzanna London dress and a wide-brimmed white hat by Jane Taylor London. However, it was her affordable ‘Crescent’ bag by Strathberry that really pulled her look together.
Meghan Markle in Missoma
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Meghan Markle may have had access to some rather pricey royal jewellery, but she often stepped out in far more affordable pieces for royal engagements. During a trip to the University of Chichester in 2018, the duchess opted for a Missoma ring to accessorise her green shirt and skirt ensemble.
Kate Middleton in Russell & Bromley
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Russell & Bromley has long been a go-to of Kate Middleton. The princess paired a navy clutch bag from the brand, with a navy blazer jacket and cobalt blue dress, for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014.
Queen Camilla in Hobbs
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Queen Camilla has long turned to eye-catching dresses in order to make a style statement. On one occasion, to attend the London launch of a book written by her son Tom Parker Bowles, she wore a chic white and black polka dot midi-dress by Hobbs London.
Meghan Markle in Reiss
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Reiss is a high-street brand with a dedicated royal following – including Meghan Markle. The Duchess wore a retro monochrome dress from the chain, along with a black blazer jacket and clutch bag, to attend a royal engagement at King’s College London on International Women’s Day in 2019.
Kate Middleton in Monsoon
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Kate Middleton has become known for mixing up high-end and more affordable pieces within her outfits. The princess wore a pricey Emilia Wickstead blue floral design to the RHS Garden Wisley in Woking in 2019, along with a pair of wedges from none other than Monsoon.
Princess Eugenie in Whistles
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You can’t go wrong with florals, as Princess Eugenie proved on an evening out in London’s Mayfair in 2018. The royal wore a pretty long-sleeved, knee-length number from Whistles, which she paired with a taupe suede jacket over her shoulders and black tights.
Meghan Markle in H&M
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Meghan Markle caused jaws to drop when she stepped out in a sleek knit dress from H&M’s maternity range Mama to visit the animal welfare charity Mayhew in London in 2019. She paired the cream form-fitting frock with a cashmere coat by Emporio Armani.
Princess Beatrice in Zara
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The high street chain Zara is a royal favourite, and Princess Beatrice has worn its wares on a number of occasions. She slipped on a cropped military-inspired jacket from the brand to visit the BGC Group Charity Day in London in 2024, which she paired with a polka dot dress and black accessories.
Meghan Markle in John Lewis
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Meghan Markle memorably joined forces with British department store John Lewis on a limited-edition clothing range to benefit the Smart Works charity in 2019. At the London launch, she wore items from the capsule collection, including a white shirt and black trousers.
Queen Letizia in Massimo Dutti
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The Spanish royals are partial to a high street bargain. Queen Letizia stepped out in a colourful polka dot dress from Massimo Dutti to attend an exhibition at the National Library in Madrid in 2023. She accessorised with a chic burgundy red clutch bag.
Meghan Markle in Castañer
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Meghan Markle has frequently turned to Castañer’s affordable wedges to look smart while staying comfortable at royal engagements. The duchess styled a black pair with a cornflower blue shirt dress during a visit to Cape Town on her South Africa tour with Prince Harry in 2019.
Princess Beatrice in Topshop
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Proving that she’s just like every other British girl of her generation, Princess Beatrice stepped out in Topshop for a charity event in London in 2024. She wore a long-sleeved, knee-length berry red dress from the high street chain, which she paired with a black headband and shoes.
Kate Middleton in RIXO
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All eyes were on Kate Middleton during a royal engagement on Great Abaco in the Bahamas in 2022. The princess wore a bright pink zebra-print midi-length shirt dress by the brand RIXO, which she paired with black sunglasses and nude wedge heels.
Queen Maxima in H&M
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Queen Maxima of the Netherlands showed that a high street piece could really step up to the occasion when she visited healthcare workers at the OLVG Hospital in Amsterdam in 2020. She wore a chic brown puff-sleeved midi-dress from H&M, cinched in with a statement belt.
Queen Camilla in Russell & Bromley
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Many of Queen Camilla’s outfits for royal engagements in which she spends time on her feet are matched with her trusty pair of black knee-high Russell & Bromley boots. She wore them to the Booker Prize Foundation reception at Clarence House in London in 2023.
Kate Middleton in Superga
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Kate Middleton often opts for trainers for more relaxed royal engagements. The princess is a fan of her white Superga plimsolls, available at Marks & Spencer, which she stepped out in – along with a navy and white striped top and white shorts – at a sailing event in Plymouth in 2022.
Zara Tindall in Le Chameau
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The royals dress down rather well, and that includes Wellington boots. Zara Tindall looked stylish in a pair of green Le Chameau wellies at the 2023 Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park, which she paired with a navy coat and white jodhpurs.
Meghan Markle in Mother Denim
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One of Meghan Markle’s first official public appearances with Prince Harry was at the Invictus Games Toronto 2017. The then-duchess-to-be, who would marry the royal the following year, memorably wore a white shirt with a pair of ripped Mother Denim blue jeans.
Zara Tindall in Karen Millen
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Zara Tindall exuded elegance at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024. She wore a navy cape-sleeved coat from Karen Millen, layered over a blue turtleneck jumper, and tied her look together with a black crocodile-skin handbag.
Princess Anne in Barbour
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With plenty of outdoor space to explore, it’s unsurprising the royals have their countryside dressing down to a fine art. That includes affordable items like Barbour, whose coat Princess Anne was seen wearing oversized and in green during the 2023 Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park – where she resides.
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