Princess Kate and Prince William Stand United in Matching Mulled Wine Outfits for a Rare Public Appearance

Kate Middleton and Prince William wearing maroon outfits sitting outside talking to families — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate and Prince William were a united front at the former's first public engagement since completing chemotherapy, down to their color-coordinating outfits.

The surprise appearance on World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10, was a somber occasion for Princess Kate and Prince William, who spent Thursday meeting with the families of three young girls who were murdered in a tragic knife attack during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England over the summer. In addition to speaking with the parents of victims Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, they also sat with emergency responders and the girls’ dance teacher, Leanne Lucas, who was injured during the July incident.

A photo of Princess Kate and Prince William both wearing burgundy outfits — Princess Kate and Prince William match in mulled wine outfits on World Mental Health Day.

Catherine, Princess of Wales layered a merlot polka dot pussy bow dress from Whistles beneath a bespoke Alexander McQueen double-breasted coat that fell to her calves for the meeting. Her exact dress is several years old and no longer available for purchase, but the brand still offers a similar style in the same print. She accessorized the look with a brown suede clutch from Emmy London, brown pumps, and dangling gold leaf earrings from Catherine Zoraida. Of course, it's not the first time we've seen the mother of three embrace fall 2024's wine-red trend. Earlier this month, she reprised a maroon single-breasted suit from Roland Mouret—previously worn on her December 2022 trip to Boston—for a meeting with 16-year-old photographer Liz Hatton.

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A closeup of Princess Kate in a burgundy pussy bow dress paired with a brown double-breasted coat. — Princess Kate sports a burgundy pussy bow dress paired with a brown double-breasted coat.

Whistles Spot Print Trapeze Midi Dress

Emmy London Natasha Clutch Bag

Catherine Zoraida Gold Fern Drop Earrings

Prince William complemented Kate's seasonal color palette in a deep cherry red sweater and tie layered beneath a charcoal gray blazer, navy blue pants, and brown suede shoes.

A photo of Princess Kate and Prince William in a meeting with families and emergency responders who were impacted by a July knife attack that killed three young girls. — Princess Kate and Prince William meet with families and emergency responders who were impacted by a July knife attack that killed three young girls.

Oxblood saw a long-awaited revival last month on the Fall 2024 runways, where it featured heavily in the collections of Saint Laurent, Khaite, Ferragamo, and Victoria Beckham, among others. The juicy black cherry hue also received nods at Gucci and Bottega Veneta on the Spring 2024 runways, officially dethroning bright red as designers' favorite hyper-fixation. The fall color trend's impact is already being felt on the streets, too, with celebrities like Lily Collins and Quinta Brunson sporting mulled wine matching sets on their press tours for Emily in Paris and Abbott Elementary, respectively.

Exact credits for Princess Kate's take on the look were not available at press time. Even without knowing the name on the tags, their polished nature matches the tone of her rare appearances throughout 2024, from Trooping the Colour in June to last week's private meeting. The royal is still favoring tailoring, seasonal colors, and an occasional pull from her personal archives. No matter what she's wearing, it's good to have her back.

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Hanna Lustig is a staff writer at Marie Claire, where she gets to gab every day about the topics she holds most dear: fashion, beauty, and celebrity. Hanna’s editorial journey began with formative internships at Elle and InStyle, where she was lucky enough to work for some of the smartest women in media while she was still in college at the University of Tennessee. Hanna then accepted a digital culture reporting fellowship at Insider, where she helped carve out a new beat dedicated to covering influencers. Those experiences later served her well as a staff writer at Glamour, where she developed a knack for spinning quick turnaround celebrity news and trend reporting into juicy feature stories. Some of her greatest hits include an earnest ode to the no-pants trend, this meticulously reported feature exploring the rise of endoscopic facelifts, this snappy take on the Chanel-designed fantasy of Sofia Richie’s wedding, this tribute to WAGs past and present, and this timeline of Katie Holmes’s life and career as told through her denim collection.

Diane Keaton once hung up on Hanna during an interview, but thankfully that mishap did not derail what has otherwise been a deeply fulfilling career writing for and about women. As one of Marie Claire's resident experts on style and culture, her current coverage ranges from exploring TikTok's contrast makeup theory and the return of the boat shoe trend to interviews with costume designers for hit shows like Nobody Wants This and The Penguin. When she’s not at work, Hanna can probably be found listening to pop music, talking to her dog, and gossiping with her best friends. For more of Hanna’s perfect opinions on pop culture, you can follow her on Instagram and X.