Ever since she became the main lady in Prince William’s life, Kate Middleton’s every fashion move has been closely watched by the paparazzi. Fortunately, she is a natural for this; after all, the future monarch was wowed by her appearance on the catwalk of a charity fashion event in St Andrews when they were students there - and the rest is history.

This is not, of course, simply a history of romance, royal titles and constitutional position; while some love to gossip about the complexities of a family whose dirty linen is unavoidably washed in public, others revel in the fashion statements they make, deliberately or otherwise, with Kate’s dresses invariably being snapped up by dedicated followers of fashion.   

For that reason, anyone interested in women’s cashmere clothing is bound to have an eye on what the princess wears, as she has rocked many an outfit down the years and continues to do so.

The latest instance has been the sight of her luxury striped cashmere sweater at Prince Louis’ fifth birthday. Described by the Daily Express as a “staple item” for her, the outfit was given plenty of exposure as she was pictured with her son in a series of images to mark the special occasion. 

It is a sweater she has been seen in before, the first of them being on a visit to Scotland with Prince William in 2021. But it is also just one of many cashmere items she has been happy to put on. Indeed, a couple of years ago Hello! Magazine published an article featuring eight cashmere jumpers the princess “would definitely wear this spring”.

“We’re taking our cue from the mother-of-three, who loves to wear a stylish jumper on winter walks, official engagements and off-duty moments,” the publication exclaimed, adding: “Kate knows the versatility of a great cashmere sweater, pairing hers effortlessly with pleated midi skirts, denim and casual trousers, too.”

The garments featured included cashmere jumpers, dresses and sweaters that combined a sense of style and chic with a hint of the girl-next-door. Amid a family whose female members can often be seen in ceremonial garb with diamond-encrusted tiaras and fancy frocks, it can be very refreshing to see something that could be just as easily worn on a spring afternoon, stylish yet modest.

At the same time, there was a weather to go with a tartan skirt for a visit to Scotland and a cashmere beanie for a ski trip, proof that cashmere also works wonderfully well when it comes to dressing for a specific occasion.

Of course, with the coronation coming up, every royal outfit on the day will get enormous scrutiny, with fashionistas like Tik-Toker Miranda Holder speculating over what she will wear. 

While there was no specific prediction about the material her outfit will be made from, Miranda did predict that blue would be the colour for the royal ladies, with careful choreography to ensure the King and Queen are not upstaged on their big day.

However, once the new monarch has been crowned, we can all be sure that attention will soon switch back to Kate and her many great cashmere outfits.