Kate Middleton has finally got her “Crown.”
The now-Princess of Wales — who is played by newcomer Meg Bellamy on “The Crown” — made her first appearance in the Netflix drama earlier this month, and while the show’s costume designers aimed to recreate some of her iconic looks from the early 2000s, royal experts are divided on whether her on-screen ensembles delivered the goods.
The final season of “The Crown” chronicles how a young Middleton went from commoner to royal girlfriend when she met Prince William at the University of St. Andrews in 2002, showcasing an array of casual early aughts looks in the process.
One particular outfit allegedly played a huge role in their love story, with the future princess rocking a see-through black skirt she wore as a dress during a student fashion show — and attracting William’s attention.
Bellamy struts the catwalk in a recreated version of the iconic dress, but royal expert Christine Ross tells Pvnew Style the TV version felt “almost too polished.”
“Catherine Middleton in uni didn’t have perfectly coiffed curls, and wasn’t stepping out for sex appeal,” she said. “The narrative has always been that William noticed Kate as ‘more than a friend’ at this fashion show, but the historical photos show a young woman confidently having fun with her friends, whereas ‘The Crown’ portrays quite a sexy image.”
Bellamy also sports several other recreations of the now Princess of Wales’ pieces, including the brown Penelope Chilvers Long Tassel riding boots ($695) the royal still wears nearly 20 years after first publicly sporting them to a 2004 event at Blenheim Palace.
“We feel so lucky that HRH Catherine is a loyal customer of ours, and a wonderful ambassador for the brand,” Penelope Chilvers tells Pvnew Style, adding that she admires the princess “for promoting ‘not new’ by wearing the same Long Tassel Boots all these years.”
Chilvers, who tells us the boots are crafted “to last, no corners cut,” says “The Crown” reached out to her about including the boots in Middleton’s on-screen wardrobe.
Along with the royal girlfriend’s trusty shoes, the show’s costume designers included other exact pieces in the drama’s final season, even scouring the internet to find the Y2K items secondhand.
“Honestly, I just put into eBay ‘Kate Middleton,’ and there were original things she was seen in,” Sidonie Roberts, one of “The Crown’s” costume designers, told Town & Country.
“I’m not saying we did that for everything, but there are moments in it where she is wearing stuff that actually Kate did [in real life],” she added.
While a few exact items — including a black chiffon dress by high street retailer Whistles — are featured on the show, Ross wondered “why the costume department fell so short” when it came to some of her “other youthful styles” since many of her outfits are easily sourced secondhand.
However, To Di For Daily founder Kinsey Schofield tells Pvnew Style she thought the show “excellently executed” the former Kate Middleton’s wardrobe.
“You have to acknowledge how accurately they portrayed Catherine’s early style because it was so important to season 6,” the royal podcaster says. “She dressed modestly, a drop-everything-and-go sporty girl.”
Schofield adds that the young Middleton’s “effortless hair and makeup paired with her simple style was very relatable to everyone back then. We could all see ourselves in Kate and I think between the costume department and Meg Bellamy… that was excellently executed.”
She also points out how Catherine’s mother, Carole Middleton, dressed in similar styles as her daughter on the Netflix show, just as they have in real life.
Although viewers never get to see Kate’s transition to royal fiancée (the couple is still in college when the series ends), one thing fans of “The Crown” can agree on is it’s chock full of early 2000s royal nostalgia.
