Kate Middleton's birthday: The Princess of Wales’ 44 most fabulous fashionable looks on her 44th

The Princess of Wales’ 44 most fabulous looks on her 44th birthday

Fashion

As the Princess of Wales turns 44, Joe Bromley rounds up her 44 most dazzling dresses

Celebrations are in order as Catherine, Princess of Wales marks her 44th birthday on Friday, 9th January.

After a busy year for the royal known warmly by many as Kate Middleton, the princess is set to enjoy a quiet day with the Prince of Wales and their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Prince Louis.

The past twelve months have seen the princess return to the spotlight after her battle with cancer. As for her fashion sense — it remains not only undimmed, but better than ever.

The Princess of Wales at the 2025 Together at Christmas carol concertGetty Images

The Princess of Wales, of course, is no stranger to dressing up. Over the past two decades she has worn countless glamorous ball gowns, well proving that when faced with a formal occasion, she will rise to it with sophistication and not a little sparkle.

Such events range have ranged from London premieres — there was the black lace Temperley London gown she wore to the 2012 War Horse premiere, as well as the unforgettable gold glitter bomb dress by Jenny Packham which ricocheted across the internet after the No Time To Die James Bond world premiere in 2021 — to Royal Variety Performances, State Banquets and galas at the National Portrait Gallery, where she has been a patron since 2012.

The Princess of Wales wore Jenny Packham to the world premiere of No Time To Die, 2021Getty Images for EON Productions

Over time, Catherine has developed a formula for such occasions which, predominantly relying on Packham as well as Alexander McQueen, designed by its former creative director Sarah Burton, who also made her wedding dress in 2011. Middleton’s most memorable looks have come thanks to shocks of colour, which in turn have dominated front pages — the shimmering, fuschia The Vampire’s Wife gown worn to a special reception hosted by the Governor General of Belize in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 was a highlight; so too was the neon green Solace London she wore to the Earthshot prize in Boston that same year.

Here are 44 of the Princess's most fabulous looks:

Wearing a blue Jenny Packham gown during the 2025 German State VisitGetty ImagesAttending the ARK 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner at Perk's Field, 2011 Getty Attending the 'BAFTA Brits to Watch' event at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles, California, 2011 Getty ImagesAttending a reception in aid of the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal at St James's Palace, 2011Getty Images Attending the UK premiere of War Horse at Odeon Leicester Square, 2012 Getty Images Attending 'Our Greatest Team Rises -BOA Olympic Concert' at the Royal Albert Hall, 2012 Getty Images Attending the Tusk Conservation Awards at The Royal Society in London, 2013 AFP/Getty ImagesAttending The Portrait Gala 2014: Collecting To Inspire at National Portrait Gallery, 2014Getty ImagesAttending a state banquet for Chinese President Xi Jinping at Buckingham Palace, 2015 Getty ImagesAttending the world premiere of the James Bond film 'Spectre' at the Royal Albert Hall, 2015 POOL/AFP via Getty Images Attending the 100 Women In Hedge Funds Gala Dinner In Aid Of The Art Room at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2015 Getty ImagesAttending a Charity Gala at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during the royal visit to India and Bhutan, 2016 Getty ImagesAttending The Art Fund Museum of the Year prize at the Natural History Museum, 2016 Getty ImagesAttending the premiere of A Steet Cat Named Bob in London, 2016. Getty ImagesAttending a reception at Government House on day three of a Royal Tour of Canada, 2016 Getty ImagesAttending the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) at the Royal Albert Hall, 2017Getty ImagesAttending a dinner hosted by Her Majesty's Ambassador to France, Edward Llewellyn, at the British Embassy in Paris, 2017 Getty ImagesAttending the Portrait Gala at the National Portrait Gallery, 2017Getty ImagesAttending the opening night of the musical 42nd Street, at the Theatre Royal in London, 2017AFP/Getty ImagesAttending a reception dinner at the British Ambassador's residence during day one of a Royal visit to Sweden and Norway, 2018Getty ImagesAttending an official dinner with Norway's King Harald at the Royal Palace in Oslo, 2018NTB Scanpix/AFP via Getty ImagesAttending the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) at the Royal Albert Hall, 2018Getty ImagesAttending a State Banquet with Rear Admiral Ludger Brummelaar at Buckingham Palace, 2018Getty ImagesAttending The Tusk Conservation Awards at Banqueting House, 2018Jeff Spicer/Getty ImagesAttending an evening reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace, 2018 Getty ImagesAttending the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) at Royal Albert Hall, 2019Getty ImagesAttending a Gala Dinner in aid of Mentally Healthy Schools at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2019Getty ImagesAttending a special reception hosted by the British High Commissioner Thomas Drew, at the Pakistan National Monument, during day two of a royal tour of Pakistan, 2019Getty ImagesAttending the Royal Variety Performance at the Palladium Theatre, 2019Getty ImagesAttending an evening reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace, 2019Getty ImagesAttending the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) at Royal Albert Hall, 2020Getty ImagesHosting a Gala Dinner in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Place2Be at Buckingham Palace, 2020Getty ImagesAttending the World Premiere of No Time To Die at the Royal Albert Hall, 2021Dave Benett/Getty ImagesAttending a special reception hosted by the Governor General of Belize in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, 2022Getty ImagesAttending a state dinner at Kings House in Kingston, Jamaica, 2022AFP via Getty ImagesAttending the State Banquet for the President Of The Republic Of South Africa at Buckingham Palace, 2022 Getty Images

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Attending The Earthshot Prize 2022 at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, 2022 Getty ImagesAttending a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace, 2022Getty ImagesAttending the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, 2023POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesAttending the State Banquet for Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee at Buckingham Palace, 2023 Getty ImagesAttending an evening reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace, 2023Getty ImagesAttending day fourteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on July 14, 2024Getty ImagesAttending attend the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service" at Westminster Abbey, 2024AFP via Getty Images