While this hat is not exactly authentic rodeo fare, it marks the first time Kate Middleton has publicly donned a cowboy hat in quite some time: over 14 years to be exact. The last time the princess embraced the Western aesthetic this hard was during a visit to Canada in July 2011, when she was still the Duchess of Cambridge.
For two days in a row, Middleton went full cowgirl in a white cowboy hat and chocolate suede cowboy boots by the London brand R.Soles, going all-out for the Calgary Stampede in bootcut denim and a Western-inspired belt buckle. Prince William was right there with her, pairing a matching hat with his own cowboy boots, jeans, and a plaid button-up shirt.
Funny enough, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album and Bella Hadid’s rodeo romance pushed the Western aesthetic to the forefront of trend cycles in 2024, while bootcut jeans are making a strong comeback at this very moment. All this to say, everything Kate Middleton wore in 2011 is completely relevant today, especially her chocolate suede boots.
We all know the Princess of Wales is a sustainable queen, so perhaps it’s time for her to dig these pieces out of her archives.