Duchess of Cambridge crowned number one royal fashion icon – beating Meghan Markle
The Duchess of Cambridge has been crowned the number one royal fashion icon.
Duchess Kate, 38, has been firmly in the spotlight since November 2010, when her engagement to Prince William was announced.
And it seems her style remains the favourite of the British public, even more so than that of the newer addition to the Royal Family, the Duchess of Sussex, also 38.
In research conducted by the Fashion Retail Academy, some 47.8% said they favoured Kate Middleton as the best royal fashion icon, compared to 20.1% who voted for her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle.
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Duchess Kate also proved consistently popular among different age groups. Some 50.67% of the youngest age groups (18-24 year olds) favoured her style, and this varied little among the oldest age group (55+).
While Duchess Meghan scored well among the younger age groups (37.22% among 18-24 year olds, and 31.50 among 25-34), she fared less well among the older groups – scoring just 9.07% of the vote among the 55+ group.
The Queen came in third place behind the duchesses – with one in ten voting the monarch their main royal style influencer, thanks to her bright coat dresses and matching hats.
As for the men, Prince Harry beat his brother overall, scoring 14% of the vote while Prince William was voted for by 11% of respondents.
Lee Lucas, principal and CEO of the Fashion Retail Academy, commented on the results: “Meghan may have commanded more column inches recently but it is Kate who has emerged as the royal leading the fashion stakes by a country mile.
“Ever since newspapers became widely available in the UK, the royal family has influenced people's style, and nowadays with the internet and social media at their disposal, it’s even easier for people to mimic their outfit choices.
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"In addition to well-known designers, both duchesses have been seen wearing high street names such as Zara, Topshop and Marks & Spencer, which immediately makes them more relatable to the British public and their fashion choices more accessible.
“The sheer influence they have is apparent when photos emerge of them wearing items from high street retailers which then sell out in minutes.
“By embracing the fashion world and Princess Diana’s often daring style, Kate has learned how to balance trends with tradition, and it’s nice to see that she is keeping tradition alive."
