Kate Middleton, 43, Stuns Netizens in a Dramatic Wide-Brim Straw Hat at the Historic Installation of the First Female Archbishop of Canterbury – 8 Photos

She arrived at one of the most historic Church of England ceremonies in living memory, dressed head to toe in considered, deliberate elegance. But it was one particular accessory that had everybody talking. Scroll to the bottom to see the look for yourself.

It was already a day for the history books at Canterbury Cathedral. What no one quite anticipated was that the Princess of Wales's hat would also be making news.

On 25 March 2026, Catherine, Princess of Wales, 43, alongside William, Prince of Wales, attended the installation of Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.

Dame Sarah is the first woman to hold the role in the Church of England's 1,400-year history, and the ceremony drew members of the Royal Family among its guests.

The Princess of Wales dressed for the occasion in a fitted coatdress by Suzannah London, cut in a Prince of Wales check cashmere, a quiet nod to Prince William's title, which he has held since 2022.

The ensemble was completed by a wide-brimmed boater hat by Juliette Botterill Millinery, crafted from black and ivory houndstooth straw and finished with a single ostrich quill, priced at £920.

Her accessories were equally thoughtful. The Princess wore pearl cluster earrings by Cassandra Goad, originally debuted at the christening of her youngest child, Prince Louis, in 2018, paired with a diamond cross necklace for a touch of added sparkle.

A black lambskin Chanel handbag with gold-tone metal hardware, black Ralph Lauren stiletto pumps, and her brunette hair pinned into an elaborate chignon updo completed the look.

The hat, however, was what caught the attention of royal watchers online. "That hat is the first no-no I've seen her wear," one viewer wrote. Another was less restrained, adding, "Usually I love Catherine's outfits/ hats but for the first time I have to say FAIL on the hat. It's ridiculous."

The wide brim had critics reaching for their wit. "Not a good day to wear a flying saucer on your head," observed one commenter, while another raised a more practical point, typing, "Sitting behind that hat must be hard to see what is going on."

Those observations took on a whole new dimension once footage — including a clip waiting for you at the end of this article — of the arrival emerged. Wind gusts were sweeping through the cathedral grounds on the day, and the Princess of Wales had quite the time keeping her hat in place outside.

Footage captured her reaching up to hold on to it more than once, all while laughing at the predicament with those around her.

"No one warned Catherine about the ever-present winds at the west end of the precincts!" shared one royal watcher, clearly amused. Still, the wind was not the only talking point from the arrival footage.

A bishop was seen sheltering under cover at the entrance while the Prince and Princess of Wales stepped out of their car in the rain. "He sheltered but left them out in the rain," one viewer noted, prompting another to reply with, "Don't leave them in the rain, They [sic] will melt."

In the end, the wind had the final word that day, but the Princess of Wales took it all in good humour. Whether the hat was a triumph or a near-miss rather depends on who you ask, and you can see every inch of the now-notorious look, coatdress to ostrich quill, in the photos and video below.

The Princess of Wales, wearing her Suzannah London Prince of Wales check coatdress and Juliette Botterill Millinery boater hat, greets a guest with a warm handshake on the rain-slicked cobblestones outside Canterbury Cathedral on 25 March 2026. Her black Chanel lambskin handbag is visible in her free hand, the gold-tone hardware catching the grey morning light, while her black Ralph Lauren stiletto pumps hold their own admirably against the wet stone beneath her feet.

One hand up, hat firmly gripped — the Princess of Wales gets her first real taste of the Canterbury wind as she pauses to chat outside the cathedral's ancient stone walls. Prince William, in a navy suit, stands beside her with his back to the camera, seemingly unaffected, while the wide houndstooth brim tilts at a precarious angle that told the whole story before the internet even got to it.

This is the shot that launched a thousand comments. The £920 Juliette Botterill Millinery boater, with its frayed houndstooth edge and solitary ostrich quill, takes up most of the frame as the Princess of Wales clamps a hand firmly on top of it — and laughs. The double-breasted Prince of Wales check coatdress is just visible beneath it all, the two houndstooth patterns stacked on top of each other in a detail that was very much intentional, unlike the wind.

Both the Princess of Wales and her companion are caught mid-laugh as another gust sweeps through the cathedral grounds, sending hair flying in every direction. The Princess's pearl cluster earrings by Cassandra Goad — the same pair she wore to Prince Louis's christening in 2018 — are visible against her chignon, and the expression on her face confirms what the footage had already suggested — she found the whole thing just as funny as everyone else did.

Inside the cathedral, the wind has been defeated and composure fully restored. Cameras capture the Princess of Wales with a calm, composed expression, the boater hat sitting perfectly level now that it no longer had the Canterbury gusts to contend with. The sharp black lapels of the Suzannah London coatdress frame the delicate diamond cross necklace at her throat, and the pearl cluster earrings are clearly visible against her pinned-back hair.

Inside Canterbury Cathedral, the Princess of Wales is flanked by two tall candlesticks, their flames casting a warm glow against the dark wood panelling behind her. The wide houndstooth brim of the Juliette Botterill Millinery boater frames her face almost theatrically in this setting, and the diamond cross necklace is clearly visible at her neckline — a considered choice for a ceremony marking a historic moment in the Church of England's history.

Prince William and the Princess of Wales stand side by side inside the cathedral as the ceremony gets underway, surrounded by clergy and guests in purple robes. The Prince of Wales looks down, while the Princess glances sideways with a measured expression, her black Chanel handbag visible at her side and the boater's single ostrich quill arching above the crowd. Together, the matching check patterns of the coatdress and the hat's houndstooth weave are visible in the same frame.

Glimpsed through the crowd, the Princess of Wales's boater hat is still unmistakable, rising above the assembled clergy in their cream and purple robes as Prince William greets one of the officiants. It is a fittingly understated view of a hat that had been anything but understated all day — now quietly present at the heart of a ceremony that made history.