Kate Middleton decision to wear Victoria Beckham suit raises eyebrows amid feud rumours | Was Princess of Wales showing solidarity with Beckhams amid royal family feud with Prince Harry

A suit worn by the Princess of Wales at an event in London overnight is getting more attention than expected because of its links to an alleged feud within another of Britain’s – equally – famous families.

Catherine was the guest of honour at an event on Tuesday where she was on hand to present the Queen Elizabeth II prize for British Design.

For an engagement where the focus was going to be very much on her outfit, and rightly so, the princess chose a local designer well known to millions around the world: Victoria Beckham.

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The two-piece olive suit, with a price tag of £1,340 (approx. $2755), is close to being sold out in all sizes, which is not an easy feat for an expensive outfit.

It’s yet another example of the ‘Kate effect’: items of clothing worn by the Princess of Wales being in hot demand and generating millions in revenue for a brand, both in terms of sales and free publicity.

But this time, Kate’s choice of attire is making headlines for another reason other than being simply very stylish.

In a piece for The Times, fashion editor Harriet Walker suggests Kate could be sending a message with her clothing.

While the idea of royals sending messages with their clothing, or paying tribute to a particular country while on tour – known as ‘diplomatic dressing’ – is not a new concept (they’ve been doing it for decades), Kate’s choice of brand this time around is particularly interesting.

Walker, Kate suggests, might be in “sartorial solidarity” with Victoria Beckham.

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She writes: “The princess’s sharply tailored two-piece cost £1,340 from Victoria Beckham, who is, of course, riding out rumours of a family feud centred on an errant son and his American wife.

“Was this sartorial solidarity? You only need to look at Elizabeth I’s rainbow portrait to know the royals have long understood the power of their clothing.”

A fashion insider Walker spoke to at the event agreed.

“Oh, it’s totally deliberate,” they said. “She knows what she wears gets major pick-up.”

The Beckhams have been in the headlines in recent weeks mainly because of an alleged conflict between David and Victoria and their eldest child, Brooklyn, and his American heiress wife, Nicola Peltz-Beckham.

Brooklyn and Nicola were notably absent from David’s recent 50th birthday celebrations, adding fuel to long-standing speculation of a rift.

And in a series of photos posted to social media by Victoria in celebration of her husband’s milestone, there was no mention of their eldest son despite his three siblings being tagged.

The alleged feud dates to 2022, when Brooklyn and Nicola married and the bride reportedly clashed with her mother-in-law, refusing to wear an outfit designed by Victoria Beckham.

The Times was not the only British publication to draw similarities between the Beckhams and the UK’s other famous feuding family: the Windsors.

Last week, Guy Kelly writing in The Telegraph UK pointed out a number of similarities between King Charles and David Beckham.

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“They both have a son who has untwined himself from the family firm and fled across the Atlantic in a private-but-public huff, as his American actress wife shoulders the blame and the tabloids practically vibrate with excitement,” Kelly wrote in a piece titled The five lessons Brooklyn Beckham should learn from Prince Harry.

“The comparisons aren’t entirely without merit,” he added.

Around the same time of Beckham’s 50th bash, Prince Harry was making headlines (again) with another interview, telling the BBC it “would be nice to reconcile” with his family.

Most damaging, and further widening the rift, Prince Harry said he doesn’t “know how much longer my father has”, in reference to the monarch’s cancer battle, adding “he won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”.

In January, David called King Charles III “an incredible man” during a gushing interview about his relationship with the royal family.

Beckham, who was named an ambassador for the monarch’s charity in June last year, has a close friendship with the royals and in December he and Victoria attended their first state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

In October, he joined Prince William to celebrate the purchase of two new helicopters for London’s air ambulance service through fundraising efforts.

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David and Victoria Beckham attended both Prince William and Kate’s wedding and Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan.

In 2022 he famously waited more than 13 hours in a public queue to view the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin in Westminster Hall where Her late Majesty was lying in state.

Was Kate’s decision to wear Victoria Beckham to such a prominent fashion event purely coincidence or could it have been a show of support, as has been suggested?

Her pearl and diamond earrings once belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, which was a fitting choice to present an award in her name.

Either way, Kate’s outfit has brought attention to the cause the Princess of Wales was there in honour to celebrate: award winner, designer Patrick McDowell who was recognised for his sustainable luxury brand which aligns with Kate and William’s environmental interests.

Speaking of meeting the princess, McDowell praised her impact on the industry.

“Throughout her tenure she’s been an amazing advocate of British fashion and really flies the flag for British fashion,” he said.

“She also looks incredible and is a real style icon.”

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