Kate Middleton Goes Glam in a Shimmery Gown by the Vampire’s Wife

From what we’ve seen of Kate Middleton’s tour of the Caribbean so far, you’d never guess that she and Prince William were forced to postpone it when anti-colonialist protests broke out ahead of their first stop in Belize. On Monday, the 40-year-old Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed a relatively rare glam moment when stepping out to celebrate her the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee wearing a floor-length sequined gown by the Vampire’s Wife. She rounded out the look with Jimmy Choo stilettos and gemstone earrings by the London-based jeweler O’nitta, and notably nodded to the fact that she and William had just paid a visit to the Mayan ruins in Belize’s Chibiquel Forest by toting an embroidered black-and-white Mayan clutch.

One could easily imagine Princess Diana wearing a similar shimmery gown, though the one that Middleton went with is decidedly present-day. Designer and former model Susie Cave, who is married to the musician Nick Cave, launched the Vampire’s Wife in 2014, and the label has since become a red carpet staple thanks to fans like Kate Moss, Alexa Chung, Kirsten Dunst, and Courtney Love. Middleton, who tends to play it safe, is somewhat surprisingly among their number; she previously wore a similar shimmery gown designed by Cave while touring Ireland in 2020. (As the Duchess loves a theme, it was appropriately shamrock green.)

It’s no doubt only a matter of time before we see Middleton do what she does best while carrying out her royal duties: delight us with photographs of her appearing to genuinely have a ball while participating in activities like teaching youngins how to chop wood and giving her all in a game of rugby. She and William are next headed to the Bahamas for a sailing regatta, and will close out their Caribbean tour with a celebration of Bob Marley in Jamaica (where locals have also planned protests). A few more glam moments may be in store, but rest assured that Middleton hasn’t given up on dressing practically entirely; just hours before donning her raspberry evening gown on Monday, she stepped out for a bit of sightseeing in a notably casual ensemble of a white t-shirt, olive-green jeans, and her favorite Superga sneakers.