Day 3 of Royal Visit: What Kate Middleton wore today

Kate Middleton continued to show off her fashion sense on Day Three of the Canadian Royal visit. The Duchess stepped out of Rideau Hall to plant a tree wearing a grey Kensington dress by Catherine Walker, one of the late Princess Diana’s favourite designers. Here’s a little bit more about Kate’s outfit.

The dress

The Duchess of Cambridge wore a short-sleeved, knee-length, grey Kensington dress. The dress had eye-catching detailing around the neckline, with a triangular collar folded down against the dress. The Duchess wore her hair loose, allowing it to rest against the dress, which featured a dramatic deep v-back.

The designer

Catherine Walker was a designer, who went from rags to riches, first selling her designs out of a basket on Kings Road in Chelsea and later becoming a favourite designer of the late Princess Diana.

Walker was born in France in 1945. After she earned a Master’s degree in Philosophy she visited London, where she fell in love with John Walker, an English lawyer.

After her husband died in an accident in 1975, Walker started selling clothes from a basket on Kings Road in Chelsea. She studied at night to become a designer, all while raising two daughters.

While she never had any formal training and never showed her collection on the runway, Walker made a name for herself as one of Britain’s leading couture designers.

She also caught the eye of Princess Diana in 1981 and worked with her to make many of her most iconic outfits. Diana was even buried in a black dress designed by Walker.

Walker died in September 2010 at the age of 65 after a battle with cancer, but the hand-picked designers at her fashion house continue her work.

Recently they created the outfit that Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, wore to the Royal wedding on April 29.

The shoes/handbag

The Duchess of Cambridge finished off her ensemble with a pair of grey pumps and a small clutch, which still allowed her to keep a hand free for her many fans to shake.

The fashion show so far

The royal highness kicked off the 9-day Canadian royal tour, with her husband Prince William, in a navy blazer by Toronto-based design duo Smythe les Vestes and a black floral lace dress by Montreal-born Erdem Moralioglu.

On Canada Day, Kate matched the crowds by wearing a cream/white dress by British label, Reiss along with a red maple leaf fascinator designed by Sylvia Fletcher at Lock & Co. Royal fashion fans were quick to notice that Kate had worn ‘The Nannette’ before, an outfit that caused hysteria last year when she was pictured wearing it in formal engagement portraits by Mario Testino.

The Duchess of Cambridge finished off her first ensemble with a pair of red pumps, a fan clutch from Anya Hindmarch and The Queen's Maple Leaf brooch. The Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, wore the brooch on her first visit to Canada in 1951 and again on Canada Day last year.

Later in the evening, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge headed back to Parliament Hill for an evening show of festivities. While Prince William went tie-less, Kate changed into a stunning long sleeve purple Issa dress with a V-neck.

Kate Middleton has quickly become a fashion icon. The ‘Kate Effect’ describes the Duchess of Cambridge’s influence on the fashion world. Both the Smythe blazer and the Erdem dress instantly became sought-after and must-have pieces for fashionistas.