It might seem like it's only been a couple of years since the country came to a standstill for the fairytale wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, but it's actually been a whole decade. And to celebrate their 10 years of marriage, three children later, the couple were photographed together in the gardens of Kensington Palace. Captured by Chris Floyd, Middleton smiled into the distance wearing a ruffled and blossom-sprinkled dress from Ghost, one of her most cherished high street labels.
And the messages behind said dress were all bound up with the idea of longevity. It was a classic example of rewearing - Middleton first wore the frock two years ago at a private engagement in Pakistan - but instead of hinting at a sense of sustainability and frugality, this time it seemed to suggest that things get even better with age (i.e. the perfect choice for an anniversary). Secondly, the colour. Middleton is very fond of blue dresses - she has designs from Gabriela Hearst, Emilia Wickstead, Erdem and Boden to name just four - and most famously wore one for her engagement portrait all those years ago. The wrap dress, which was from Issa, was a much darker, almost navy, blue. So perhaps her choice of a much more powdery hue on the spectrum points to the fact that she has both eased and matured into her role in the public gaze.
Finally, the fact that she and her husband are both wearing blue presents a united front, subtly saying 'we're a team and always will be' at a time when the royal family has been rocked by the fallout from the interview and the passing of Prince Phillip.