Did Akshata Murthy Just Take Style Advice From Kate Middleton?

Akshata Murthy's only spent a month at 10 Downing Street, but she's quickly learning the art of diplomatic dressing. For yesterday's visit from Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, Murthy's outfit choice signalled that she understands perfectly well that whatever she wears will be scrutinised. Anything with a four-figure price tag would obviously have been considered eyebrow-raising with the current cost of living crisis. So, instead, she chose a navy blue dress - demure with its collar and below-the-knee length - from Beulah London.

At £820, it's just shy of four figures, but the brand's ethical credentials, not to mention the fact that it's a firm favourite of Kate Middleton's, means it was nevertheless chosen to send a subtle message. Beulah London's mission is to empower vulnerable and trafficked women through the business of fashion.

'Our alternative business model - what we have termed our Freedom Model - is a virtuous circle built to enable the women in our supply chain to gain sustainable employment by incorporating traditional crafts techniques such as hand-weaving and embroidery into our collections,' Beulah London's website reads.

By choosing a brand that puts the lives of vulnerable women at the heart of everything it does, Murthy, who herself owns an ethical fashion brand that celebrates the craftsmanship of India, is showing that her clothes aren't an after-thought but rather an opportunity to show what causes she, and by extension her husband, support.