The dress code of royalty according to The Vampire's Wife From the London underground scene to the first official portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

On Thursday 23 June, the first official portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, by award-winning British portrait artist Jamie Coreth, was unveiled. For the occasion, Lady Middleton chose to wear an emerald metallic silk dress with puffed sleeves in full 'prohibitionist' style, the Falconetti Dress by The Vampire's Wife brand, the same one she had already sported for a visit to the Guinness factory in Dublin in 2020. It was a rather unexpected decision on the part of the future queen to turn to an underground brand for her first official couple's portrait. Not so much because of the dress itself, which in length and inches of skin left uncovered meets the requirements of the label, but rather because, while the British brand respects the patriotic obligation of monarchs' wardrobes to promote local fashion, it departs from the chaste, monochromatic sheath dresses we are used to seeing on official occasions.

When Kate Middleton first wore the shimmering green dress in March 2020, British Vogue proclaimed it a 'major moment in royal dresses history' while the Evening Standard said she had bid 'farewell to sartorial confidence'. Given its success, she has since turned to the brand for other occasions, including a formal reception in Belize where she opted for a sparkling pink gown, bypassing the solid but boring suits by Eponine, Catherine Walker or Boden. For the Duchess, this metallic midi dress represented a risk: cool, but modest, vintage-inspired, but not drab, a difficult balance to find in a dress. As the future queen, Kate's whole life is based on the balance between tradition and modernity, including her style. She has never indulged in the matching hats of Queen Elizabeth, but the Duchess is also not known for being a trendsetter outside the box. Susie Cave may not have been thinking about the royal family when she created her line, but she may have created the perfect brand to accompany the Duchess of Cambridge towards her coronation.