The Princess of Wales chose a brand often worn by the Duchess of Sussex and it came with a poignant message.

The Princess of Wales made a rare public appearance amid her ongoing cancer treatment to attend the Wimbledon men’s singles final, alongside her daughter, Princess Charlotte. It’s the second public outing since she first announced her cancer diagnosis in March. The annual championship is an important event for Kate Middleton, who serves as president of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, and often takes a front row seat in the Royal Box throughout the annual tournament. Today has been her only visit to the 2024 contest.

At Wimbledon, the Princess of Wales often makes her most playful style statements, choosing bright colours and polka dot prints from her favourite labels. This time, however, she looked to a brand that has more regularly dressed her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle to watch Novak Djokovic play against Carlos Alcaraz in a repeat of last year’s final, for which the Princess wore green Roland Mouret, she chose a purple dress by British label Safiyaa.

Safiyaa has long been a royal favourite thanks to the Duchess of Sussex regularly choosing its sleek, sculptural designs rendered in bold, confident shades — traits easily recognisable in Middleton’s choice today. Its Cecilia dress, in a vibrant violet shade, is available on its website for £1,295, though the Princess had the neckline of hers sensitively altered. It’s fall skirt and focused wait with pleat detail is textbook Kate and reminiscent of what we’ve come to know of her preferences in recent years.

The choice proved an astute option for the tournament, making the Princess, who was greeted with loud applause from Centre Court, easily visible within the Royal Box and matching neatly with Wimbledon’s colours and her ceremonial brooch. Purple has also long been a shade with regal connotations and alignment with the royal family. Its poignancy here could be read as Middleton asserting her place within the Windsor top team and her eagerness to return to a public role once her health returns.

Middleton’s choice of accessories also have a neat California girl connection as the exact same style has also been worn by Hailey Bieber. The gold Sabine hoops by By Pariah felt directional for Middleton, adding a contemporary spin to her Wimbledon wardrobe.

Princess Charlotte and The Princess of Wales arrive at Centre Court.

The Wimbledon finals have become something of a family affair in recent years, with Kate often bringing the family along. This time, it was Princess Charlotte who joined her mum in the Royal Box for the second year in a row, as well as Kate’s younger sister, Pippa Matthews. Could it be that Prince William and Princes George and Louis are en route to Berlin for the Euros final? Quite likely.

This sweet support of female sorority proves a welcome sight amongst what has been a difficult year for the Princess and her family, but messaged received: things are getting better and normal play will, hopefully, resume soon.