I fully expect Zara Tindall to attend Cheltenham Festival every single day again this year, but seeing Carole Middleton joining her on Day 2 took me totally by surprise. She’s partial to a day at the races and she’s stepped out at Ascot multiple times before, though this marked Carole’s Cheltenham debut and she made it in serious style.
The Princess of Wales’s mum steered away from the brights and pastels that are this year’s spring/summer fashion colour trends and dressed in head-to-toe navy and brown. This is such a classic colour combination and meant each individual piece would be so simple to re-style.
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(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Recreate Carole’s Look
Charles & Keith Aubrielle Top Handle Bag
This beautiful bag is new-in at Charles & Keith and it’s a rich chocolate-brown shade with gold-toned hardware. It comes with a detachable strap and has a belted detail running across it and a trapeze silhouette.
Next Navy Blue Revere Collar Longline Coat
Fastened with a single-button at the front and featuring a classic revere collar, this navy coat is a great option if you love Carole’s look. It’s affordable and is lined inside for comfort, with side pockets and a long-line design.
Nicky Adams Countrywear Unisex Fedora Hat
You can get this wide-brimmed fedora in so many different shades, from neutral hues like this navy blue to brights like red and mustard. It’s crafted from wool felt and has an adjustable band so you can customise the fit.
Emmy London Chocolate Suede Natasha Bag
The Emmy London Natasha bag is a favourite of the Princess of Wales’s too and Carole’s bag was the chocolate suede version. It’s hand-crafted and opens to reveal a neutral lining and a handy zipped pocket.
Boden Vera Block Heel Pointed Toe Boots
Currently reduced in the sale, these block-heel boots are great for autumn, winter and early spring when the weather calls for shoes with coverage. They’re made from 100% suede and have ruching to give them a relaxed shape.
Lina & Lily Faux Fur Brown Pull-Through Scarf
A faux fur scarf can totally transform the appearance of a tailored coat and make it instantly feel more glamorous. You can get this affordable design in a staggering array of colours and you simply thread one end through, making it a breeze to style.
I personally love double-breasted coats and blazers, though they can be bulkier and as we head into warmer weather it’s nice to switch things up. The Middleton matriarch’s coat had a structured shape which made it feel elevated and it could be thrown on with casual items like jeans and jumpers to dress them up slightly.
For her first appearance at Cheltenham Carole went for something more sophisticated and added a faux fur scarf for cosiness and glamour. Her knee-high chocolate brown boots had chic block heels and she carried not one, but two bags.
Hermes Birkins are the pinnacle if you love designer handbags and it’s fitting for the mother of the future Queen that Carole’s was especially luxurious. It was a deep brown with gold hardware and a textured ostrich finish and she was pictured carrying it by the top handle as she arrived at the racecourse.
(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
At other points throughout the day she also had a brown suede Emmy London Natasha clutch which was daintier and would also have fitted inside her bigger bag. These two accessories are incredibly high-end, though the principle of matching your bags to your shoes – or even having a bigger and smaller bag with you – is clever.
Carole Middleton frequently uses colour coordination to give her ensembles a put-together, polished edge and it’s so easy to do. Even her Hicks & Brown Suffolk hat tied in with its navy base colour and the brown mottled feather band running around it.
Eagle-eyed fans might recognise this headpiece as the Princess of Wales has worn the same design before.
(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
In January 2020 she attended church near Sandringham House with this same hat on and although we can’t know for sure whether she and Carole both bought one (they have similar fashion tastes after all) it’s always possible she borrowed it from Kate.
Either way, it’s a final flourish that tied everything together, incorporating both brown and navy and exemplifying the countryside chic style. These two colours are neutral and yet softer than black, so they work well for spring when you want to brighten up your outfits.
Carole Middleton’s look complemented the other royals who were there on Day 2 of Cheltenham too, including Zara Tindall, Mike Tindall and Princess Anne.
