Kate Middleton, Zara Tindall, and Princess Beatrice’s royal style pact we all missed

Let’s start with the Princess of Wales. On the morning of Christmas Day, Kate positively radiated sunshine as she headed to Sandringham Church. Alongside her husband, Prince William, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, the popular royal stopped to chat and offer her Yuletide well-wishes to fans. Kate wore her favourite checked burgundy and brown coat by Blazé Milano, complete with a matching fascinator.

Just shy of a week later, Zara Tindall took the Cheltenham New Year’s Day races by storm in yet another fabulous dress coat. Braving the icy conditions, the wife of former England rugby star Mike Tindall delighted onlookers with her glorious dress coat, which was designed by L’AGENCE. Zara’s coat looked just like Kate’s, because it had not only the double-breasted design and bold pocket detail, but it featured the same nut-brown colourway, flecked with splashes of burgundy. It was slightly lighter than Kate’s, but we think you can agree that it was particularly similar.

Also on Christmas Day, Beatrice put her own unique spin on the heritage print, choosing to don a belted trench coat by US-based fashion brand Cara Cara. The redhead royal, who has a famously keen interest in designer fashion, donned the brand’s ‘Charlie Trench’. The tailored style was belted at the waist and had a cappuccino colourway running through it. The royal also added an elegant pillbox hat in burgundy, which topped off the classic tone of the look perfectly.

Heritage print has been around for many years. It originated in Scotland, back in the Middle Ages, and by the 18th century, it had become a symbol of the country. The royals’ love for consistently wearing the print also gives it an aristocratic connotation.

Vivienne Westwood revived it through popular culture during the 70s, and now it has an almost ‘Sloane Ranger’ feel, which has been embraced by modern fashion designers such as Ralph Lauren.

Heritage prints are known for being timeless and have deep connotations with the great British countryside, something the royal family has steadily embraced. The check pattern is often embossed on luxurious fabrics like Kate, Zara and Beatrice’s tweed coats and never fails to make a statement.

As a fashion editor, I would recommend embracing this timeless trend, particularly in coat form, as it’s the easiest way to add elegance to your wardrobe. If you pick a structured coat featuring the print, choosing a lighter, brown-toned colourway like the royals, it will flatter all skin tones and can be worn consistently throughout the year.

I would also suggest keeping everything else simple – no matching accessories – just bold items like a top-handle handbag or streamlined shoes, making the statement print of the coat the focus point. Notice how the royal cousins were all wearing uncomplicated handbags alongside their coats? They chose arm candy in simple tones, rather than matching, jarring prints. This makes for a classic finish that is timelessly elegant.