Kate’s Top Aide (and Unofficial Stylist) Steps Down

A look at Natasha Archer’s influence on the Princess of Wales’s wardrobe.

Jul 16, 2025

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When Catherine walked onto the court at Wimbledon on Sunday, she looked radiant in a new deep blue dress. And yet, the Princess of Wales’s ensemble was entirely expected. Kate has worn variations of the same style, with its saturated solid hue, defined waist, short sleeves, and gathered bodice fabric, to the event last year — and the year before, too.

The future queen has adopted a royal uniform in the spirit of Elizabeth II, playing with colors and embellishments to keep the visual interest but relying on similar shapes and shades that provide a calming consistency.

Catherine at the Wimbledon men’s finals in (from left) 2023, 2024, and 2025. (*Photos via i-Images/Polaris and Getty Images*)

To be sure, a trio of lookalike dresses that speak to one another is not created out of thin air — even for a princess. For starters, each frock is from a different design house, suggesting a wide net had been cast. Both the green Roland Mouret from 2023 and the purple Safiyaa from 2024 were versions of existing off-the-rack styles made by the labels. This year’s Roksanda dress, however, was a bespoke twist, according to What Kate Wore, loosely based on the brand’s “Miral” silhouette. The alterations were extensive, re-making the garment in a new fabric with a lower neckline, additional sleeves, and redone hemline.

Who might envision, request, and oversee those changes on behalf of the princess? For the last 15 years, the answer has been Natasha Archer, the princess’s executive assistant and unofficial stylist.

In a surprise move last week, People magazine broke the news that Archer is stepping down. Her remarkable ascent, from junior assistant in 2010 to inner-circle advisor today, has had an immense impact on the Windsor family — and the Waleses in particular. Although Archer’s fashion mastery was never recognized in her formal title, it is widely understood that she managed Kate’s wardrobe through its many celebrated iterations. Archer is thought to have coordinated clothing for William and their children at times, too. The harmonious, heartening image put forth by the heir and his young family has, in no small part, been shaped by Archer.

And yet, as an unfailingly discreet member of the royal household, Archer has remained almost entirely behind the scenes. (Angela Kelly, the late queen’s outspoken dresser, penned two books during her tenure.) Bethan Holt, fashion director at the Telegraph and author of a book on the princess’s style, called Archer “the most powerful woman in British fashion you’ve never heard of.”

As she exits the royal fashion scene, I wanted to take a look at Archer and her influence. Below, more on her background (hint: it’s not in fashion), her evolving role (from schlepping wardrobe bags to developing close ties with big-name designers), her husband’s royal ties (they make quite the pair!), and what is next for her (and what her Instagram follows reveal). Keep scrolling for a look at who might step into Archer’s outsized shoes (or shall I say, tan pumps?).

What do you make of Archer’s 15 years in royal fashion? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.