The Princess of Wales’ lace-up style was spotted when she turned

Catherine, Princess of Wales during the Ceremonial Welcome and Inspection of the Guard of Honour on the first day of State Visit by The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at Windsor Castle on March 18, 2026 in Windsor, England. Kate Middleton attends attends the formal welcome, at the Royal Dais, Datchet Road, for The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on day one of their State Visit to the United Kingdom on March 18, 2026.Credit : Chris Jackson/Getty; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Kate Middleton’s state visit kickoff look featured an unexpected fashion first.

On March 18, the Princess of Wales, 44, stepped out with Prince William to greet Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, first lady Oluremi Tinubu, at the start of the Nigerian state visit to the U.K., where her outfit had a surprise detail on the back.

Princess Kate practiced diplomatic dressing by sporting a gray coat dress with white accents by Tolu Coker, a rising British-Nigerian designer, which was cinched at the back with a corset.

The lace-up corset was a first for the royal, who hadn’t sported that style publicly before. The Princess of Wales is renowned for her sense of fashion, and the fresh detail marked a march into unexpected territory.

Catherine, Princess of Wales attends the formal welcome, at the Royal Dais, Datchet Road, on the first day of State Visit by The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on March 18, 2026 in Windsor, England.

Kate Middleton attends the formal welcome, at the Royal Dais, Datchet Road, on the first day of State Visit by The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on March 18, 2026.Samir Hussein/WireImage

Kate may have been tipped to Tolu Coker by her father-in-law, King Charles, who recently attended the label’s London Fashion Week Show on Feb. 19.

The King, 77, sat front row at the show that opened London Fashion Week 2026, showing support for the sustainable luxury fashion and lifestyle brand founded in 2021.

Princess Kate’s fashion statement on Wednesday further highlighted a brand founded by a British-Nigerian designer in a show of sartorial diplomacy. The Princess of Wales is known to sport outfits by local designers during official, international trips and wear looks linked to visiting nations during inward state visits to the U.K., paying homage through clothes.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and wis wife Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales pose alongside Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu and his wife Oluremi Tinubu as they greet them at the Fairmont Hotel in Windsor

Kate Middleton and Prince William pose alongside Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and his wife Oluremi Tinubu as they greet them at the Fairmont Hotel in Windsor on March 18, 2026.Yui Mok / POOL / AFP via Getty

For example, Princess Kate dazzled in Dior and Givenchy, two French labels, during the state visit from France in July 2025 and broke out an heirloom tiara that the German-born Prince Albert designed for Queen Victoria during the state visit from Germany in December.

In what may have been a wink to U.S. President Donald Trump’s affinity for the color gold, Kate topped her white Phillipa Lepley gown with a golden overcoat during the state visit from the U.S. in September.

The Princess of Wales delivered another diplomatic tribute when she wore a deep green gown by Andrew Gn for the state banquet celebrating the Nigerian state visit on the evening of March 18. The gown’s green shade was likely a flag dressing nod to the Nigerian flag, which is green and white.

Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Catherine, Princess of Wales arrive to attend a State Banquet in St George's Hall on day one of their state visit to the UK at Windsor Castle on March 18, 2026 in Berkshire, England.

Kate Middleton arrives to attend a State Banquet in St George’s Hall on day one of the Nigerian state visit to the UK at Windsor Castle on March 18, 2026.Aron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty

Exclusively speaking to PEOPLE in 2025, The Telegraph‘s fashion director Bethan Holt explained why Princess Kate’s state visit style is quite the undertaking on the world stage.

“It is a huge amount of pressure for Kate to always deliver this fashion moment at these big state events, but it’s all part of the package. And as Trump said, this is a royal family like no other, and she knows that,” Holt said.

As for whether she expected more fashion-forward moments from the Princess of Wales in 2026, Holt thinks she knows her style needs to be constantly moving forward.

“It’s a subtle evolution, and she’s definitely still ticking all those boxes that are so integral to who she is as a royal and future queen,” said Holt. “Kate knows that the interest in her is going to be there for years to come and that she needs to keep gently moving things on and doing something different, but nothing too surprising that it feels unsettling; it’s a very fine line.”