It’s a fall tradition: The release of Tatler’s annual best-dressed in Britain list and royals, ranging from Kate Middleton to Meghan Markle, have long appeared within the coverage. (The Princess of Wales topped the list in 2022, while the Duchess of Sussex earned the number one spot in 2018, the same year she wed Prince Harry.) But this past week, Tatler teased the first 10 of its 25 most fashionable names for 2025—and neither Kate nor Meghan made the cut.
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The full list—a tentpole part of Tatler’s September issue and featuring 25 names in total—will be released on August 9, but there was a surprising member of the British royal family dotting the top 10 this year: Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, clocks in at number 7.
We’ll admit that, for years, we’ve closely followed Zara’s fashion evolution with this year feeling especially fresh and timeless. From the breezy shirtdress she wore to watch the Royal Windsor Polo Cup Final to the on-trend, but still classic-feeling butter yellow mini dress she donned to support her husband at the Mike Tindall Celebrity Golf Classic, she seems to have kicked things up a notch as of late.
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Tatler had this to say about Zara earning a place in the top 10: “Riding with polish and dressing with panache, Princess Anne’s daughter is a vision on and off the horse. Her recent wardrobe hits have been nothing short of spectacular, from the perfect Rebecca Vallance tea dresses at Ascot to the tailored Fairfax & Favor pieces at Badminton.” Brava.
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As for Kate—and other members of the British royal family, including Princess Beatrice, who earned the top spot last year—there’s still a possibility they’ll be included in the 15 spots that remain. (Both have dressed impeccably over the past year and are equally deserving of a spot.)
Needless to say, we’ll be saving the date for the full reveal on August 9.
Meghan Markle’s inner circle launches an attack against Kate Middleton: ‘She’s a…’
The British Crown can’t catch a break. When it seemed that things were finally settling down after months of suffocating uncertainty, a new front has opened in the already stormy relationship between the Waleses and the Sussexes. The protagonist, once again and much to her regret, is Kate Middleton.
The Princess of Wales has gone through an annus horribilis marked by a delicate surgery, a cancer diagnosis, and a wave of conspiracy theories that put the palace’s credibility in check. Now, just as she’s starting to take back control of her life, she’s facing an accusation as unexpected as it is cruel.
An accusation coming from Meghan Markle’s circle, with whom she’s completely estranged. In fact, they never really connected. Their personalities are very different. Even though neither of them comes from the aristocracy, Kate Middleton has always been very clear about what her duties are within the English monarchy. In contrast, Meghan Markle wanted to impose her own criteria, causing serious family and institutional conflicts.
Everything broke between them at Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry. An argument over Princess Charlotte’s dress revealed a reality that had been more or less hidden until then.
The hurtful accusation coming from California
While Kate Middleton is managing her recovery with admirable discretion and strength, it seems that a new smear campaign has been orchestrated from across the Atlantic. According to royal expert journalist Richard Eden in the Daily Mail, the closest circle to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, popularly known as the “Sussex Squad,” has started to spread a malicious rumor that has hit Kensington like a bucket of cold water.
These followers accuse the Princess of Wales of being “lazy” and of using her health condition as an excuse to avoid her institutional duties. This direct and ruthless attack, according to Eden, has deeply shocked Kate, who has made a titanic effort to manage her illness in the strictest privacy, protecting her family and herself from the voracious media pressure. The caution with which she has handled her schedule has been, for these critics, proof of apathy instead of a sign of prudence.
Kate’s silent and forceful response
Far from entering a war of statements, Kate Middleton’s response has been her own schedule. Her return to public life, though gradual, has been a lesson in commitment and resilience. The turning point was her reappearance at Trooping the Colour last June, a symbolic gesture that reassured a worried nation. However, it has been in her most recent appearances where she has shown the falsehood of these accusations.
On July 2, the Princess made a surprise visit to the garden at Colchester Hospital in Essex. There, she not only planted a rose bush in her honor, but also shared her own experience with other patients. With a transparency never seen before, she confessed how difficult the stage after treatment is. “During treatment, you show courage, stoicism. When it’s over, you think: ‘I can move forward,’ but in reality, the phase that follows is really very difficult,” she admitted.
These words, full of vulnerability, are the best defense against those who accuse her of avoiding her duties. Kate is redefining her role, listening to her body, and prioritizing her well-being, as she showed by canceling her attendance at Royal Ascot. It’s not laziness; it’s an intelligent and humane management by a cancer patient who is also the future queen of England.
A path full of obstacles and theories
This new attack adds to the nightmare the Princess experienced during her absence. Let’s remember that, before announcing her diagnosis in an emotional video, Kate was the victim of the most outrageous theories. It was even said that her video was the product of artificial intelligence, that she used a double for her rare appearances, or, in the cruelest rumors, that she was in a coma.
Although some public figures, such as actress Blake Lively, apologized after learning the truth, the machinery of hate on social media never stopped. That’s why, now that the attack comes from the Sussexes’ circle, it is especially painful, reopening wounds that seemed to be starting to heal in the fractured family relationship.
Kate Middleton describes cancer journey as a ‘roller coaster’
Kate spoke with cancer patients and staff at a hospital in Colchester, England.
Princess Kate is sharing new details about her recovery from cancer, describing the experience as a “roller coaster.”
“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism, through treatment. Treatment’s done, and it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal again,’ but actually that phase afterwards is a really difficult time,” Kate said Wednesday during a visit to Colchester Hospital in Colchester, England, according to the Press Association.
“You’re not able to function normally at home as you were perhaps once used to,” added Kate, who shares three young children with her husband Prince William.
Kate, 43, announced in January that she is in remission from cancer.
She first announced her cancer diagnosis publicly in March 2024. Kate has not shared the type of cancer with which she was diagnosed or any details of her treatment beyond sharing that she underwent chemotherapy.
Kate’s visit to the hospital Wednesday is part of her gradual return to work that began late last year.
In speaking with cancer patients, Kate reflected on the recovery process, saying it’s not as straightforward as people expect.
“It’s a roller coaster. It’s not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be, but the reality is it’s not. You go through hard times, and to have a place like this, to have the support network, whether its through creativity and singing or gardening, whatever it might be, is so valuable, and it’s great that this community has it,” she said. “It would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support.”
While at the hospital, Kate visited the RHS Wellbeing Garden, where she took time to plant some roses.
In addition to meeting with cancer patients at the hospital, Kate also met with staff and volunteers, to whom she spoke more about the “life-changing” experience of a cancer diagnosis.
“It’s life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post-treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the individual patient but also for the families as well,” she said. “And actually, it sometimes goes unrecognized, you don’t necessarily, particularly when it’s the first time, you don’t appreciate how much impact it is going to have. You have to find your new normal, and that takes time.”
Kate Middleton ready to be Queen: ‘She knows the day is coming’
Kate Middleton is quietly preparing to become the Queen of England as King Charles cancer battle rages on
Kate Middleton is ready to step into the role of the Queen of England, per insiders.
Kate, who’s recovering from cancer and its treatment, is slowly easing back into public-facing royal duties.
Despite that, the Princess of Wales appears healthy and looks stunning whenever she steps out.
Most recently, she donned a blush pink dress from French brand Dior as she joined her husband, Prince William, to welcome France’s President Emmanuel Macron, 47, and first lady Brigitte Macron, 72.
Kate then gave her fans what they wanted when she put on the tiara for the state dinner that evening. The mom-of-three looked ethereal in a red gown and diamond jewelry.
“It’s been a long time since people saw Kate wear a tiara,” a royal source said, per Radar Online.
“She looked like a queen,” said the source, “and she’s up for the task.”
While Kate battled cancer and announced that she was in remission in January this year, King Charles was simultaneously diagnosed with cancer early last year and has been receiving treatment ever since.
As the King’s treatment continues, the Prince and Princess of Wales have reportedly been preparing to become King and Queen when the day of his death ultimately comes.
According to the source, Kate “knows the day is coming,” and takes her preparation seriously.
Yet, this is “something she’s been preparing for since she got together with William” in 2002, when they were studying at Scotland’s University of St Andrews.
However, the Princess of Wales is mindful of her health.
“As dedicated and committed to her work as she is, her health will continue to come first,” said the source. “She is mindful about her well-being and will continue to assess her return to royal duties on a case-by-case basis.”
Kate Middleton’s bizarre nickname: Wills’ friends gave future Princess and family a moniker… but what exactly does it mean?
A royal author has revealed the bizarre nickname that Prince William’s friends gave Kate Middleton and her family while the Prince and Princess of Wales were courting.
With the family surrounded by formal titles it’s unsurprising that the royals have a number of pet names for one another.
The late Queen Elizabeth II was affectionately referred to as Lillibet by members of the family. While Prince George calls his grandfather – King Charles III – ‘Grandpa Wales’.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are known to refer to each other as ‘Fred and Gladys’ the nicknames reportedly came from the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show.
One of the more strange nicknames was coined not by any members of the family but by some of Prince William’s closest friends who got to know Kate while the couple were dating.
Writing in her royal bestseller The Making Of A Royal Romance – which explored Kate and William’s relationship from its beginnings to their wedding – Katie Nicholl revealed an odd nickname William’s friends gave the Middletons.
‘William’s friends jokingly refer to the close-knit family as the “the OM Middleton” meaning the “On Masse Middletons” because they are always together,’ Nicholls wrote.
Most recently at Wimbledon the Middletons proved they were still as close as ever when the family were spotted together at the tennis tournament on multiple occasions.
Kate Middleton and Prince William announcing their engagement in 2010. Wills friends had an unusual nickname for Kate which they coined while the couple were dating
Kate and her mother, Carole Middleton, shopping together. William’s friends jokingly refer to the close knit family as the ‘the OM Middleton’ meaning the ‘On Masse Middletons’ because they are always together
Carole with her husband Michael Middleton in 2010 following the announcement of their daughter’s engagement
Nicholl used the example of when the Middletons fled to Mystique to escape the paparazzi as an example of the nickname.
The press frenzy occured in July 2009 when The News Of The World printed a shocking photo of Kate’s uncle – Gary Goldsmith – seemingly preparing to snort cocaine on their front page.
Nicholls said: ‘”I called Will a f***er!” was the headline above a grainy black and white picture of Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith preparing to snort a line of cocaine through a 100 euro note, his oversized gut spilling onto a kitchen worktop.’
Gary had unwittingly invited two journalists from the paper into his £5million villa in Ibiza where he also shared stories about Kate and Wills time at his home – dubiously named La Maison de Bang Bang – including a tale of how William broke his ornamental pyramids.
Unsurprisingly, the world’s media decided to camp on the family’s doorstep keen to snap a photo of the embarrassed family.
‘The family needed privacy, and the only place to get away from media storm and the paparazzi camped on the doorstep of their home was Mystique,’ Nicholls said.
So the Middletons left en masse and travelled to the Caribbean island to stay at a family friend’s house.
While William and his friends might have joked about the close-knit family, it is greatest strength.
Kate’s sister Pippa and brother James (right) at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018
Kate and William together while they were dating. It is around this time that the ‘OM Middletons’ nickname was coined
Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith caused the Middleton family to flee to Mystique after he spurred on an accidental media frenzy
Royal insider Katie Nicholl revealed the odd nickname William’s friends gave the Middletons
Most recently their close family unit was on display after Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis in March last year.
Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael, along with her brother James and sister Pippa supported her recovery at her home in Windsor, which is near their own homes.
In an interview in May, James, 38, candidly discussed the struggles faced during Kate’s illness.
James revealed there was an enormous strain placed on his family when his sister, 43, announced she had been diagnosed with cancer in March 2024, and was undergoing treatment.
He told The Times: ‘For her and her family, it was a challenging time, and I know for us and our bigger family it was a challenging time.’
The entrepreneur, who now operates dog food business James & Ella, explained how the process taught him to offer unconditional support wherever possible.
‘Being there for someone is such an important part, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be on your terms, and it shouldn’t be on your terms.
‘It should be on their terms; unconditional: “I’m not doing it for something in return. I’m doing it because I love you,”‘ he continued.
Katie Nicholl’s royal biography The Making Of A Royal Romance which explored Kate and William’s relationship from its beginnings to their wedding
Carole and Micheal at Wimbledon in 2021. Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael, along with her brother James and sister Pippa supported Kate’s recovery at her home in Windsor, which is near their own homes, after her cancer diagnosis
Carole playing cards with her grandchildren. The grandmother featured in the Princess of Wales’ video announcing she had finished chemotherapy
‘And that’s the simplest way of really demonstrating love. You can do it in all these various fancy ways, but actually, it is just generally being there.’
Last September, the Princess of Wales revealed she had finished her course of preventative chemotherapy. To accompany the happy announcement, Kate shared an intimate video featuring her family.
It also featured clips of her parents playing cards with the couple and their three children, suggesting that the extended family had also played an important role in helping the Wales through their difficult time.
Both Kate and William are famously close to the rest of the Middleton family, and so it may come as little surprise to many royal watchers to see Michael and Carole in the moving video.
Over the imagery of Prince William and Kate, as well as their three children and the Middletons, the mother-of-three says the experience has reminded her and her husband, Prince William, to ‘reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved’.
Carole and Michael have long been known for their hands-on parenting approach and often host their grandchildren for sleepovers.
Kate’s parents have been ‘brilliant’, according to friends, at stepping in and helping out, always willing to drop everything at a moment’s notice.
They were a key part of Prince George’s life from the get go, with William and Kate immediately decamping to Bucklebury a day after leaving the Lindo Wing and Proud grandfather Michael overseeing the future King’s first photoshoot in the garden a month later.
