How Instagram changed royal fashion forever

There’s evidence, too, that the Duchess crafts outfits which will make a splash on social media, like the twinkling red dress she wore for a reception at  Buckingham Palace earlier this year. Not only did the Needle and Thread design coordinate with the palace curtains, but it drew instant comparisons to the dancing red lady emoji.

Just recently, Instagram’s integral role in the royal fashion machine was reiterated again when the Duchess debuted two new pieces of jewellery which appeared to have mysterious origins. The earrings and necklace turned out to be by tiny Irish label All The Falling Stars which had gifted the items to Kate during her trip to Ireland earlier this year. 

‘You hear about the Kate Effect but this is unreal, I have had 83,000 hits on my website,’ founder Aisling O’Brien told me last week. It was through Instagram posts that her contribution to Kate’s wardrobe was uncovered, ‘Previously, I’d only had a couple of orders from outside of Ireland, now I’ve had women from all over the world get in touch. Orders have come from Hong Kong, South Africa, Saudi Arabia,’ she continued, adding that she was now considering giving up her day job to focus on her jewellery.

While the Duchess of Cambridge may not have quite the Insta-coterie of friends as the Duchess of Sussex, her team have still used their Instagram accounts as a surreptitious route to underlining their Cambridge associations.