Pics Of Kate Middleton's BAFTA Awards Gowns Over The Years Highlight Her Style Evolution

When your husband is the sitting president of BAFTA and you're the Princess of Wales, your presence is eagerly awaited and your gowns for the occasion rarely go unnoticed. Each year, Kate Middleton steps onto the BAFTA red carpet with a look that reflects both the expectations of royal dressing and her ever-evolving personal style. To pay homage to her home country, Middleton has consistently spotlighted British fashion houses, most notably Alexander McQueen, whose designs have given Kate Middleton some of her best looks, including many of her iconic BAFTA gowns. 

While McQueen pieces have remained a defining presence throughout the years, Middleton has also leaned into other designers like Jenny Packham and occasional international labels, introducing subtle variation without straying far from her signature feminine aesthetic. Her BAFTA gowns have never been about reinvention, but rather refinement. From subtle styling shifts, thoughtful rewears, and evolving accessories, the royal has gradually reshaped a familiar silhouette into something that feels increasingly modern. 

That evolution has also extended to how Middleton mixes high fashion with accessible pieces. While the princess loves to accessorize her looks with exquisite and rare jewelry pieces from houses like Van Cleef & Arpels, she's also embraced more affordable pieces from brands like Zara — a contrasting choice that reinforces her ever-so-polished yet relatable red carpet style. Across appearances, those refinements have created a wardrobe story that is built on consistency rather than dramatic change. Over more than a decade, Middleton's BAFTA gowns have formed a visual timeline of her royal style evolution. 

Kate Middleton made her official BAFTA debut in 2017, donning a romantic off-the-shoulder Alexander McQueen gown that set the foundation for her evolving awards season style. The gown featured delicate floral pattern detailing throughout the dress and tiered ribbon detailing that added dimension while reinforcing the romantic aesthetic. Middleton opted to wear her hair up while keeping her overall styling simple. This allowed the intricate design of the dress to remain the focal point of the ensemble. The understated elegance made it a fitting introduction to Middleton's BAFTA red carpet style. 

For her second appearance at the BAFTAs, Kate Middleton stepped out in a deep green Jenny Packham gown. Worn while pregnant with her third child, the flowing silhouette emphasized movement and comfort while maintaining the romantic sensibility established in her debut. The royal opted for the usual Kate Middleton princess-chic bouncy blowout, and the black velvet waistband detailing added definition to the gown's fluid shape. The diamond-encrusted emerald jewelry pieces elevated the look's regal tone and heightened the gown's richness. 

Kate Middleton returned to Alexander McQueen for the 2019 BAFTAs with a one-shoulder white gown that evoked a modern Greek goddess silhouette through soft draping and asymmetry. The delicate  floral detailing along the shoulder introduced texture, while the cinched waist and flowing skirt preserved the romantic elements seen in her earlier BAFTA looks. The gown signaled a growing confidence in subtle statement dressing and allowed the princess to experiment with structure without straying too far from her signature aesthetic. 

Kate Middleton's 2020 BAFTA look might have been her boldest red carpet look to date. She wore another Alexander McQueen gown that was intricately embellished with gold detailing. The decorative finish added red carpet drama while remaining consistent with the romantic structure seen in earlier appearances. Middleton paired the look with yellow gold mother-of-pearl earrings and a necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels, which amplified the ensemble's glam. Notably, the gown had also been worn years earlier, adding it to the list of Kate Middleton's repeat outfits that prove she's a sustainable queen. 

After missing the BAFTAs in 2021 and 2022, Kate Middleton returned to the red carpet in 2023 with another thoughtful repeat, opting for a reworked version of her 2019 BAFTA gown. While the flowing silhouette was instantly familiar, the altered shoulder detailing added drama to the gown and gave the design a more contemporary edge. She styled the dress with bold statement earrings and black gloves that added contrast and sharpened the gown's overall impact. 

After another two-year hiatus, Kate Middleton returned to the BAFTA red carpet in 2026 in a Gucci gown she had worn in 2019. With another rewear added to the list, the appearance suggested that repetition had become a deliberate part of her red carpet style. The updated styling allowed the familiar silhouette to feel fresh rather than repeated. It also demonstrated how the princess does a superb job of treating clothes, not just formal evening gowns, as adaptable pieces worthy of repeat wears.