As Kensington Palace says it will no longer share details of Kate's outfits, these are the showstoppers we'll never forget

Every time the Princess of Wales sets foot in public, her dresses and gowns are appraised, scrutinised and invariably copied.

But yesterday Kensington Palace said it would no longer supply details of her outfits because Kate, 43, wants the world to focus instead on her work.

Inevitably, the decision will cause dismay. After all, a dress worn by Kate can launch a little-known designer into the stratosphere. 

Lacorine owner Antonia Valentin-Jacob – Kate wore their Alpaca hat on Christmas Day at Sandringham in 2017 – said: 'This will be very, very sad, especially for companies like us because we work with local artisans in Peru, and can't afford marketing or advertising because it's so expensive. Kate wearing our hat put us on the map and brought us to the next level worldwide.'

The 'Kate effect' was responsible for a £1 billion boost in public spending in the year after her 2011 wedding.

Since completing her treatment for cancer last year, the princess has gradually returned to public life and is more serious that ever about her work, with her life's mission being to raise awareness of how early childhood experiences can impact a person's mental health.

A Palace source told The Sunday Times: 'There is an absolute feeling that it [the public work] is not about what the princess is wearing. She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting.

'There will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public and she gets that. But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there but it's about the substance.'

Royal biographer Andrew Lownie said of the change in focus: 'This seems strange because she has become such a fashion icon, and that coverage has not hitherto distracted from her charitable work. Surely there is room for both?'

Buckingham Palace routinely issues details of the Queen's outfits for all her public engagements. But Kate is said to have become frustrated at the focus on her style rather than the substance of her work.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward welcomed Kate's shift in focus – and said Princess Diana would have approved. She said: 'It used to drive Diana mad. She would be doing something she considered really important, and all everyone talked about was the length of her dress or who made it.'