Princess Catherine wins praise for her graceful walk at a Buckingham Palace garden party

The Princess of Wales has drawn widespread admiration for her composed and graceful appearance at the first Buckingham Palace garden party of 2026, where she was spotted gliding effortlessly across the lawn in a pair of Ralph Lauren heels — despite the muddy conditions underfoot.

An elegant and carefully considered ensemble

Catherine attended the event on 8 May wearing a cream three-dimensional floral polka-dot midi dress by Self-Portrait, crafted with a streamlined bodice, three-quarter-length sleeves, and a double-breasted fit with black buttons.

She completed the look with a vintage Mitzi Lorenz hat featuring a cream base with black flowers and black mesh detail, brown Ralph Lauren Celia pumps, a woven clutch by Forever New, Queen Elizabeth's Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings, and a pearl bracelet that once belonged to Princess Diana.

Prince William and Catherine hosted the garden party on behalf of King Charles, with thousands of guests invited to the palace grounds. Zara Tindall, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, also attended.

Social media reacts

To the amazement of royal watchers and attendees, Kate did not sink into the grass and appeared to "glide" across the palace lawn. The footage quickly circulated online, prompting an outpouring of admiration.

"Walking on grass in stilettos is not for the weak… but Princess Catherine makes it look effortless," one person wrote. Another added: "She does make it look like she is gliding. Such a classy woman." A third noted: "It can be done, but takes practice. Catherine is a master of it." Yahoo!

Jennie Bond's assessment

The praise for Catherine's garden party appearance comes in the wake of her solo trip to Reggio Emilia, Italy — her first overseas royal tour since she visited Boston with Prince William for the Earthshot Prize in December 2022, following her cancer diagnosis, treatment, and remission.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said that Kate's "extraordinary glamour and youthful star quality" was missing from the Royal Family's arsenal while she was recovering, and that the success of her visit to Italy will keep people wanting more.

"The PR team will not, of course, be putting any pressure on Catherine, but they must be hoping that the success of this trip to Italy is a precursor to more overseas tours, flying the flag for Britain and the British monarchy," she said.