Kate, the Princess of Wales, is now lauded as a fashion icon, but it was her ‘secret weapon’ stylist, Natasha Archer, who built her now-iconic wardrobe fit for a modern-day Princess.
Employed in 2010 as a personal assistant to both Kate and Prince William, Natasha is reportedly stepping down after spending more than 15 years as Kate’s right-hand woman to launch her own consultancy.
Before marrying Prince William, Kate’s everyday look was very much typical of a woman in her 20s in the mid-2000s with low-rise jeans and tie-front cardigans, and even when she becamse a working royal she was known for championing high street brands – famously wearing a Zara dress the day after her wedding.
However, ‘Tash’, as she is affectionately known was waiting in the wings to make her mark on Kate’s wardrobe – the first hint of her influence being when she was seen entering the Lindo Wing to give Kate the blue polka dot Jenny Peckham dress they had chosen for the public appearance after the birth of Prince George.
A year later in 2014, she was promoted to the position of Kate’s personal stylist, reportedly after a request from the late Queen to make the then Duchess of Cambridge’s wardrobe ‘more regal’.
High street brands were swapped for haute couture, while still maintaining the Princess’s style and preference for practicality, and it’s said that she saw off the ever-present wedges and staple nude midi-heels and encouraged Kate to show off more of her long legs.
Hits attributed to Natasha that year include an ice blue, fairytale Jenny Packham slit dress, teamed with pink ‘Agata’ sandals from L.K. Bennett, that Kate wore to the Wildlife Photography Awards in October 2014 and a sheer black Temperley London dress with a nude lining to an Action on Addiction gala in the same month.
In 2016, Natasha also joined Kate on her tour of Canada – and was responsible for some of her most glamorous looks from the trip, including her bright red Preen cocktail gown. Kate re-wore the midi dress in 2018 for a private Royal Foundation dinner
Hits attributed to Natasha that year include an ice blue, fairytale Jenny Packham slit dress, which Kate wore to the Natural History Museum in 2014
Stylist Natasha Archer was the mastermind behind Kate’s races transformation, swapping her a £195 Reiss dress for a Dolce & Gabbana £2,415 lace gown
It was also the year when Kate and William undertook their first major overseas royal tour, visiting Australia and New Zealand for three weeks, accompanied by Prince George.
Following the success of the Australia tour, it was reported that Natasha started encouraging Kate to experiment more with her wardrobe.
A source told Grazia: ‘Natasha’s main role is as a PA, but over the last few months she has assisted Kate as a style adviser.
‘Natasha and Kate get on very well. She has always supported and advised Kate – and the Duchess loves Natasha’s style, so it seemed like an obvious appointment. Natasha has been helping Kate pick outfits for the [New Zealand and Australia] tour.’
At the time, it was reported that Natasha often shopped online for Kate’s wardrobe – particularly from ASOS and Topshop, but the royal’s wardrobe has certainly been evolving away from the high street.
For instance, in 2012 the Princess wore a £180 yellow Jaeger dress and £145 LK Bennett shoes on a trip to the Solomon Islands – abiding by the late Queen’s motto that ‘you are there, and you need to be seen’.
But after Natasha’s makeover she adopted a more upmarket version of the same look, optiong for a butter yellow bespoke Emilia Wickstead coat dress, costing £1,200, for her visit to Bhutan in 2016.
Natasha helped Kate lean into her best colours, swapping a £180 yellow Jaeger dress for a butter yellow bespoke Emilia Wickstead coat dress, costing £1,200
Kate wore a buttercup yellow Emilia Wickstead dress for a Buckingham Palace garden party in May – an elevated take on a favourite look
Kate wore a sheer black Temperley London dress with a nude lining to an Action on Addiction gala in October 2013
Kate wore a Dior two-piece of the state visit of President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, proving her confersion to designer brands is complete
Loyal to her brands, the Princess wore a similar dress by Emilia Wickstead for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which she repeated for a Buckingham Palace garden party in May.
Earlier this week, the future Queen wore a Dior two-piece of the state visit of President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, proving her confersion to designer brands is complete
William, who was once cruelly accused of dressing like an estate agent by a style magazine, also received a fashion glow up by Natasha – starting with hiding his white Asics trainers which he wore for more than a decade.
For the couple’s tour of Canada, Natasha incorporated linen jackets and sweaters from J Crew, Jaeger and Reiss, her favourite high street label, to his working wardrobe.
Sources told the Mail on Sunday’s diary editor Charlotte Griffiths that the makeover process was done ‘tactfully’ with the stylist assuring the Prince that she was merely helping him to ‘edit’ and ‘freshen’ his wardrobe.
And this is exactly what Natasha heled Kate achieve during Kate and William’s historic royal tour of Pakistan in 2019.
It was Natasha who introduced Kate to much-loved Pakistani designer Maheen Khan after finding her designs at O’Nitaa, in London‘s Chelsea Green, and getting in touch with the then 74-year-old to create some custom-made pieces for the royal.
Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, she said: ‘Natasha picked up a lot of outfits for approval, including the teal outfit before she went back and asked O’Nitaa for my contact details.
Kate’s PA and stylist Natasha Archer is not above carrying a suitcase or stuffing a Longchamp. She is pictured at Tezpur Airport in April 2016 in Assam, India
The Prince of Wales is seen wearing a green velvet Parade blazer from Reiss in 2021, marking a more fashion-forward choice for the Prince
For a visit to Lahore’s famed Badshahi Mosque Kate chose a teal silk chiffon kaftan, matching slim trousers and dupatta, embroidered with gold silk phulkari, or flower work, to resemble the hills of Northern Pakistan
Kate is pictured during a visit to the Margallah Hills on the second day of the royal visit to Pakistan wearing a blue kurta and trousers designed by Pakistani designer Maheen Khan
‘Then Natasha approached me and asked if I had the teal in a smaller size. It was lucky that I had one in stock as I don’t believe in machine embroidery.’
Maheen, who has been described Coco Chanel of the East, was responsible for three of the duchess’s ensembles during the tour.
She created a bespoke blue kurta and trousers, hand embroidered in white silk and pearls, for the duchess to wear when visiting Islamabad’s Model College.
‘It was quite simple as I was given a brief but allowed the freedom to create what I thought would be appropriate,’ she said.
‘They didn’t give me any firm directions – they gave me a brief and left it to me. I chose an existing graphic for the neckline embroidery.
‘I was very taken with her wedding dress: it was simple and beautiful. She has a long swan-like neck, like a ballerina. So, when they asked me to do a bespoke outfit, I instinctively created a neckline like her wedding dress.’
The royal teamed an emerald green tunic coat by British favourite Catherine Walker with a pair of slim-white trousers by Maheen when meeting Prime Minister Imran Khan.
And, for a visit to Lahore’s famed Badshahi Mosque, she chose a teal silk chiffon kaftan, matching slim trousers and dupatta, embroidered with gold silk phulkari, or flower work, to resemble the hills of Northern Pakistan.
‘The periwinkle blue had hit all the right spots. And the teal chiffon, with its soft flowing silhouette was so perfect for the mosque visit,’ Maheen said.
In a royal fashion first Natasha even persuaded William to wear a traditional sherwani to a reception in Pakistan during their royal tour.
Natasha was honored with the Royal Victorian Order for her dedicated service to the royal household and in 2022, she was promoted to senior private executive assistant.
Sources say Natasha, who is married to Royal photographer Chris Jackson, has been dedicated to Kate and has been seen assisting her as she travelled to and from hospital appointments.
As the stylist moves on to her next challenge, it is likely she will get a glowing reference from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
