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Kate Middleton matched with her right-hand aide at her latest royal engagement
The Princess of Wales and her assistant private secretary Natalie Barrows twinned in navy tartan in Scotland
It was rare for the pair to dress so complementarily
Kate Middletontwinned with her right-hand woman in an unexpected fashion statement at her latest royal engagement.
On Jan. 20, Princess Kate sported a bespoke blue tartan coat during her joint visit to Scotland withPrince William. The Princess of Wales, 44, sported an ankle-length plaid jacket in a blue hue like the Scottish flag — a possibleflag dressing nod! — by Chris Kerr with Johnstons of Elgin wool.
Her fashion statement had her twinning with her assistant private secretary, Natalie Barrows, who also sported a blue tartan coat for the trip to Scotland.
Barrows was by Kate's side during her walkabout in Stirling with Prince William, accepting flowers that the Princess of Wales received from a well-wisher in fan footage shared onInstagram.
While Barrows is often a discreet step or two behind Princess Kate at her royal outings, it's rare for their fashion to match.
According toHello!magazine, Barrows has worked for the Princess of Wales since 2017 and first joined the royal household as Kate's assistant private secretary when she was the Duchess of Cambridge.
Her job reportedly involves arranging the Princess of Wales' schedule, coordinating correspondence and supporting Kate on royal engagements.
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Barrows has worked for Princess Kate for nearly a decade, but like most royal aides, maintains a low public profile. When the Princess of Wales was outside of the limelight in 2024 while undergoingtreatment for an undisclosed form of cancer,PEOPLE understood that Barrows was one of the stafferswith whom she held regular meetings.
Kate continued working from home at Adelaide Cottage amid her cancer treatment that summer, planning for the future and staying looped in on the latest from her royal initiatives.
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The Princess of Wales announced that she was receiving cancer treatment in March 2024 and said that September that shecompleted chemotherapy.
In January 2025, she shared that she wasin remissionand has resumed a more regular schedule of work since.
Reflecting on Princess Kate's royal return and the fortitude it took to come through, royal historian Amanda Foremanrecently told PEOPLE, "This is someone who stared down the abyss."
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