The Princess of Wales made a poignant sartorial choice for her heartfelt cancer announcement video, opting for a personal favourite with symbolic significance, according to experts.

Kate, aged 42, wore a Breton-striped sweater for the recording last week, conveying her multifaceted roles as a “school-run mum, a wife, and a homemaker,” alongside her position as the future queen. The garment holds sentimental value, having been worn by the mother of three during happier occasions, including a trip to St Andrews in May 2019, where her romance with Prince William blossomed, and an official photograph of Prince Louis in April last year, playing in a wheelbarrow in Norfolk.

Despite its hefty price tag of £650 from renowned label Erdem, the sweater has been lauded for its youthful and fun aesthetic. A journalist remarked today that the sweater lent Kate “an everyday look,” which was integral to the narrative she aimed to convey.

In an analysis for today’s Mail on Sunday, Sarah Oliver wrote, “In choosing this everyday look, the Princess was reminding the nation that she is not just ‘ours’ but also ‘theirs,’ a private woman whose priorities must lie with her husband and children, parents and siblings, until her recovery is complete.”

Oliver continued, emphasising the significance of Kate’s appearance in the video, “On a park bench in jeans and barely there make-up, her long hair loose, she was underlining the fact that cancer is no respecter of her life of privilege. And she was asking us for the understanding she needs to fight it in privacy.”

Highlighting the symbolic nature of Kate’s choice, Oliver stated, “Sometimes, she is not a princess, but a school-run mum, a wife, and a homemaker. That’s the message Kate was sending when she revealed her cancer diagnosis in a low-key Breton-striped sweater. It’s a personal favourite of the Princess of Wales who has reached for its jaunty nautical stripes on several earlier – and happier – occasions.”

In the wake of Kate’s announcement, royal expert Jennie Bond shared insights into the impact on Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton. Describing her as “desperately upset,” Bond urged the public to extend sympathy to Carole, who has faced the distress of witnessing her daughter’s battle with cancer amidst online speculation and conspiracy theories.