Kate Middleton’s Unexpected Outing Came with a Familiar (and Fabulous) Coat

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Published Oct 14, 2025

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3:26pm

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When it comes to the royal family, there’s a full calendar of public events we can count on. But every now and then,, they still manage to surprise us. Think: King Charles and Prince Harry’s unexpected reunion or Princess Diana’s sister making a surprise appearance earlier this year. And now? It’s Prince William and Kate Middleton’s turn.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, popped up in Northern Ireland on Tuesday, October 14, for an unannounced visit. According to the BBC, the pair met with newly qualified firefighters during what marked their first joint trip to Northern Ireland in three years. They kicked things off with a tour of the new Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) Learning and Development College in County Tyrone.

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For the visit, Princess Catherine bundled up in a long dark green Alexander McQueen coat (I found a similar one here), paired paired with boots and her signature hairstyle, loose curls with an off-center part. If the coat looks familiar, that’s because it’s been in her rotation for at least five years. One of the last times we saw her in it was back in January 2020 (below).

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William, meanwhile, stuck with his usual navy palette but switched things up slightly with a brown jacket.

The couple joined in on some of the training sessions at the £50 million state-of-the-art facility, located in Desertcreat just outside Cookstown. Opened in May, the site includes a tactical firefighting area, floodwater rescue setup, a replica village and even a training warehouse.

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They toured the massive 50-acre complex in a fire appliance, getting a close-up look at flood and rope rescue training. Both even got hands-on during one of the rope-throwing drills.

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Clara Stein

Freelance PureWow Editor

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