Kate’s classic coat is a winner

What do you wear for your first Six Nations game as Patron of English Rugby? It’s not a situation many are likely to be faced with, but the Duchess of Cambridge’s skill in dressing for Royal engagements always offers some sound style lessons for the rest of us.

In this instance, the hero piece was a £449 coat by “posh country” brand Holland Cooper.

She’s worn the label before (a tartan coat on tour in Scotland last year) although this is a new purchase.

It’s a smart one, too, and not just aesthetically: the houndstooth print is timeless, the tailored fit flattering and – most critically in chilly February – the pure wool fabrication will be warm.

Add an England rugby scarf, and it is a look which works as well in the Royal box at Twickenham as it would on another mum spending her Saturday on the sidelines of a school rugby fixture.