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Kate Middleton is settling into her new role as the Princess of Wales. Now that Queen Elizabeth II has passed, Kate is doing her best to represent the royal family. One royal expert says Kate will continue one of the queen’s traditions.

Queen Elizabeth’s umbrellas

Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth II enjoy a laugh.
Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth II | Anwar Hussein/WireImage
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Queen Elizabeth was fond of matching her umbrellas to her outfits. She made sure to carry a transparent umbrella with colorful trimming. The queen wanted well-wishers to be able to see her during events, so clear material was her preference.

Queen Elizabeth used umbrellas from Fulton, a company established in London in 1956. She preferred to carry the company’s “birdcage” style umbrellas, which are clear and shaped like a bird cage. The umbrella would usually match the queen’s outfits exactly. The company designed custom umbrellas to match the queen’s attire, reports Today. The umbrella’s trim and handle were the exact color of the outfit she chose.

According to royal commentator Neil Sean, pieces of material were sent to Fulton so they could see the color of the outfit Queen Elizabeth was going to wear. Sean says Fulton’s umbrellas are still in demand.

Kate Middleton will carry on Queen Elizabeth’s umbrella tradition

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Sean says Kate will continue this practice and start carrying transparent umbrellas. She reportedly thought it was a great idea.

“Apparently, Katherine is going to keep on this tradition because she thought that was a brilliant idea by the monarch to carry forward so that people even if they’ve been waiting out in terrible storms, bad weather, whatever, she would step out, greet the crowd, and they could still see her,” says Sean.  

“When the monarch went out and about visiting people what I liked about the fact was in later years she got bright colors because as she pointed out, you shrink a bit and people can’t see you,” Sean continues. “So, her dresser, Angela Kelly, sort of came up with this idea of getting bright colors, so wherever you are, people will spot you. And this was also, of course, taken to the headgear, that hats, which people adored.”

Kate Middleton got emotional after a reminder of Queen Elizabeth

Kate is still mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth. They were reportedly very close, so this has been a tough time for her. Sean says the Princess of Wales recently encountered a reminder of the queen that made her quite emotional.

According to Sean, a source told him that Kate became emotional after walking into a room and smelling Queen Elizabeth’s perfume. “She told a source that it’s this one thing that could trigger literally tears and indeed happy memories, but bittersweet memories, was the smell of the former monarch’s [perfume],” says Sean.

Sean says the monarch reportedly loved the brand Floris. She wore a fragrance by the name of White Rose. He says it had a fresh, fruity scent. “According to that source, Katherine recently walked into a room and instantly smelled it, and sadly was overcome with emotion,” says Sean.  

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