Even a would-be queen isn’t immune to the allure of the prevailing sheer trend. When Kate Middleton and Prince William were students at the prestigious St. Andrew’s University in Scotland, they were firm friends first. But one pivotal moment is credited with turning their uni friendship into a love story for the ages. 

And it all happened because of a charity fashion show and a very sheer dress. In March 2002, a 19-year-old Kate sashayed down the runway in a transparent dress over a bandeau bikini. The moment reportedly prompted Prince William to lean over and exclaim to his pal, Fergus Boyd, “Wow, Fergus, Kate’s hot!” According to another classmate at the time, Ben Duncan, the handsome royal was sitting front row with his “eyes like stalks” over the “daring” dress, suddenly seeing Kate in a whole new light. 

More than 20 years later, the iconic dress is still one of her most memorable. Here’s the story behind this pivotal garment in royal history.

Why Was the Fashion Show So Important?

Lorna Ruane, a NYC-based advertising executive who’s built up a following online for sharing royal-related fashion stories, thinks that this key moment in British history was one of the first to be played out in the internet age, where real-time news was so accessible. It afforded the world a front-row seat to watch how a “normal girl from a normal family” who took part in a “normal university charity event” would go on to become one of the most recognized faces in the world.

“It definitely adds a level of relatability to their story and creates this idea of anything being possible for any girl, à la Hallmark movies,” Ruane explains. “That the flame for William and Kate was sparked during something as casual as a student fashion show, rather than at a grand royal event or by matchmaking grandmothers (as some believe happened with Charles and Diana), makes it much more relatable.”

What Dress Did Kate Wear?

The moment is also remembered because of the dress Kate Middleton wore: a sheer number has since found its place in history. The work of Charlotte Todd, who was studying for a degree in Fashion and Textiles at the University of the West of England at the time, it cost the then-student just £30 to make. The design was from her project “The Art of Seduction” and was originally intended to be a skirt. However, Kate opted to wear the piece as a dress instead, teaming it with very 2000s-era tight curls, makeup, and a frosted mani.

“When their relationship became public the press had access to very few pictures of Kate, but they did have access to pictures of Kate at this fashion show, so they were printed a lot, and every time they’re printed, it’s a reminder of the event,” Ruane says.  

She adds that while that dress was actually only one look she wore, it has undoubtedly become the most iconic for its risqué factor too. “Kate wore multiple outfits on the catwalk that night but it’s the semi-transparent dress that is the most famous and widely covered,” Ruane explains. “At the time, and even now, it’s the idea that the woman wearing this revealing dress went on to date and marry the direct heir. It’s the polar opposite of how a member of a royal family dresses or how any public figure is expected to dress.”

Ultimately, the couple married nearly a decade later, and Middleton became the Duchess of Cambridge and future Queen of England. It’s fair to say that the dress did alter the course of history—and one person who’s in on the joke is Kate herself. In 2012, ten years after that fateful night, the style star poked fun at the memory during a charity dinner for her alma mater. Addressing an undergraduate student attending, she reportedly said: “I hope you weren’t involved in the fashion show. You never know what you are going to be asked to wear!”

Where Is the Dress Now?

When the couple eventually got engaged in 2010, designer Charlotte Todd recalled the garment hanging in a closet in her mother’s house and decided to put it up for auction. In 2011, it fetched a staggering £78,000 (the equivalent of over $100,000) when a buyer snapped it up due to its royal association.    

Two decades later, there’s still public fascination around the ‘penny drop’ interaction where Prince William saw his future bride in a new way, thanks to the dress. The interaction returned to the news cycle again recently, thanks to season six of The Crown, which starred actors Meg Bellamy and Ed McVey as a young Kate and William. The show recreated the moment, with costume designer Sidonie Roberts creating a replica of the dress.