Earlier this year, when Catherine, the Princess of Wales, returned to the public eye after her treatment for cancer, The Sunday Times of London reported that she was doing so with a caveat: She wanted to focus on her work, not her clothes. Her office would no longer share information about what she wore.

Cue shock and horror. Even if it was understandable, given what she had been through, and even if the report was later disputed by the palace itself, it sent tremors through the fashion-watching community.

That was partly because the princess could change the fortunes of a designer or a brand simply by wearing a dress. And it was partly because she had long used her place in the attention economy to shine a light not just on British products, but on issues like sustainability by remaking and rewearing pieces from her closet, and even renting the occasional evening gown.

Mostly, though, it was because the clothes are an expression of her role as a symbol — of the country and that fine line between continuity and modernization. Stepping back from one suggested she was stepping back from the other. It’s a weird thing to essentially be an avatar, but it’s the job.