Kate Middleton's best workwear looks as she steps up her royal duties this year @ summer beauty

As announced in December, the Queen has stepped down from 25 of the 600 organisations she is patron of, giving them to younger members of the royal family.

The Duchess of Cambridge will take over as Wimbledon patron, as well as Barnardo's, Save the Children UK and the NSPCC, so we're expecting to see a lot more of Kate this year.

And of course, every time Kate makes an appearance, everyone always loves to see what she's wearing and where they can get her look.

While the Duchess noticeably experimented with her style and wore new labels last year, particularly on the tours of India and Canada, will she dig out some wardrobe classics from the last few years for her royal engagements?

Kate has sported some gorgeous workwear looks in the past and she got things off to a bold start this year with her blue Eponine London coat to visit the Anna Freud centre and an emerald green Hobbs suit for a tour of East Anglia Children's Hospices.

Here we look back on some of her best office-inspired style and wardrobe staples.

Dresses

We'd love to have a whole wardrobe of dresses like Kate's and she's certainly spoilt for choice in that department. From colour-block shifts to printed frocks from the likes of Hobbs, LK Bennett and Alexander McQueen , we wonder if one of these will make a reappearance this year.

Kate first wore this blue Stella McCartney number in 2012 at the National Portrait and Wimbledon, and we saw it again, when she took Prince George to Royal International Air Tattoo show at RAF Fairford.

The beauty of colour block dresses like this, is you can wear with or without a jacket, and add a belt or a statement necklace. This is one piece which will never date and it's no wonder she's held onto it.

We all know Kate loves a bit of high street and this checked linen Wessex dress from Hobbs flew off the shelves, when she first wore it in 2012 to launch a charity initiative. We also saw her in it again during the 2014 tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The belt cinches her in at the waist and a cap sleeve like this is perfect for the summer months, if you don't feel comfortable wearing a strappy or sleeveless dress for the office.

But if you do work in a busy, fast-paced environment, the length is easy to run around or play table tennis in like Kate!

More block colours from Kate, from another high street brand and one of her favourites - LK Bennett . She wore the snorkel blue Detroit dress twice in 2014 and the three-quarter length sleeves and notch collar neckline make it a perfect transitional piece. We wouldn't be surprised if we saw her in it again within the next couple of months.

We all know the Duchess loves a little red dress and she wore the brand's fit-and-flare Cayla dress to Wimbledon in 2015. Similar to the Eugenia style we saw her in last year, she added a touch of print with her DVF leopard clutch.

While most of these dresses have sold out, LK Bennett's latest collection features the Vivi Roca style - which we can totally see Kate wearing.

Kate went back to work in September 2015 after giving birth to Princess Charlotte in the May and showed off her svelte figure in a silk houndstooth shirt dress from Ralph Lauren .

With the shirt dress being a big trend for SS17, will she dig out this belted number again?

Just like us non-royals, Kate has a few dresses which are suitable for work and play. This red Alexander McQueen frock is one of her favourites and we've seen her wear it on three occasions - for the Queen's jubilee in 2012, an arts reception in 2014 and for the Anna Freud charity Christmas party in 2015.

With its peplum style detailing and long sleeves, we hope Kate gives it another outing with a new pair of shoes this year.

Jackets

We all know that Kate owns a plethora of coat dresses in all colours of the rainbow, most people wouldn't wear one for the office, but Kate has a not-so-secret weapon in her arsenal, which she loves to wear again and again - her Smythe blazer .

We first saw her sporting the wool 'Duchess' jacket in navy from the Canadian brand back in 2011, as she headed off on her first royal tour of the country, paying homage to her host nation. And since then, she's worn it multiple times with various dress and jean combos.

The Duchess wore the green version on her second tour of Canada last year, with Zara skinnies and a Somerset by Alice Temperley blouse. The one-button jacket adds a smart touch to more casual attire and it's no wonder Kate's invested in another colour.

She also owns a cream blazer from high street label Zara and while we agree, it's not the most practical of hues if you commute on the tube, it was a winning look for Kate on the penultimate day of the Canada tour last year, and would look lovely in the summer, teamed with one of her shift dresses.

Blouses and skirts

While Kate has a LOT of frocks to choose from, she's also worn some winning blouse and skirt combos, particularly in 2016.

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