The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a sombre visit to Christchurch today. The city was impacted by a devastating 6.1 magnitude earthquake in February 2011, killing 185 people. The Royal Couple visited the CTV Building memorial site meeting families who sadly lost loved ones in the earthquake. In a nod to Canterbury's official colours, the region in which Christchurch is located, Kate wore her Luisa Spagnoli red dress suit, accented with black buttons and a black velour bow belt. Kate Middleton first wore this 2-piece suit when she and Price William visited St Andrews University on 25th February 2011. Incidentally that was only 3 days after the tragic earthquake. For the St Andrews visit, Kate elected to wear a turtleneck over the top of the dress. On that same day, Kate and William visited the New Zealand High Commission in London to sign the condolence book. For this occasion, Kate wore the red dress but swapped the matching peplum jacket for a black overcoat. Thanks to the brilliant detective work of Ayvee Elliot, she first noted on WhatKateWore, that the Duchess may have converted the dress into a skirt. This would account for the longer hemline, which many observed as the main difference between the suit she wore in 2011 and the one she wore today. Kate completed the outfit with familiar pieces; the black suede Episode 'Angel' pumps, black suede Mulberry 'Baywater' clutch, Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings, and the Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. SHOP KATE'S 'CANTERBURY' STYLE FOR LESS ... The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also officially opened the visitors centre of the Botanic Gardens. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the gardens became a place of reflection for the people of Christchurch. Following the opening, William & Kate visited the city's Latimer Square to endorse the upcoming Cricket World Cup. The pair participated in a light-hearted game of cricket with the local kids. Despite both being dressed in suits, the royal couple weren't afraid to show off their competitive side. You can read further details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
After an action packed week in New Zealand, the Duke and Duchess will spend tomorrow resting in private. On Wednesday, the royal couple will fly out of Wellington Airport and head to Sydney for their first Australian engagement at the Opera House.
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The royal motorcade was spotted leaving Wellington on Monday after the traditional welcome ceremony at Government House. It is believed the Cambridge's retreated to the Wharekauhau Country Estate Lodge to relax and rejuvenate after their long-haul flight from London. The sprawling luxury estate resort has a grand lodge and 15 guest cottages on the private grounds with plenty of privacy for the royal family to enjoy. Day 2 of the tour was a rest day for the royals and their entourage. No doubt they made the most of this day to regroup and gear up for the next three weeks. On Day 3, the Royal trio returned to Government House in Wellington to meet with the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, an organization that provides health care to children and new families. Their Royal Highnesses arrived ahead of schedule, and Kate was spotted wearing the same grey MaxMara wrap dress she wore when landing in Sydney earlier this week. After a quick wardrobe change, Kate emerged wearing a black and white patterned knit dress named 'Paulina' by American designer Tory Burch. The Tory Burch 'Paulina' dress is from her Resort 2014 collection. The dress has an alternating white open-knit and solid black knit pattern. The fit-and-flare silhouette is defined by a cinched-in waist and a pleated skirt. The short sleeve cuffs and hem are finished with tactile fringing. At time of posting, the dress is still in stock in limited sizes, retailing for about US$450. Today's event marked Prince George's first official royal engagement, which included meeting with a preselected group of families for some baby playtime. The heir to the British crown was just a regular little bub this afternoon as he played with ten other 8-month-old babies in the grand Blundell room of Government house. This is the only event that George is scheduled to attend during his time in New Zealand and Australia. Kate wore a new pair of black suede court shoes. The shoes were identified as the Jimmy Choo 'Aimee'. The Italian made pumps have a black suede upper and feature an almond toe with a platform. Kate's kept her jewellery to a minimum today, wearing her Mappin & Webb Fortune necklace, Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. You can read further details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge. Prince George will retire from the spotlight for the remainder of the New Zealand leg of the tour, while his parents continue with their jam packed itinerary. Tomorrow, the Duke and Duchess will travel to Blenheim to attend a wreath laying ceremony, followed by a visit to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Center where film director Sir Peter Jackson will give the royals a personal tour of his private plane collection. Later that evening (local time), they will head back to Wellington to attend a State Reception at Government House hosted by the Governor General. This afternoon, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited South Africa House in Trafalgar square to sign the condolence book for Nelson Mendala who passed away last week. The royal couple were at the UK premiere of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, a film celebrating Nelson Mandela's life, when the news of his death was broken to them. The film's Producer, Harvey Weinstein said, Kate was very emotional, she was in tears and very moved by the events. We all were. Kate wore an appropriate black polka dot skirt suit for the occasion. The suit consists of a matching fitted jacket and pencil skirt. Kate has worn this ensemble in the past and it dates as far back as 2007 when she wore it to on art opening in Dublin. It remains unidentified. Today, Kate paired the suit with her beloved Episode Angel suede pumps. Kate accessorized with her Annoushka pearl drop/Kiki hoop earrings and her new £3,950 Mappin & Webb 'Fortune Drop' white gold necklace which we first saw her wear last week during her visit to the Shooting Stars Hospice.
The Duchess of Cambridge braved the cold this morning as she stepped out to attend the Place2Be forum; a children's mental health charity of which she is patron. You can read more about today's forum here.
Kate wore a navy Max Mara moto-style jacket featuring an off-centre zip, club collar, and front flap pockets. Unfortunately there are no stock images or any further details about the piece. However we do know that the skirt is the Orla Kiely Solid Crepe Blend Pleated Skirt. The skirt is from the designer's S/S 2012 collection. The mini skirt features wide knife pleats in crepe fabric and originally retailed for €150. Kate coordinated her bespoke Alexander McQueen navy suede pumps with her Stuart Weitzman 'Muse' navy suede clutch, also known as the 'Raz' clutch in the USA. Kate also debuted a new pair of navy gloves with bow detail. The gloves were designed by Andy Shiels in collaboration with Dents Glovers and The Worshipful Company of Glovers in London. They are bespoke, made especially for the Duchess.
The Duchess wore her hair in a simple half up-do which showed off her Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings.
In the UK, the Remembrance Day ceremony is held on the second Sunday in November at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The ceremony is attended by The Queen and other members of the Royal Family. Today, the Duchess of Cambridge attended the ceremony, and watched the service from the Foreign Office balcony alongside the Countess of Wessex and Vice Admiral Tim Laurence. You can read more about the ceremony here. This year, Catherine wore the fit-and-flare 'Noa' coat from Temperley London. The black dress coat features a high neck, a single breasted front button fastening, and a jacquard diamond check panel design. The coat is from Temperley London's Fall/Winter 2012/13 collection and originally retailed for £1250. Kate accessorised with her Lock & Co 'Fairy Tale' hat, Cornelia James gloves, and her Annoushka pearl drop with Kiki hoop earrings. She commemorated the day with the Buckley Crystal Poppy Brooch. SHOP fit-and-flare coats ...Update (6th Dec 2013) Kate was seen holding an unidentified clutch bag to the Remembrance Sunday service. It has since been identified as the Mulberry 'Bayswayer' clutch in black suede, after Kate was seen carrying it the UK film premiere of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.
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I have retired the "Bits and Bobs" section of the website and started a new segment title "Outfit Chronicle".
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December 2014
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