Today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by Prince Harry on a visit to the opening of the Tower of London's "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" poppy installation. The expansive art installation is in honour of the 100th anniversary of World War I. It gives the illusion of a blood-red moat around the castle and the evolving work will feature 888,246 ceramic poppies when completed. The poppies represent a British or Colonial military fatality during the Great War. The installation is the work of ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper. It was officially opened to the public today, and will run until late Autumn with the last poppy to be symbolically planted on Armistice Day, 11th November 2014. For today's engagement, The Duchess wore her snorkel blue L.K. Bennett 'Detroit' dress. This dress was first worn on Valentine's Day this year to the opening of the ICAP Art Room at Northolt High School in London. The Duchess carried her navy suede Russell & Bromley 'Muse' clutch. Other familiar accessories included her Sapphire & Diamond Oval Drop Earrings and Ballon Bleu de Cartier Stainless Steel Wristwatch. There were two new additions to Kate's outfit today. The Duchess swapped her usual Alexander McQueen navy suede pumps with a new pair from Jimmy Choo named 'Georgia' (identified by My Small Obsessions). This style features a thick column shaped heel with a rounded toe. They are currently available for€450/US$625. Kate also debuted the Empress Mini White Gold and Diamond Pendant necklace by Mappin & Webb (identified by My Small Obsessions). A sparkling motif pendant features 0.40 carats of round brilliant-cut diamonds set in 18 carat white gold on a 46cm (18 inch) chain. The motif measures 15mm (0.59 inches) in diameter. The piece retails for £1,850. The Cambridge's will take a break for the remaining Summer. Kate is scheduled to return to royal duties in mid September, where she will undertake her first solo visit abroad. On 20th - 21st September 2014, the Duchess of Cambridge will visit Malta to mark its 50th annivsary of independence. SHOP KATE'S STYLE ...
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I. At 11pm (BST) on August 4, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany after the Germans had invaded Belgium. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge commemorated the anniversary by attending a number of ceremonies in Belgium. William and Kate arrived at L'Abbaye Saint-Laurent in Liege, where they were received by Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. Following the official greeting, they walked to the Cointe Inter-allied Memorial for a service, during which Prince William gave a speech paying tribute to the host nation Your Majesties, if I may say so, Belgium's steadfast remembrance of your war dead, and ours, is a great credit to your nation. On behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, head of the Commonwealth, thank you for the honour you do us all. For today's commemoration services, the Duchess wore a cream ensemble featuring a Alexander McQueen coat dress. The coat has many feminine touches including a Peter Pan collar, puffed accent sleeves and a pleated skirt. The design is bespoke but fuses elements from a couple Alexander McQueen pieces. Kate's headpiece is by Jane Taylor Millinery (credit to @AnnieElizabethN for the ID). She wore the 'Fleur-Ruffle' straw beret in nude/blush pink. The headpiece has a tonal hand dyed ruffle detail and is from the current summer collection. It retails for £615. Kate wore her trusty L.K. Bennett taupe 'Sledge' pumps. Kate accessorized with her Annoushka pearl drop earrings paired with her Kiki McDonough diamond hoops and Ballon Bleu de Cartier Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch. The Duchess carried her customized Alexander McQueen suede clutch. SHOP KATE'S STYLE ... In the afternoon, William and Kate traveled to the town of Mons where they were joined by Prince Harry for a reception at Mons Town Hall. The royal trio concluded the day with a twilight ceremony at Saint-Symphorien Military Cemetery. The Duchess laid a floral tribute. Tomorrow, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince Harry will continue their WWI commemorations with a visit to the Tower of London's "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" poppy installation in the Tower's moat.
The Duchess of Cambridge started the day by attending a reception hosted by her patronage SportsAid, an organisation which supports the next generation of British sports stars. She then joined her husband and Prince Harry at Hampden Park to attend the athletics on Day 6 of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It was a consecutive day of outfit recycling for the thrifty Duchess and she stuck with pieces she has favoured at previous sporting events. For today's outing, the Duchess paired her ultra-blue Stella McCartney 'Ridley' dress with her navy Smythe single button blazer (in stock at Saks Fifth Ave). Kate repeated the same accessories she wore to yesterday's events. On her feet were the Stuart Weitzman 'Corkswoon' wedges in navy suede and she carried a matching bag. There is some active debate that the clutch is not her trusty Russell & Bromley 'Muse' clutch. The flap appears to be slightly different to the 'Muse' and the silhouette is not as long. I think the style is more like the Emmy 'Natasha' clutch. Kate owns the 'Natasha' clutch in a carbon and chocolate hue. Emmy offers fabric customization so it's possible Kate has now added another to her collection in a bespoke navy suede. Kate's also recycled her jewellery from yesterday, wearing her Kiki McDonough Citrine Drop earrings, Asprey necklace featuring 'Woodland' charms and Cartier Ballon Bleu wristwatch. SHOP KATE'S SPORTY BUSINESS STYLE FOR LESS ... 02/08/2014 UPDATE The navy suede clutch has been identified by My Small Obsessions. The Duchess was carrying the LK Bennett 'Frome' navy blue suede clutch bag. The sleek clutch is crafted in soft suede, featuring a mag-dot closure, internal zip compartment and convenient removable strap handle. It retailed for £185 but has unfortunately sold out.
The Duchess of Cambridge visited Blessed Sacrament School in Islington today to see first-hand the progress of the M-PACT project. The initiative aims to provide early support for schoolchildren affected by parental drug or alcohol addiction. The project is funded by The Royal Foundation and Comic Relief, and delivered by charities Place2Be and Action on Addiction, of which the Duchess is a patron. It was launched in April 2013, when Kate and comedian John Bishop visited Willows Primary School in Wythenshawe, Manchester. For last year's visit, the Duchess was seven months pregnant with Prince George and she showed off her baby bump in the printed Erdem 'Sophia' shift dress. For today's event, Kate opted for a solid sheath dress by Goat. The style is named 'Scarlett' and it is rendered in a coral hue. Goat classifies the colour as 'geranium'. The wool crepe dress is characterised by a pleated bust and defined with a matching belt. It retails for £450. It was available from matchesfashion.com and my-wardrobe.com but quickly sold after being seen on the Duchess. The 'Scarlett' style is still available in other colour options. When William and Kate visited Scotland in May this year, Kate wore a Goat geranium sheath dress underneath her Jonathan Saunders coat. It seems very likely that is was the Goat 'Scarlett' pleated front dress. For today's event, the Duchess kept her accessories neutral, carrying her LK Bennett 'Natalie' straw clutch and wearing her Jimmy Choo 'Gilbert' kid leather pumps. We also saw familiar pieces of jewellery. Kate wore her Links of London 'Effervescence Bubble Stiletto' earrings and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. Kate styled her long hair in a pretty half up-do. SHOP KATE'S LOOK FOR LESS ...
This morning, the Duchess of Cambridge visited the restored heritage and education site of Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire.
Today's visit by Her Royal Highness marked the completion of the £8 million restoration project, which has restored the site to its World War II appearance.
For today's visit, Catherine wore her military-inspired Alexander McQueen separates, first seen on her visit to the Summerfield Community Centre in August 2011 following the Birmingham riots.
Both the blouse and skirt are from the Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2011 collection. The Military Silk Georgette Blouse features navy trim detailing, gold button-fastening and a peplum hem. The navy Embellished Wool Crepe Skirt has directional front slits and gold tone decorative button front.
We saw the return of familiar navy accessories, which included the Stuart Weitzman 'Muse' clutch, her Alexander McQueen pumps, and her sapphire & diamond drop earrings.
Kate toured the WWII Codebreaking Huts and heard about the achievements of the Codebreakers, one of who was her paternal grandmother, Valerie Glassborow.
Kate then on to view the interactive exhibitions and had a go at deciphering a morse code message using a replica radio that was used at Bletchley Park during WW II.
The Duchess commemorated her visit by planting a tree.
The next engagement for the Duchess will be on 5th July, when she and William will attend the ceremonial start of the Tour de France at Harewood House in Yorkshire.
The Duchess of Cambridge attended today's historic Garter Day service with other members of the Royal Family. The Order of the Garter is the most senior and the oldest British Order of Chivalry and was founded by Edward III in 1348. Each year in June, a procession and service take place at Windsor Castle for the Order of the Garter. Prince William has been a Royal Knights Companion of the Garter since 2008. Kate wore her bespoke ice blue silk Christopher Kane coat, previously worn to the pre-Olympic reception and Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012. Catherine watched the parade from under a canopy along with Sophie, the Countess of Wessex and other dignitaries. The Duchess donned a new hat by Lock & Co. The Sweet Delight style is 100% woven straw and retails for £875. We also saw the return of the LK Bennett 'Natalie' clutch and her pear drop earrings which are yet to be identified. Kate wore a new pair of nude shoes to today's ceremony. They are the Jimmy Choo ' Gilbert' pumps in nude kid leather. These shoes are part of theJimmy Choo 24:7 capsule collection. The 'Gilbert' feature an almond toe and 3.5" stiletto heel. SHOP KATE'S GARTER DAY STYLE FOR LESS ... THIS POST IS IN PROGRESS ...
The Queen celebrated her official birthday today with the Trooping the Colour parade. Although Her Majesty was born on 21 April, it has long been the tradition to publicly celebrate the Sovereign's birthday on a day in the summer. The Duchess of Cambridge attended her fourth consecutive Trooping the Colour event. Today she wore an ice blue separates outfit by Alexander McQueen. The jacket appears to be a modified version of this ready-to-wear piece, first identified by Kate Middleton Style Blog . This fauna silk-cotton jacquard jacket has a peplum waist and short stand-up collar with thin V neckline. It has a concealed hook and eye closure. The long sleeves are finished with four button cuffs. Kate's skirt appears to be made of the same matching fabric. The Duchess donned a new bespoke hat from Jane Taylor Millenary. Another new piece included a pearl cluster brooch, details of which are yet to emerge. She wore her Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki McDonough hoop earrings. Another familiar accessory was her modified Alexander McQueen clutch. GET KATE'S TROOPING THE COLOUR STYLE FOR LESS ... Following a breakfast reception at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, the Duchess of Cambridge dashed back to London to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace. Also in attendance was Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip, who was celebrating his 93rd birthday. Catherine changed out of her Jaeger contrast crepe dress and into the much-adored Alexander McQueen champagne lace dress, first worn two years earlier to the Queen's Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral. For today's event, Kate opted to remove the tonal sash belt and complete her look with new accessories. The Duchess wore a new hat from Jane Corbett Millinery which is a bespoke piece designed to coordinate with her frock. Kate accessorized with a new pair of nude patent heels which are currently unidentified. One possibility is the LK Bennett 'Florete' pumps. She carried her Russell and Bromley nude patent 'Park Avenue' clutch. She kept her jewellery to a minimum, wearing only her Annoushka baroque pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings (in addition to her wedding rings, of course!). SHOP KATE'S GARDEN PARTY STYLE FOR LESS ... 12/06/2014 - ID UPDATE Ashley Marie contacted LK Bennett regarding their 'Florete' pumps, but they wrote that this was not the style the Duchess wore to the Garden party. I then contacted Russell & Bromley to ask if their '5th Ave' court shoes could be an ID. They responded with a denial but did claim that the '5th Ave' style used to be available in beige patent (the same colour/fabric as her R&B 'Park Ave' clutch). Ashley Marie persisted with this and managed to get a hold of someone more knowledgeable at R&B. They confirmed that the '5th Ave' style is indeed the one the Duchess wore. Despite my efforts and the misinformation I was given by Russell & Bromley, I'm delighted that Ashely Marie got to the truth!
The '5th Ave' court shoe in beige patent was from their 2013 collection and is no longer available. It is currently available in a variety of shades and fabrics. These point toe courts feature a slim 8cm heel height. This morning, the Duchess of Cambridge attended a private breakfast reception at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. It was her first solo engagement since returning from the Royal Tour of New Zealand and Australia. During her visit, Catherine meet with supporters of the bid to launch a British team in the 35th America’s Cup, which is being led by Sir Ben Ainslie. Catherine wore an ivory/navy crepe dress by British high-street label Jaeger. This sleek ivory sheath dress features navy trim along the round neckline, arms and waist. It originally retailed for £150 but has been reduced to £99. Kate carried her Stuart Weitzman 'Muse' navy suede clutch (also known as the Stuart Weitzman 'Raz' clutch in the USA). On her feet were her bespoke Alexander McQueen navy suede pumps. Her jewellery included the sapphire and diamond earrings, Asprey London 'Woodlands' charm necklace and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. SHOP KATE'S LOOK FOR LESS ... The Duchess meet with crew and boat designers before viewing an America’s Cup class boat at the museum. The America’s Cup, which is the oldest trophy in sport, was first established in 1851 as the hundred pound cup for the winner of a race around the Isle of Wight, witnessed by Queen Victoria. The Cup was named after the first winner of the race, the schooner ‘America’, from New York. American teams successfully defended all challenges for 132 years, until an Australian team won in 1983. Britain has never won the America's Cup.
This afternoon, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended two events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France. The Royal couple attended a tea party in the town of Arromanches where they spent the afternoon chatting with WWII British veterans and listening to their emotional recollections of the landings. For today's events, the Duchess opted to repeat pieces she has previously worn. No doubt this was to ensure the focus stayed on the commemorations. Catherine wore her bespoke Alexander McQueen cornflower blue coat first seen on the New Zealand tour. Other familiar pieces included the 'Salsa' black straw hat by Sylvia Fletcher for Lock & co, her sapphire and diamond earrings, and Mulberry Bayswater black suede clutch. Kate did however wear a new pair of black suede heeled shoes. My Small Obsessions has identified them as the Stuart Weitzman 'Power' pumps. These pointed-toe court shoes feature a covered 3 ¾ inches thin stiletto heel and leather sole. SHOP THE LOOK FOR LESS ... Following the tea party, William and Kate visited the D-Day museum on Gold Beach (Arronmanches). 70 years ago, over 400 British troops lost their lives in the assault on Arronmanches. There was a ceremony to remember the brave men who paid the ultimate price. The Duke gave a heartfelt speech where he described the pivotal operation which began the downfall of the Nazis during the Second World War as a "great and terrible day." To read an historical account of the D-Day landings click here.
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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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