Today, The Duchess of Cambridge made her first public appearance in more than two months.
Catherine who is pregnant with her second child has been suffering with Hyperemesis Gravidarum for several weeks. She has been forced to cancel a number of engagements due to her illness.
It appears Kate's condition is steadily improving and today she was well enough to join Prince William to greet The President of Singapore, Tony Tan Keng Yam and his wife at the Royal Garden Hotel in London on behalf of Her Majesty, The Queen.
The royal couple later attended the ceremonial welcome for Singapore's Head of State at Horse Guards Parade in London.
The Duchess wore a bespoke grey Prince of Wales plaid Alexander McQueen coat. The silhouette is trademark McQueen with its fitted bodice, structured shoulders and flared skirt. Other features include a peak lapel, concealed front fastening and slanted pockets.
The coat is based on this ready-to-wear Prince of Wales plaid box-pleat coat from the Alexander McQueen Pre-Spring Summer 2015 collection.
The Duchess accessorized with some familiar pieces. She coordinated the coat with her Jane Taylor 'Lupin' grey velour felt teardrop beret, first worn to the Easter Sunday church service in Sydney.
On her feet were the black Prada suede round toe pumps which made their debut in December of 2013 at the Nelson Mandela film premiere.
The black clutch bag she was carrying appears to be a new addition to her closet. Jenny Packham confirmed via Instagram that it is their 'Roxy' black suede clutch.
The AW14 'Roxy' clutch has a pleated, material design featuring a baguette cut, golden shadow Swarovski crystal clasp and a detachable long snake chain. It retails for £378.
The Duchess wore the Annoushka Pearl Drops & Kiki Diamond Hoop Earrings and Mappin & Webb Empress Mini White Gold & Diamond Pendant Necklace.
This evening, The Duchess of Cambridge joined Her Majesty, the Queen to host a star-studded reception at Buckingham Palace honouring The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), of which the Queen is patron. The Royal duo greeted an estimated 250 guests, including Dame Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, Sir David Attenborough, Uma Thurman, and Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes. Tonight, Kate looked vibrant in the red peplum Alexander McQueen dress, first worn to the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant in June 2012. It is also believed she wore it to the Queen's pre-Christmas luncheon in December. The Duchess opted for classic black satin accessories, carrying her customised Anya Hindmarch 'Maud' frame clutch and Prada shoes. Both pieces we have seen before, and Kate first wore this combination when she meet the Obama's at Buckingham Palace in May 2011. Catherine has her 'Maud' clutch personalised with the initial C. The bespoke clutch retails for £450 and comes in an array of colours. It is fabricated from luxuriously soft satin, made using tightly woven thread to give a glossy appearance. Kate finished her look wearing Cassandra Goad 'Temple of Heaven' girandole pendant earrings. The 9ct yellow gold earrings retail for £1,365 and have been worn by the Duchess for a number of years. You can read more about tonight's event here.
Currently, the Duchess of Cambridge has no official events planned for the immediate future. I suspect Kate's appearances will slow up over the next couple of months as she plans for the Royal Tour of Australia and New Zealand in April 2014.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walked the red carpet this evening at the UK premiere of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, a film celebrating Nelson Mandela's life.
Before the screening the royal couple met with the film’s cast and crew and also spoke with Mandela’s daughter, Zindzi Mandela.
For tonight's event, Kate brought back the off-white Roland Mouret 'Lombard' gown which she previously wore in May 2012 to the Thirty Club dinner at Claridge's in London.
Kate accessorised with a striking statement necklace which is a costume piece from Zara. The 'Sparkly Bead Crystal Necklace' has a modest price tag of only £20. It is still available at select stores but has sold out online. There are also a few popping up on eBay.
Kate's affinity for suede accessories was reaffirmed tonight when she choose to complete her outfit with a new pair of black suede pumps and clutch bag. The clutch is the £495 Mulberry 'Bayswater' and is still available in a variety of colours and textures. It is believed Kate first carried this clutch to last month's Remembrance Sunday service.
Kate's black suede pumps are by Prada. The Italian made round-toe heels feature leather insole and lining, suede leather outsole, low-cut vamp and 4 1/4 inch suede covered high heel. They are available for US$650 at Neiman Marcus.
Sadly, during the screening of the movie, news broke of the death of Nelson Mandela. It was a poignant moment for the Duke and Duchess, and William made a brief statement after the movie and said "It was extremely sad and tragic news. "We were just reminded of what an
extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson Mandela was and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family right now." |
I have retired the "Bits and Bobs" section of the website and started a new segment title "Outfit Chronicle".
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