It's no secret that the Duchess of Cambridge is an avid fan of tennis. Today, William and Kate took their seats in the Royal Box at Wimbledon to watch the quarter finals clash on Centre Court between Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov. Kate has an affinity for wearing white to the Wimbledon Championships, obviously a homage to the Wimbledon players' dress code. She continued that trend today, wearing her white eyelet Zimmermann Roamer Day dress, first seen on Good Friday during the Royal Tour of Australia. In the past, Kate has worn white frocks by Issa, Temperley London, Joseph and Alexander McQueen. Last year Kate didn't attend any matches at Wimbledon because she was over 8 months pregnant with Prince George. Today, Kate added a dash of colour to her ensemble with a red pashmina and her Anya Hindmarch Basket Fan Clutch. The red shawl dates back to at least February 2007. Kate was photographed carrying it as she left the exclusive Mamilanji club. Today Kate wore her Ray-Ban folding sunglasses, also first seen during this year's Royal Tour. Other familiar accessories included her Annoushka pearl /Kiki hoop earrings and Cartier watch. Duchess Kate blog has a full-length photo of Kate which shows her wearing the LK Bennett 'Sledge' pumps. There was some Twitter activity this morning about a sighting of William, Kate and baby George at the Natural History Museum's Butterfly Exhibit. The Duchess is seen wearing her Suzannah Green Budding Heart Silk Tea Dress. We first got a glimpse of this dress under her Erdem coat on a visit to the Waikato region of New Zealand during the 2014 royal tour.
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 morning the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge commenced the final leg of their royal tour Down Under in the nation's capital city of Canberra. First on the itinerary was a visit to the National Arboretum perched high on the hills overlooking Lake Burley Griffin. The arboretum was recently opened in the wake of the bushfires that ravaged the area over a decade ago. The royal couple planted an English Oak tree to make a contribution to the efforts of the arboretum. The Duchess wore a vivid grass green coat dress by Catherine Walker. This is a bespoke piece that fuses design elements of the Catherine Walker 'Evelyn' coatdress and the 'Lara' coat from the current collection. Both are fabricated from Venetian wool and it is evident that Kate combined the zip scuba collar of the 'Lara' with the full skirt of the 'Evelyn' including the hand pick stitching and belt. We got a glimpse of the Suzannah Green Budding Heart silk tea dress under her coat. Kate also wore this dress under her green Erdem coat when she recently visited the Waikato region of New Zealand. On her feet were the infamous LK Bennett 'Sledge' taupe patent pumps. Kate wore her emerald and diamond earrings and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. The Duke and Duchess then attended a reception hosted by Prime Minister Tony Abbott in the Great Hall of Parliament House. Prince William made a short speech and told the audience of 600 how much he and his family had enjoyed their visit to Australia. He also made a comical remark about Prince George's affection for his plush toy wombat. Immediately following the reception, William and Kate headed to the National Portrait Gallery where they viewed some of its prized paintings, including one of Australian native, Princess Mary of Denmark. SHOP KATE'S 'ARBORETUM' STYLE FOR LESS ... On their final evening of the Royal Tour, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a cocktail reception at Government House hosted by the Governor General, Sir Peter Cosgrove. The royal couple mingled with 100 carefully selected guests from the arts, sport, business and charity. Kate looked elegant in a monochromatic outfit and with her hair in a loose chignon. She wore an ivory fitted peplum dress from American designer Lela Rose. This is the first occasion we have seen the Duchess wear this label. The linen-blend sheath dress is from the Spring 2012 collection. It features circular lace short sleeves and peplum waist. It originally retailed for US$1295. Kate contrasted the dress with her black suede Mulberry 'Bayswater' clutch and Jimmy Choo 'Cosmic' platform pumps. The Duchess completed the ensemble with her dazzling diamond earrings and bracelet set which she tends to favour for formal events. She also wore her Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. Tomorrow is the last day of the three-week royal tour. The Duke and Duchess will attend an ANZAC Day service at the Australian War Memorial before boarding a Royal Australian Air Force plane bound for London at around 2pm. SHOP REPLIKATE'S OF THE LELA ROSE DRESS ... You can read full details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge headed to Queensland, affectionately known as the Sunshine State because of its warm sunny climate. They landed at the Royal Australian Air Force base in Amberley just outside the State capital of Brisbane. The Duchess wore a frock by her favourite high-street label, LK Bennett. Catherine opted for the 'Lasa' poppy print dress which reportedly had sold out prior to today's engagement. The LK Bennett Lasa poppy print dress has a slim sheath silhouette, adorned with snorkel blue poppies, arranged in an artful print against a white backdrop. It also features a square neckline and elbow length sleeves. It is fabricated from a breathable cotton blend. In another royal coup for Australian fashion, on the back of yesterday's Zimmermann dress, Kate carried a ombre blue clutch from Aussie brand Oroton. The 'Odeion' clutch is crafted from Italian embossed calf leather and metal, featuring a snake chain strap and Oroton hardware. The minaudiere originally retailed for AU$245 but has now sold out. For the third time on this tour, Kate wore her bespoke navy blue suede Alexander McQueen pumps. I was however surprised to see them again after they got drenched in the rain on their last day in Wellington, New Zealand. It makes me wonder if Kate carries a few pairs of her favourite shoes! We again saw the Duchess accessorise with her sapphire & diamond earrings, Mappin & Webb 'Fortune' necklace and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. While at the base the Duke inspected the waiting Royal Guard and later both he and Catherine were given a tour of the No 1 Squadron - which is the first Super Hornet squadron outside the US. They were both given the opportunity to clamber into the cockpit a fighter jet. After the hour-long tour, the William and Kate visited Amberley's Memorial Garden, where they planted a Plunkett Mallee, a eucalyptus tree, native to Queensland. The royal pair then headed into the city centre to attend an official reception at Brisbane's Convention and Entertainment Centre. The Duke and Duchess had a gourmet lunch comprised of local Queensland produce, and they had the opportunity to mingle with more than 200 charity, community, political, and business leaders. Following the lunch, William and Kate undertook a walkabout in the centre of Brisbane where they were greeted by over 10,000 fans. Tomorrow, the Duke and Duchess start their day with a Easter Sunday church service at St. Andrews Cathedral in Sydney. Next they will head to Taronga Zoo. It is possible that Prince George may join them when they visit the Zoo's is a Bilby enclosure, which was the nation's gift on the occasion of his birth. Later that day, they will leave Sydney and travel to Australia’s capital, Canberra, staying at Government House. You can read further details of today's events on the official website of the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. This morning, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge started their Good Friday with a visit to the Royal Easter Show at Sydney's Olympic Park. The Show is an annual event, set up to bring the bush to the city. It has a carnival atmosphere with agricultural competitions, animal experiences, fair rides and shopping. On this warm sunny Autumn day, Catherine wore a white broderie anglaise dress by Australian designer Zimmermann. The Roamer Day Dress is from the upcoming Summer Swim 2014 range and will retail for AU$495. According to the Herald Sun newspaper the frock was due to arrive instore worldwide this June but the release date has reportedly been moved forward in response to overwhelming demand. Australian actress Naomi Watts modeled the eyelet dress in Zimmermann’s upcoming campaign. SHOP REPLIKATES OF THE ZIMMERMANN ROAMER DAY DRESS ... For the first time on this Royal Tour, Kate wore her Stuart Weitzman tan 'Minx' cork wedges, initially worn by the Duchess during the Royal Tour of South East Asia in 2012. The wedges were reissued this season and retail for US$395. Kate colour coordinated her shoes with the LK Bennett 'Natalie' clutch which dates back to 2011. She again wore her Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. After a quick stop at Admiralty House to see Prince George the Royal couple made a visit to Bear Cottage, in the seaside suburb of Manly. It is the only children’s hospice in the state of New South Wales. The Duchess made a heartfelt speech paying tribute to the hospice and also participated in a music session with the children. Following their emotional hospice visit, William and Kate made a short trip to Manly beach where they met with junior lifesavers in an event to highlight Australia’s surf life-saving clubs. The Royal couple were presented with a custom-made surfboard for Prince George. You can read further details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Tomorrow, the Duke and Duchess travel to Brisbane, Queensland where they will visit the largest operational base of the Royal Australian Air Force at Amberley. That afternoon they will attend a reception in the city centre hosted by Queensland’s Governor and Premier.
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".
Archives
December 2014
|