I would love to know what you thought was Kate's best look of the Australian leg of the Royal Tour. Cast your vote below! If you haven't done so already, you can also vote for Kate's best look in New Zealand. Royal Tour Day 19: William & Kate attend ANZAC Day Commemorations on their final day Down Under25/4/2014 On the final day of their royal tour, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were up before sunrise to attend the ANZAC day dawn service at Canberra's War Memorial. This was an unscheduled and surprise appearance by the royal couple. ANZAC day is a significant national occasion which marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Prince William wore his two medals given for service to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth - the golden jubilee medal and diamond jubilee medal. The Duchess wrapped up warmly with a cream-coloured scarf, black gloves and her Temperly 'Noa' coat. The black coatdress features a jacquard diamond check panel design with a fit-and-flare silhouette. The Duchess first wore this piece to last year's Remembrance Sunday service. Kate also wore black tights with black heels which appear to be her Episode 'Angel' suede pumps. On her coat lapel was pinned a sprig of rosemary traditionally worn by Aussies and Kiwis on this day. The plant grows abundantly on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, where over 11,000 Australians and New Zealanders died in battle. Later that morning the Duke & Duchess attended the commemorative Anzac Day March which included representatives of First World War veterans. The Duchess changed into a blue tweed coat and donned a navy headpiece. Out of respect for the day of remembrance, the Palace did not release details about Kate's outfit. After the service, various media outlets did publicize the details. Firstly, News Corp Australia revealed that Kate's headwear was by Sydney based milliner, Jonathan Howard. Kate wore the 'Boutton' headpiece in an appropriately named ‘Duchess Blue’ hue. The piece is from the milliner's racing collection and features a felt button with flying bow trim. It retails for AU$540 and comes in a variety of colours. Following this, Hello Magazine revealed that Kate's coat was by Michael Kors. The indigo twill jacquard swing coat is from the Spring 2014 collection. This is the first time the Duchess has worn a piece by Michael Kors, and it makes it the fourth American designer for the royal tour. Previously, we saw Kate wear dresses from Tory Burch, DVF, and Lela Rose. Kate completed the outfit with her Alexander McQueen navy suede pumps, and Russell & Bromley navy 'Muse' clutch (aka Stuart Weitzman 'Raz' clutch in the USA). Her jewellery pieces included the sapphire earrings, Asprey London 'Woodlands' charm necklace, and Cartier Ballon Bleu Watch. Kate also wore a red poppy-shaped brooch given to her by the wife of Victoria Cross recipient Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith. The brooch is the Russian Imperial Crimson Anemone Pin from the Metropolitan Museum of Art store. It originally retailed for US$85 but is no longer available. It is a reproduction of a Peter Carl Fabergé’ design, and there are a few jewellery variations in the collection including, earrings, necklace and cuff. Immediately after the commemorations, the Royal couple returned to their home base at Government House to pickup Prince George and then made their way to the Fairbairn RAAF Base for their official farewell before flying back to London. You can read full details of today's events on the official page of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Well that wraps up three amazing weeks with so many memorable moments! This tour was extra special to me because it was in my home country of Australia, and also the first I have covered since I started the website. I will leave you with my favourite image from the tour which I think captures the essence of this beautiful family.
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.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge flew into Adelaide this morning looking refreshed from their overnight stay in Uluru. Catherine looked stunning in a blush pink ensemble from Alexander McQueen. The outfit appears to be separates featuring a knit peplum top with cropped sleeves and a matching skirt with fluid pleats. Below are similar ready-to-wear pieces from a previous seasonal collection by Alexander McQueen. A close-up of the top in sunlight shows fine woollen type fibres. This is most likely a bespoke outfit with the details yet to be confirmed. Today, we saw the return of Kate's favourite accessories combination; the 'Sledge' patent pumps and 'Natalie' straw clutch both from LK Bennett. Kate's jewellery included her Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings, Asprey 'Woodland' charm necklace and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. SHOP KATE'S MCQUEEN STYLE FOR LESS ... Today's events were based in the working-class suburb of Elizabeth, named after Queen Elizabeth II, who visited the area in 1963. The Duke and Duchess spent time engaging with the disadvantaged youth in the area. Their first stop was a visit to the Northern Sound System, a community-run music workshop that gives young people the chance to rehearse, record and perform their own music. The royal couple then moved outside where Prince William added a blue sky to an aerosol art display. This was followed by a an exhibition of BMX and scooter stunts by the local teens. It was then on to the Playford Civic Centre where William and Kate unveiled a plaque to commemorate the naming of the new Prince George Plaza. This was followed by a short walkabout, and then a civic reception co-hosted by the Governor of South Australia and Acting Premier of South Australia. It was also attended by 200 guests, all under the age of 30. Later that afternoon, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge returned to their home base in Canberra to be reunited with baby Prince George. You can read full details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 16th July 2014 - UPDATE It has emerged that Catherine's Alexander McQueen ensemble is a dress, not a separate skirt and top as we originally thought. It is from the Pre-Fall 2014 collection. The dress features a peplum waist with an asymmetrical hem. It is fabricated from a blend of 90% wool and 10% cashmere. It was recently made available for purchase from mytheresa.com for £ 1,985.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge resumed their royal tour today following a day off spent at their new home base, Government House in Canberra. This morning, the royal couple departed the Australian capital and traveled to the Red Centre, where they visited Australia's iconic natural landmark, Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock.
The Duchess stepped off the plane wearing a Roksanda Ilincic dress which initially appeared to be a darker shade of her Roksanda Ilincic 'Peridot' Crepe Dress first worn in 2011 (shown below).
According to WhatKateWore, Roksanda Ilincic released a similar design to the 'Peridot' dress called the 'Lovina,' which is shown here in aqua. The 'Lovina' features a simpler design, lacking some of the distinctive elements of the 'Peridot,' such as the mesh trim, peplum back, and exposed full-back zipper.
Kate swapped the original self-tie belt of the 'Lovina' dress for a different style, opting for a sand-toned suede belt that complemented her customized Alexander McQueen suede clutch perfectly. It wouldn't be surprising if the belt itself was a bespoke piece from McQueen.
On her feet were her trusty LK Bennett Sledges.
We saw the return of the Catherine Zoraida 'Double Leaf' gold earrings which the Duchess has donned on a few occasions since she originally wore them during the Jubilee Tour of Southeast Asia in 2012.
Kate again wore her Asprey London gold 'Woodland' necklace, consisting of an acorn, mushroom and leaf charms.
Upon arriving, the Duke and Duchess visited the National Indigenous Training Academy which trains members of the indigenous communities near Uluru in tourism and hospitality.
This was followed by a “Welcome to Country” ceremony, performed by members of the local indigenous communities at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre.
Kate made a wardrobe change for the ceremony. She wore her Hobbs 'Wessex' dress cinched with the Hobbs 'Neston' ivory woven belt. On her feet were the natural Pied a Terre Imperia wedges.
This is the exact same ensemble she wore on her visit to Bacon's College London in July 2012.
The Duke and Duchess concluded the afternoon with a guided tour along the base of Uluru.
The Duke and Duchess will spend the evening "glamping" at the Longitude 131 resort nestled on a secluded sand dune overlooking the iconic monolith.
You can read full details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
On Sunday evening, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and baby Prince George flew into Australia's capital Canberra. The Royal trio disembarked from the plane, all wearing shades of blue. Kate wore her Stella McCartney sheath dress which she first wore in July 2012 to an event at the National Portrait Gallery. The ultra-blue 'Ridley Stretch Cady' dress is form fitting and made from heavy jersey. It features pleats on the front and back. Kate wore her bespoke Alexander McQueen navy suede pumps. She also had on the same jewellery she wore to today's outing at Taronga Zoo. Kate's earrings are the Kiki McDonough Citrine Drop earrings, and her necklace is a piece by Asprey of London, from the jeweler’s Woodland collection. SHOP REPLIKATE'S OF THE STELLA MCCARTNEY DRESS ... Government House in the nation's Capital will be the home base for the young Royal family for the remainder of the tour.
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge commenced their Easter Sunday with a traditional church service at St. Andrews Cathedral in Sydney.
The coat silhouette is comparable to this rose Funnel Neck Coat from an earlier Alexander McQueen collection. The tailored coat has a funnel neck, concealed front fastening, structured shoulders, cropped sleeves, inset pockets to the sides, a rear vent and a straight hem. It is made from a acetate/rayon blend and originally retailed for about US$2,800.
The coat also shares a resemblance to Kate's aubergine wool coat, reportedly tailored by an independent dressmaker, whose identity remains unknown.
The Duchess colour coordinated her outfit with a new hat by Jane Taylor.
It is the ‘Lupin’ velour felt teardrop beret.
Kate styled her outfit with sand toned accessories. She carried her modified Alexander McQueen suede clutch, first seen in September 2012. The original clutch has a signature McQueen skull clasp, but Kate had hers customised with something a little more demure.
Kate wore her L.K. Bennett 'Harper' suede pumps, also first seen in 2012. This closed court shoe has a 4.5 inch heel with a concealed platform. It is currently only available in black suede for US$345
Seen for the first time this tour were her unidentified blue topaz and diamond earrings, initially worn during the Southeast Asia Royal Tour of 2012. She also had on her Mappin & Webb 'Fortune' necklace and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch.
Following the service, William and Catherine signed the First Fleet Bible, brought to Australia by the First Fleet Chaplain in 1788. They also signed the 1788 First Fleet Book of Common Prayer.
Over the past century, it has been signed by several members of the Royal Family, including the Queen in 1954 and William’s parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1983. The royal couple returned to their home base at Admiralty House for lunch before heading across Sydney Harbour for an afternoon at Taronga Zoo with Prince George. During the visit, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge officially opened The Prince George Bilby Exhibit at the zoo. The baby prince was fascinated by bilby George, who has been named after him in honour of his birth. The Duchess wore a primrose yellow eyelet frock, again from her 2012 wardrobe archive. Kate first wore it in Tuvalu during the Jubilee Tour of Southeast Asia. The dress was designed by the Duchess with the assistance of the Queen's tailors. It features a boat neckline, short flared sleeves and a self belted waistline, although the belt appears to have been removed for today’s wearing. As she did in 2012, Kate paired the broderie anglaise dress with her Stuart Weitzman 'Minx' tan wedges.
Kate wore her beloved Kiki McDonough Citrine Drop earrings.
The Duchess was spotted wearing a new gold charm necklace. The incredible investigative work of My Small Obsessions has identified it as a piece by Asprey of London, from the jeweler’s Woodland collection. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also viewed tree kangaroos and feed giraffes, before moving to the birds of prey and animal display. They also got to pat a koala with the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge as the backdrop. Tonight, the Cambridges leave Sydney for Canberra. Easter Monday will be a rest day for the couple and their entourage. You can read further details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Following their day trip to Brisbane, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge returned to Sydney and capped off day 4 in Australia by attending a rugby match. They watched the New South Wales Waratahs take on the Northern Bulls from South Africa. Kate looked relaxed and comfortable wearing a grey sweater, navy skinny jeans, her Mint Velvet taupe plimsolls and a lightweight scarf from Beulah London. She also kept on her sapphire & diamond drop earrings worn earlier today. SHOP KATE'S 'RUGBY' STYLE FOR LESS ...
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. |
I have retired the "Bits and Bobs" section of the website and started a new segment title "Outfit Chronicle".
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