Royal Tour Day 4: Kate wears blue Alexander McQueen coat dress to Blenheim and Omaka Aviation Center10/4/2014
This morning, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge continued their royal tour of New Zealand with a visit to the Marlborough region located on the north east tip of the South Island. They started the day with a commemorative wreath-laying ceremony in Seymour Square, Blenheim. Price William and Kate were joined by a group of WWII veterans, politicians, and thousands of spectators. The service was held to pay tribute to those who have died in combat during the first World War, which marks its 100th anniversary later this year. For today's solemn service, Kate wore a bespoke cornflower blue coat dress from her favourite designer, Alexander McQueen. The piece appears to be a fusion of the Utility Coat Dress and Belted Crepe Coat from McQueen's current ready-to-wear collection. Kate's coat dress is described as a double leaf crepe coat, with utility pockets, waist belt and pleated back skirt. It features a collared neckline and has concealed snap fastenings through the front. On her feet were bespoke Alexander McQueen navy blue suede pumps, first seen during her first Royal Tour of North America in 2011. SHOP REPLIKATES OF THE ALEXANDER MCQUEEN NAVY SUEDE SHOES ... Kate coordinated her shoes with her navy suede Russell & Bromley 'Muse' clutch also known as the Stuart Weitzman 'Raz' clutch. She wore her Sapphire & Diamond Oval Drop Earrings, which were a gift from Prince William and originally owned by the late Princess Diana. SHOP REPLIKATES OF THE SAPPHIRE EARRINGS ... On Kate's left chest was a poppy pin. The pin is a symbol of the "Remembering WW1 - 100 years on" commemoration, and identifies First World War centenary activities, events, or projects in New Zealand. Following the memorial service, William & Kate had a private lunch at Wither Hills winery. The restaurant staff tweeted: "It has been a right royal day at Wither Hills! We are so proud to have hosted the royal couple at our restaurant". After lunch, the Duke and Duchess headed to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre for a tour of the 'Knights of the Sky' exhibition, a display of First World War aircraft collected by Lord of the Rings film director Sir Peter Jackson. This evening, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend a state reception at Government House. Prince William will give a speech at the event and unveil a new portrait of Her Majesty the Queen.
You can read further details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 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. The Royal Tour of New Zealand and Australia has commenced! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince George briefly touched down in Sydney this morning before boarding a RNZAF aircraft to Wellington, where the tour will officially begin. Kate wore her Max Mara wrap dress for the flight transfer, first seen in February 2013 when she was about 12 weeks pregnant. She wore a pair of tan suede court shoes, believed to be the Manolo Blahnik Suede BB pumps, however there's active debate that they may be an old pair she has had for many years. Other possibilities include the Dune 'Appoint' court shoes and the R&B '5th Ave' pumps. The Duke of Cambridge was seen holding Kate's black Longchamp 'Medium Le Pliage' tote bag. SHOP KATE'S IN-FLIGHT STYLE ... The outfit was a good choice for the three hour passage across the Tasman where she had to change mid-flight for the arrival into Wellington. The Duchess emerged from the plane looking refreshed and regal in a red double breasted Catherine Walker 'Russian Greatcoat' with a sharply tailored military silhouette, high collar, full skirt and burnished silver buttons. Kate coordinated the coat with a red Jackie-O pillbox from Gina Foster. The 'Seaford' hat features velour fur felt with a felt flower trim. Kate also wore a stunning New Zealand silver fern brooch loaned from the Queen. The brooch was a gift from the women of Auckland to Her Majesty in 1954 on her Commonwealth tour. Kate coordinated the sparkly brooch with her beloved Kiki McDonough 'Grace' white topaz earrings. On her feet were the Emmy 'Valerie' suede pumps in chocolate brown, which the Duchess has worn a few times since March 2012. After disembarking in Wellington, the royal couple enjoyed a ceremonial welcome at Government House. This included a traditional Māori greeting, called a Hongi, and the Haka, a traditional ancestral war cry dance that was performed on the lawn at the stately home. Kate added her chocolate brown suede Emmy 'Natasha' clutch for the visit. The young royal family then resided to a private hideaway just outside of the city, where they will spend the next day and a half trying to overcome their jet lag. SHOP KATE'S WELLINGTON WELCOME STYLE ... You can read further details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
On Sunday, the Duchess of Cambridge was spotted shopping at GAP on Kensington's High Street, only 500 yards from her home at Kensington Palace. Kate spent about twenty minutes browsing the racks of Baby GAP for Prince George. With only a week until the Cambridge family embark on their royal tour of New Zealand & Australia, it's believed the Duchess stocked up on some last minute essentials for her eight-month-old son. According to the Daily Mail, Kate bought a green checked bodysuit, denim shorts, two navy/white striped rompers, and a pair of grey/navy striped cotton trousers. Kate looked chic wearing a black turtleneck top tucked into a Whistles 'Maria' pleated skirt. The skirt features a blue concrete print, with a contrast olive hem and black band at the waist. The skirt retailed for £95, but unfortunately it has sold out. She also wore black tights and what appears to be her Russell & Bromley 'Charge it' black suede boots. The Daily Mail article also mentions that Kate bought some trousers. To date, we have never seen the Duchess wear dress pants. This has been an ongoing topic of discussion amongst us Kate watchers, and I wonder if the Duchess will finally forego her beloved skinny jeans in favour of tailored pants. If she does surprise us, I believe she will stick to a slim leg silhouette and opt for a twill fabric. Here are some possibilities from the current GAP range GET KATE'S 'SHOPPING' STYLE ...
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