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 Duchess of Cambridge took Prince George to his first polo match to cheer on his daddy at a Father's Day polo match in Gloucestershire. The young royal family were at Cirencester Park Polo Club where Prince William and Prince Harry competed in opposing teams in the annual Jerudong Trophy Polo Match. The charity match raises money for William's patronage Centrepoint. Kate wore a casual outfit, consisting of some familiar pieces. She wore her ME+EM Breton stipe top currently in stock for £48. On her feet were the Sebago 'Bala' deck shoes in taupe/white, in stock for US$95. She wore her Givenchy 'Obsedia' sunglasses (in stock). She kept her jewellery to a minimum, only wearing her wedding rings and Ballon Bleu de Cartier Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch (in stock). The brand and style of her skinny jeans are still unknown. A follower on What Kate Wore suggested that they may be GAP jeans based on the label stitching on the back on the jeans. I have checked my GAP jeans and they do indeed feature this stitching. The shade that Kate is wearing does not appear in the current GAP collection of jean leggings. I did a search for previous season shades and came across this style in 'vintage loren' from Gap EU. They are premium stretch denim with a vintage wash. They feature tradition five-pocket styling, button closure and zip fly. I'm waiting on confirmation from other 'Kate' bloggers before I can say for certain that these are the jeans. SHOP KATE'S POLO MATCH STYLE FOR LESS ... 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.
Today William and Catherine spent the day in Scotland where they go by the titles of the Earl and Countess of Strathearn. It was their first joint engagement since returning from their tour of Australia and New Zealand last month. For today's visit, Kate wore a vibrant red stripe wool jacquard coat by Scottish-born designer Jonathan Saunders. The Jonathan Saunders 'Athena' coat is from his A/W 2013 collection and retailed for US$2555. The coat features a single breasted button front, single breast pocket, full-length sleeves, flap front pockets, and single vent at back. It is made from a blend of wool and mohair. The Palace revealed that the dress Kate wore under the coat is by Goat Fashion. Goat has a couple of sheath styles available in the Geranium hue; the 'Scarlett' dress and the 'Thea' dress. However, Goat (via Twitter) have suggested that the frock may be their 'Thea' dress. 'Thea' is a fitted wool crepe dress with front pockets and flared angle sleeve. It is fully lined with concealed centre back zip. It currently retails for £420. The Countess opted for neutral accessories, wearing her trusty LK Bennett 'Sledge' pumps in patent taupe which coordinated perfectly with her LK Bennett 'Avona' clutch. For jewellery, Kate wore her Kiki McDonough Citrine Drop earrings and also sported a new silver brooch with a Celtic knot design. According to the Palace, the brooch is a private wedding gift. My Small Obsessions has further details on the brooch. The Earl and Countess began the day with a visit to Strathearn Community Campus in Crieff where they met young carers, Scouts, Cadets and Brownies. They also met representatives of the Scottish Air Ambulance. They then visited the newly restored MacRosty Park and unveiled a plaque to mark the dedication of the park as a Field in Trust. On their third stop, the royal couple visited the Famous Grouse Distillery, the country's oldest distillery in Perthshire. They enjoyed a shot of whisky and bottled their own Glenturret malt. On their final stop, the Earl and Countess of Strathearn attended a village fete in Forteviot and meet community representatives. You can read more details about today's events on the official website of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge. The next engagement for William and Catherine will be on Friday, 6th June where they will attend a veterans' tea party in the town of Arromanches and participate in the Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy Landings at Gold Beach.
The Duchess of Cambridge wore 25 different outfits on the 19 day royal tour of New Zealand and Australia. Kate's favourite UK based designers made up the bulk of her royal tour wardrobe with a small selection from local designers. Here are all the outfits the Duchess of Cambridge wore to official events in order of appearance.
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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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