Yesterday, the royals were on the Mall for the stately and majestic Trooping the Colour. Today, it was the location of a more homely type of event, although on a far more gigantic scale than average. The Mall was temporarily converted into the Patron's Lunch street party featuring over 600 charities of which Her Majesty the Queen is patron.
I love these customized Range Rovers. William, Harry and Kate look good riding in their modern day chariots. I know we are all looking forward to Harry finding a wife, but I do love these three as a tight trio, too.
Over 10,000 gathered with hamper lunches to take part in the festive celebration. Unfortunately, there was one uninvited, but very active guest: rain. According to Kate, Prince George looked out the window this morning and sagely informed his mother. "It's not very nice out today, Mummy." Thankfully, the rain politely cleared out in time for the royals to arrive and greet the many guests. Flanked by Rebecca Deacon and Mr. Security, Kate and William made their way down the Mall meeting fans and well-wishers.
This massive party, meant to thank the Queen for her service to her patronages and to inspire further charitable involvement across the nation, is the brainchild of her grandson Peter Phillips. He made his cousins William and Harry co-presdients of the initiative, since as he pointed out himself, they will take over many of the 600+ patronages that the Queen currently serves.
It was a creative plan to formulate and likely took a bit of oomph to execute, so major "props" to Peter for taking the bull by the horns. It was also a great idea to pull the family together for such an and appropriately themed event. I really do enjoy the times we get to see the royals pull together as a family. Here Prince Andrew takes a snap of some of his relatives.
Kate was wearing a Roksanda crepe, color-block dress. I really love Roksanda Ilincic dresses on Kate and have been hoping for another one, but I wasn't in love today. Perhaps because she has been stunning me these past few days this fell just a tad flat. I think the peach block was not as flattering as it could have been and I found the dress to be a little loose. I have no problem with Kate's preference to maintain a slim frame, but that means she has to be careful that dresses don't just hang. From a few angles, I felt this dress broke that rule. I wish the peach block around her waist and hips had extended up further into the torso area, rather than beginning at the natural waist and descending. That way, it would have very clearly defined her figure, rather than simple highlighting her hips which didn't exactly fill out the dress.
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| Via Rebecca English, Daily mail Reporter |
Kate was wearing a Roksanda crepe, color-block dress. I really love Roksanda Ilincic dresses on Kate and have been hoping for another one, but I wasn't in love today. Perhaps because she has been stunning me these past few days this fell just a tad flat. I think the peach block was not as flattering as it could have been and I found the dress to be a little loose. I have no problem with Kate's preference to maintain a slim frame, but that means she has to be careful that dresses don't just hang. From a few angles, I felt this dress broke that rule. I wish the peach block around her waist and hips had extended up further into the torso area, rather than beginning at the natural waist and descending. That way, it would have very clearly defined her figure, rather than simple highlighting her hips which didn't exactly fill out the dress.
Perhaps it has to do with the light material. There was a Goat dress that bothered me in the same manner today's did. I loved the more structured/sturdy dresses of 2011--this is my official vote to see one of those Amanda Wakeley felt dresses get a recycle. Maybe with a sash or a belt.
When I first saw today's Roksanda, I thought she was wearing a peach sash, which really got me excited. Queen Rania of Jordan has some beautiful ensembles that accessorize with broad, starched sashes and it is a very sophisticated look. I do not mean to be overly negative about this dress, though, which in so many respects was lovely. To me it was a win, it just wasn't a home-run.
The Duchess wore her Fern pumps and carried her Nina Trench clutch. The Empress pendant and matching earrings are certainly getting the attention this week, as Kate wore the complete set today.
Again, my complaints with the dress are quite small. It is very beautiful and even without my proposed tweaks, it was very flattering. Kate was a real ray of sunshine, with one reporter commenting that the atmosphere on the Mall definitely perked up once the royals arrived. In the video below Kate is chatting about George's appearance at Trooping yesterday, saying she has never seen him so excited and that he absolutely lit up, certainly evidenced by pictures of the event.
Video: the Duchess of Cambridge chats to members of The Sailors' Society pic.twitter.com/UYHnkNqnc4— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) June 12, 2016
For extra measure, a video of the royals enjoying their rides:
Video: now this is a Royal first...the Queen and the young royals in state review vehicles. pic.twitter.com/hV8fFGHkdN— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) June 12, 2016
Despite the rain it was a very fun day and a great addition to this festive (extended) weekend celebrating the Queen's life and achievements in her 90th birthday year.
Jane,I would just like to say thank you for your dedication to the blog.It is one of my favorite places on the Internet to escape into-rather like watching an enjoyable movie or reading a book.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. :-)
DeleteYes!!!! Agree very much.
DeleteYes!!! Thank you so very much!
Deletehmm i love the duchess outfit and beatrice and eugeine outfit its seem good too really love the duke speech too such a sweet the queen looks good i love her speech as strong the prince phillp has soft spot for kate grandfatherlly touch prince harry comicly just like grandfather he makes everybody laugh. Kuddos to peter phillps sucessfully truimpth these event althought early rain.. congrats again
ReplyDeleteAlways waiting on tenderhooks for your view on our lovely Catherine. Its been a great few days! I personally loved the dress i think she is taking a few more risks i.e the cold shoulder dress friday and yesterdays block colour but still is able to be regal and elegant for occasions such as trooping the colour. The children were delightful and its always lovely to see William and Catherine's interaction with one another and their children. I do not feel as some do that she dresses older than her years. She is a 34 year old Mum in a unique position. I think William should be (and probably) is incredibly proud at how she has embraced her life as his wife and the Duchess of Cambridge and now Mummy to George and Charlotte. In 5 years they have grown into a lovely young family. Thank you for your wonderful Blog!
ReplyDeleteI love this dress but as you said she needs to be careful and choose wiser. It hangs on her. I wonder when people find her weight worrisome because frankly I do.
ReplyDeleteI find it worrisome too. I simply do not understand why the people who love her, don't speak to her about it. It is a delicate subject, but, she is starting to look unhealthy! And, what gets me is that there is absolutely no need for Kate to be so "svelte." Look at that photo where she is with William wearing the Goat dress in 2011. She looked gorgeous from head to foot. Kate was slender then, but not to the degree that she is now. I know that now Kate is a few years older and is the mother of two small children, but that is no excuse. I have always liked Kate very much, and it is simply maddening to see her with this obsession.
DeleteYes, but Kate is very comfortable at this shape.
DeleteAri
DeleteIf she is, she needs to consider her weight when she chooses certain dresses. Look at the last picture for instance.
I liked the dress---not as much as other things she has worn this weekend, but it was a unique occasion. The important thing was the effect on those to whom she spoke. The BBC interviewed some of them who were full of praise for her charm and her sincere interest in what they did.
ReplyDeleteI have always thought that William; Catherine and Harry will slowly take over many of these patronages, so yesterday was a good introduction.
Must have been a security nightmare.
Thank you for lovely pictures again---especially the one where the family were standing on the steps of the box as the Queen and Duke drove away. We didn't see that on the TV---you always seem to get one photo that sums up the whole story.
What a happy day for the BRF. Love all the enthusiasm and smiling faces!
ReplyDeleteI love this! She looked beautiful, appropriate and - yay! - more youthful this weekend than normal. I wish she'd wear this type of fashion more often. Aware of trends and modern clothing but still with a classic twist. I often feel she errs on the side of too classic combined with fussy, which lands her in Mother of the Bride territory. Her more modern pumps are taking her far in updating her look too. The past few months have been such a relief!
ReplyDeleteI like the dress, especially as seen in the full length photo #3 above. It achieves several things: it is not formal yet not too casual; it's a shorter length and short sleeves; at first look the colors seem a little washed out, but when you see it from a distance, you can pick Catherine out in a crowd. Look at the photo of Andrew taking a photo of the family, your eye goes right to her. Yet the colors are not so bold that the Queen is overshadowed. On some other sites much is made of the addition of a longer zipper. As someone who sews, I suspect that the dress was altered and narrowed from the back so as not to impact the side stripe and so the full length zipper was needed. Still Catherine is now so slender and her hips narrower than her shoulders, that the dress is too baggy on the bottom. I would have preferred a different hairstyle and bolder jewelry. But at the end of the day, her best accessory is her beaming smile. Her entire face lights up and conveys interest, enthusiasm, enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think her hips are narrow than her shoulders. She successfully delivered two 8 lb babies vaginally. You can do that if you have shoulders bigger than hips. I thought the dress fit her beautifully. I too sew and noted the side darts in front and back. She obviously works hard to maintain her health. I do agree that she does light up and conveys interest, enthusiasm, and enjoyment.
DeleteI noticed the darts as well, Eva, and thought everything very well fitting.
DeleteFirst off I have to compliment you, Jane, for your excellent blogging all weekend. The quality of your posts never wavers, no matter how busy you are.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite thing about this dress is the peach stripe down one side but not the other. The asymmetry adds a bit of fun and freshness. I don't get excited about Kate's outfits as often as I used to but she is consistently lovely. What does excite me almost every single time I see her, is her beaming enthusiasm. She really does seem like a happy, confident, fun person!
Nadia, you're so right = never a bad post!
DeleteI do agree about the dress. I like it because it is modern and doesn't look as if it came out of her mom's wardrobe. However, I find the color palette wishy washy and the fit not right. When you have a block of color around the hips, you need some curves to carry it off. Also, the delicate jewelry was lost among the geometric pattern of the dress. A pair of hoop earrings would have worked well with a bracelet. Although I think she could have looked better, I do like this dress and thought she was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLook how she pulled out the colours in the " bubbles" in the event logo. I thought both she and the Queen did a great job in this area. I always think Kate is very thoughtful in picking up certain aspects either the event or history. I really think she puts a lot of thought into her wardrobe.
DeleteI agree Eva. She does put a great deal of thought into what she wears and she did match the event colors. Just don't favour muted tones on her.
DeleteThis isn't a miss for me, but it's also not a hit. I like the dress but there's something about the combination of the fit (way too loose), her hair, jewelry & clutch/shoe color that makes it all a bit "off" a maybe if she had left off the necklace or gone for a colored shoe? Could have been a great time to style her hair in a pony tail.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely and informal (by royal standards) event! Peter did a wonderful job and it was fun to see the family working together to support him and HM.
ReplyDeleteThis dress wasn't a miss for me. I actually liked it quite well and, for once, I thought her nude heals perfect as they matched the stripe down the side of her dress exactly - and they weren't suede! ;-) I liked the adventurous colors and thought the looser fit a more comfortable option for a sheath when going on walkabout where she could possibly have to bend down to talk to people. Mr. Security was looking dapper and, as always, serious as death. Heaven help anyone who would put a hand toward his princess!
Kate has had four days of triumphs and would probably love a couple of days off to play with the children and relax!
Absolutely correct, Robin, about the fit allowing for movement. If you look at the side view with Williams's hand on her back, I don't know where the dress could be tighter
Deletewithout making her look like a sausage.
Her weight? She looks the same as she did just prior to George and Charlotte twinkling in their father's eye.
Doesn'tthe pink area extend lower, well past hip bones, on the model than it does
on Catherine? (has that already been noted?) I like Kate's version better than the
model one. Jane's idea of extending the pink blocking upward might work, too.
Not my favorite of her outfits, but she did manage to stand out among the royal crowd, while allowing the Queen to dominate , as someone pointed out. Smart move!
Love your Mr. Security remarks, Robin.At one point it looked like she had two or three RPOs just with her.
I'm sure the Gloucestershire appearance was scheduled months ago, or I might have thought Charles was absent from the Mall due to heightened security concerns.
However, if the threat was that serious, why allow HM to appear in an open car?
Re security: I also wonder why Catherine no longer seems to have female RPOs.
What has happened to the once beautiful and vibrant Duchess of Cambridge???
ReplyDeleteShe is still here more beautiful, more vibrant. You csn see this in her confidence (she seems more self assured), her thoughtful choice of clothing for herself and for her children and her interactions with the royal family and the public. Yeah DoC. Ruth from Brooklyn
DeleteEveryone has a right to his/her personal preferences. For me, Kate looked far more beautiful and vibrant in the photo from 2011 (above with William.) Now, she is so slender that the clothes hang unattractively on her. Not good at all!
DeleteI agree with the previous poster that something has seemed off lately. I love love love the Duchess and think she is an amazing woman and mother but she has looked so tired and drawn lately. It makes me sad when I see her in 2016 in comparison to 2011. I know she now has two children and a very stressful life in the spotlight but I am surprised how much she has aged. She is still beautiful! I just wanted to chime in since I also have noticed this and didn't want the previous poster to think it was just them (as I have bee!)
DeleteWonderful list and blog as always!
Totally with you Ruth. She has become much more self assured in her role as a wife, mother and future Queen and she extrudes confidence. She is beautiful and vibrant even in rainney miserable weather. One of the correspondents even mentioned how her arrival on the Mall "brightened everyone's spirits".
DeleteShe was actually thinner in 2011 than she is now. Difference is she is no longer a newlywed young adult. She has matured, become a mother and taken on more responsibilities. If one looks at todays pictures taken by Chris Jackson and the photos of this past weekend, she exudes vibrancy and confidence, albeit not in a girlish way of 5 years ago.
DeleteWell said, Ruth and Eva.
DeleteOne's priorities become evident, based on what standards are used to evaluate a
person's worth.
In view of recent stunning images of Catherine, she has it all-inner and outer
beauty.
What an odd question. Kate is more and more confident in her role and it shows on sooo many levels.
DeleteWas your question a serious one, or are you enjoying the responses?
You nailed it, royalfan.
DeleteScroll up Anonymous 10.59 and you will find a very confident, vibrant, beautiful and glamourous Kate. She has been all over the media for days recently.
DeleteVery odd question indeed. I agree royalfan (as we often do) that the question was for " their enjoyment of our responses". Methinks some people need to get outside more LOL.
Including me ! Like now hahaa
That first photo says it all to me-the Queen and Phillip with William and Catherine just behind on the horizon. I hadn't seen this photo yet. Whoever took that photo was a born
ReplyDeletestory-teller and actually deserves special recognition. Thank-you for not only publishing
it but also leading with it, Jane.
I had been disappointed because some forums made much of the Cambridge family being together
on the balcony but neglected to feature the photo that really told the story-the view with
W&C close to the Queen and Camilla so far off to the side she was actually lost in some
photos. What a difference a year makes. What goes around turns around.
Oh good point I hadn't thought of that, even though I saw it - the Cambridges were given a better spot on the balcony, more central, then the next monarch and his (one day) Queen Consort. Wow. Says a lot. Really queuing up W&K to be hot on the heels of C&C.
Delete~ A
Hi Jane, thanks for the post. You know I think that the thickness of the peach horizontal strip around the waist has been reduced from original (which is thicker as you wished it were). As a result of the alteration, the zip has also changed to a full length zip.
ReplyDeleteMr Security!
ReplyDeleteKate looked fab too... I like the dress.
Ok, I'm sorry but I am jumping ahead to the Garter Service because I can't wait for Jane. All RED -- I love it. For some reason with all red, I don't mind the matchy matchy. And I like the CUT of this coat. This would have been appropriate for the church service (in a heavier material and more sedate color). And I really LOVE that she is starting to embrace the bling -- the bracelet and her wedding earrings (I thought we'd never see these again for sentimental purposes) during a day event. LOVE IT. And the red shoes! Ok, now I have to get me some red suede shoes. I can't wear the pointy's but I gotta get me some red suede now.
ReplyDeleteSomeone on the last blog was asking how to find the Royal Circular. If you go into the British Monarchy site you get a picture of HM and an invitation to peruse the site. The page comes up with a Menu---then into Press and Court Circular comes up. Follow down unti you come to HM's engagements for the 9th and you will find the info about the Privy Council
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Empress jewelry set might have been a gift from the Queen. Would make sense for Kate to highlight it this weekend and today.
ReplyDeleteWhat I love about you Jane is that you always find the Will and Kate moments.
ReplyDeleteAs for this dress, I love the zipper ring and it's classic Kate. It goes to show she has a lot of say in what she wears. I guess she wanted to stand out?
I think she chose Peach since it's a day event. But who knows, it's not a home run
This is a good choice for the occasion. It's simply cut, subtle, but she also stands out. I disagree that it's too loose -- it skims her body and gives her ease of movement in various situations during the day. Maybe some are just so used to that Hollywood "poured into the dress so you daren't even sit down" look ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the wonderful reporting. I have to agree with you on the dress that it needed to be more fitted, especially since it didn't have a belt. Did anyone else find it odd that Charles and Camilla weren't at the main London event, but instead at a satellite event? It would've been such a powerful image to see the Queen and the next two Kings together!
ReplyDeleteI was able to watch the live BBC broadcast and I found the commentary very interesting. They made a point of saying how the Cambridge's were pattering their marriage after the Queen and Prince Phillip's. They brought out how different they were than Charles and Diana. When they would do events like this Diana would be on one side and Charles on the other. Kate and William tend to work as a unit as do The Queen and Prince Phillip. Charles and Camillia's absence was really a miss on this occasion. A very interesting visual given by the first photo. I thin it also demonstrates the younger generation is more than capable of carrying out the duties of the Monarchy. đ
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure we should read too much into Charles and Camilla being at an event new Highgrove. It's a little odd but they may have preferred it. Or, as someone suggested above, there may have been a security strategy in play. I thought it sweet that William apologized that nobody had umbrellas because of them.
DeleteEver since the India tour there is something different about how he has approached his role in the family. He's gone to two annual events he never attended before, he's more interactive with the crowd, and he is smiling a great deal more. His immense reverence for his grandmother seems even more apparent than it was before. I can see why he and Kate are not attending to different sides of the road. It was something Diana absolutely hated doing because she knew it created animosity with Charles. At the time, they were advised to do so because they could see more people. That was some bad advice.
Camilla was patron of the event she and Charles visited. So that's why they were there.
DeleteThat excuse would not have worked for Catherine, however, anon 4:41. The Queen's 90th birthday and huge Mall extravaganzas don't happen yearly, as the Gloucestershire event does.
DeleteI don't think it was their choice.
Remember when Catherine missed events just a few weeks before or after her children
were born? Completely understandable, but she was severely castigated in some forums.
The Garter ceremony, a wedding, a military commemoration, etc.
The dress does seem a bit loose and baggy in places. I wouldn't expect (or like) it to be "skin tight" but the dress was essentially remade by Kate's tailor---narrower middle panel, length shortened, full length zipper added-- so I think it could have been made to fit her better. But it was a nice dress choice for the event. Hair not so much. I like that its not in Kate's face but the style seems adolescent. I seriously doubt Kate would have worn this style when in her 20s because it looks so young. A high pony or french braid would have been nice IMO and would have held up in the rain.
ReplyDeleteI thought her hair looked a little scraggly, which I'm sure was the weather. Maybe one of her beautiful ponytails would have lifted the whole look.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if the people who criticised Kate's hair today actually have the same natural curl that she does, but keeping a neat pulled back hairstyle like a "ponytail" in such humid conditions is impossible without a ton of shellac.
DeleteThe dress looseness in some photos-stooping over or bending even slightly will cause folds to form on all sheath-type dresses that aren't actually sprayed on, giving the appearance of mis-fit and for Kate critics, proof of skinniness..Runway models have that zombie-looking strut, with hips thrust forward, to avoid such folds. Plus they never have to sit down and likely have a line of clothes pins pulling in the back to eliminate folds. Try looking at some of the pictures where Kate is in a neutral position (as with the one with William's hand on her back) Cherry-picking photos to prove one's point is always possible, but sometimes there is a reason for the difference.
As a natural curl girl - I can sympathize with Kate's dilemma. Keeping the frizzies down on a damp, windy day is nearly impossible - let alone while riding (standing up) in a convertible. The only way she could have had perfect hair is if she rode in an enclosed car from door to door. I prefer the frizz.
Delete