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Chris Jackson Weds Natasha Archer in France

Sunday, April 30, 2017

I know everyone has been waiting and wondering. There were rumors that royal photographer Chris Jackson and Kate's personal assistant Natasha Archer were getting married this weekend! He just confirmed that they did with a stunning black and white on his Instagram page. The handsome couple wed in Bordeaux, France at Chateau Rigaud according to the photo's tag:

A post shared by Chris Jackson (@chrisjacksongetty) on

A guest shared this snap of the reception venue:



Natasha's dress is absolutely beautiful...kind of hope he posts a few more in color. I also love her graceful chignon that looks very much in the same vein as a certain HRH's favorite up-do. Now the Jacksons share their wedding anniversary weekend with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who celebrated six years yesterday! 

Best wishes! 



18 comments:

[Updated] Kate, William, and Harry at the London Marathon

Sunday, April 23, 2017

The big day finally arrived! Today was the London Marathon featuring the Royal Trio's mental health campaign.  William, Harry, and Kate met and mingled with their Heads Together team earlier in the day, posing for pictures, listening to stories and giving last minute hugs of encouragement before the competitors headed to the start line.

KP
The Royal Trio officially began the race by pressing the big red start button in unison, launching 50,000 runners onto the course!

The button doesn't bite! :) I guess they didn't have a practice round pressing the button, but they figured it out. Apply pressure downward. Harry is like, "I'm gonna let you guys work this out--call me when you are ready to push."


The trio watched the race from the halfway point. Runners would slow to greet the smiling royals, but the three would urge them on. Prince Harry especially seemed keen to keep people on their time. :)


Kate learned this two-handed wave from Prince George in Canada and she deployed it full force today. 


The duchess was radiant. Dressed in a Heads Together jacket, dark jeans, and her white Supergas, she looked simple and sharp next to the boys. Kate's hair was immaculately blown out, and she wore her Lauren leaf earrings from Kiki McDonough. Kate is clearly wearing one of her Breton tops under there, which is a perfect choice because the navy and white combo matches her Heads Together gear.


At first I thought she was wearing her Tori Breton top from Ralph Lauren. But, when the sleeves stick out at the cuff you can see it has quite a generous depth of white cuff--more than her Tori has. It also has a tighter knit quality from what I can see. Based upon the stripes along the collar she doesn't have any Breton tops that match the pattern, so I think this is new. While I was on my Easter/HolyWeek hiatus Kate wore a new Breton top by MIH Jeans. This is that top. You miss stuff when you go off the radar for week. 


I chose photos that highlighted what I wanted to show in Kate, but quite a few of the pictures I saw (and didn't pick) had Harry looking a little glum. Obviously a few stills don't necessarily tell an accurate tale, but he did seem a little on the quiet side this morning, occasional bursts of enthusiasm aside. Harry gives the bottle a little squirt to hit William right in the face.  




I love the obvious warmth between Harry and Kate. They have clearly got along for many years, but we have seen them working and interacting together publicly a lot more in the past three years or so. Good to see them so close. I am so interested to watch the dynamic if Meghan joins the family.


The Duke and Duchess and Harry have reportedly been absolutely amazed by the response they have received from this initiative and have decided to extend the campaign. What that will look like practically speaking is not as clear, but obviously they feel they have built great momentum and really collectively hit their stride on a project they can develop further. 

KP
I am not exactly sure what is happening here. It sure looks like William is trying to give Kate a quick kiss, but maybe he was just trying to whisper and the camera caught him at just the right second... Maybe.


At one point, a runner ran by and threw water at William. He took it well, but Kate looks a little non-plussed. I don't blame her. First, she isn't dressed to get wet. Look at that glossy perfect hair and make-up. She is the Duchess of Cambridge dressed to be photographed for worldwide consumption. Even more concerning is the security risk this poses. No one should be throwing liquids at the royals, and I am sure Mr. Security & Co. are reviewing this and trying to come up with ways to minimize something like this in the future.



Obviously today was a pretty straight forward in the fashion department and an easy win. It was really fun to see William, Harry, and Kate pull off such a successful endeavor and garner the kudos from media and royal watchers alike. They've had some bumpy press over the past five years, and I for one and happy to see them applauded for the work they do.


This shot really summed up the day, supportive hands and heads together. 




60 comments:

William & Kate's Full Radio Interview

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Happy Saturday! Yesterday's post got a little messy, almost live blog fashion, as I added clip after clip from the Cambridges' interview on BBC Radio 1. This morning when Cara W (thank you!) sent me the full YouTube video of the couple's time on air, I thought a fresh post was in order.



I know Kate's ensemble has caught some attention. She wore dress slacks for the first time in her royal career, I believe, and the fans are going wild with joy. She also wore this new Temperley top which has left me straddling the fence. I like it, but I also find it...unusual.

BBC Radio 1
The couple posed for some promo shots that are really cute, but the lighting threw the ruffles of Kate's top into sharp contrast with the rest of the top that appears a little more transparent. I don't know if this was a deliberately edgy look to match the hip/cool vibe of the radio, or if the shirt looked   different in the studio than it did when Kate tried it on at home.

BBC Radio 1
It is certainly a classic Temperley--busy, boho, and a little edgy. I would never pick this top, but I kind of liked it on Kate. Bikini vibe and all. 

BBC Radio 1
Don't miss the part of the interview when William references how he has been in trouble recently for his dancing, and Kate's hearty laugh in reply. He really is a very witty guy and they seem like a fun couple. I also enjoyed how their whole "we are normal and love to watch telly and eat take-out" kind of fell apart as William was like, "ok, we don't order it directly to the Palace..." and then clarified further, "we pick it up." And then just a little more, "and we aren't the ones who pick it up..." They are normal, but they are still royal. ;) 

BBC Radio 1
Tomorrow, the trio will be at the London Marathon and I will be here with a quick post to let you know how it goes. 


48 comments:

[Update] The Royal Trio Release Video Discussing Mental Health + BBC 1 Radio

Friday, April 21, 2017

Kensington Palace has been releasing a slew of new videos this week for the Heads Together campaign.  This morning, they released the longest yet, a 6min+ that focuses on William, Harry and Kate discussing the reasons that led them to shine the spotlight on mental health and launch Heads Together.



Kate briefly highlights "the first few days" with little George and the struggle the couple had in adjusting.  She says, "Do you remember up in Anglesey, so we'd had our couple of weeks of family support and then you were keen to get back to your work, and I was 'yeah, I'll come with you!' so we scooted off back to Anglesey."  In the video Kate says Anglesey, and it might be confusing, but she is talking about the time the couple spent in Bucklebury with the Middletons. You will recall that when George was born the Cambridges went straight to Middleton Manor where they remained for several weeks. The pictures released from those first few days were taken by Michael Middleton in the Middletons' garden:

Micahel Middleton

As Kate says in the video, when it came time for William to get back to work, she went with him back to their Anglesey cottage, and there ensued, according to Kate, and to reports at the time, a challenging learning curve for the new couple. It didn't take them too long to enlist the help of Jessie Webb, but I am sure these two were still on night duty with George, who was reportedly a fussy baby. In August of that year they said goodbye to their island home at the Ring O Fire Marathon launch, but it sounds like that last summer has a special place in their hearts both from joy and from hard won survival. ;) 


Also this morning, the Duke and Duchess made a surprise appearance at the BBC 1 Radio studio. Here is a short clip of their surprise entrance!



To the excitement of many, many fans, Kate wore her first pair of dress slacks!! 

BBC1

This is another Heads Together promotion, and they were on hand to "surprise" DJ Adele Roberts who is running the London Marathon for their mental health initiative.


The couple were live on the radio according to multiple sources, although I haven't heard that broadcast. Apparently the discussed a range of personal tidbits. The two discussed their love for take-out and tv, something we have definitely heard about over the years. As far back as their time at Anglesey I remember stories of cozy nights in front of Downton, and now the couple enjoy Homeland and Game of Thrones. Kate reminded us all not to text and drive:





After their radio interview, William and Kate stayed on to announce the official chart of top songs, which was recorded and will air later:


Kate's Closet did a quick ID on the Duchess's top. It is Temperley London's Cypre Pointelle Frill Top. 

The Duke and Duchess are pictured here in the studio and you can get a view of the back. 

KP


For a variety of reasons, I never did get back to the blog last night to update the post. I spent my allotted royal watching time on another matter. I might find a moment for a mental health break and update it today, or it might be casualty of circumstances. I am sorry and can only say to you what I am saying to myself at this point...summer is just a few weeks away. :)



55 comments:

Sneak Peek: Kate Wears Armani

Thursday, April 20, 2017

The full blog post won't be live until this evening, but a "Sneak Peek" on today's ensemble was absolutely irresistible. Kate, William, and Harry are at Global Academy in London and Kate chose a bright red Armani suit for the morning engagement:


Kate is carrying her nee Etui clutch and wearing her Empress pendant necklace and matching earrings:

Rebecca Deacon was spotted yesterday and she is again on the job today, wearing a J.Crew skirt!


There are a few aspects of Kate's ensemble that I generally really dislike, but are huge hit here. Can't wait to talk more tonight!



64 comments:

Kate Goes Casual For Heads Together Meet Up at Kensington Palace

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

It was big news when Heads Together was named the Charity of the Year for the London Marathon in 2017, and with less than a week until the big day, William, Harry, and Kate are pulling out all the stops to promote the initiative they have been working on for so many months. This afternoon, Kate hosted Heads Together runners at Kensington Palace:


Kate debuted a new, cheerful striped top from Luisa Spagnoli. FoodFashFit and Laura F. were the fast IDers when they saw the little LS on the sweater top, right by Kate's left hip. 



Kate has only worn one other Luisa Spagnoli, but we all are very familiar with it. The red suit of St. Andrews and then Christchurch fame is one of Kate's faves and she wore it again just recently for her speech on behalf of Place2Be. 


The amount of work that goes into running a marathon is extraordinary, so I am sure this final week is, in itself, full of anticipation and butterflies. Add the royal factor and these are some very stoked team members. Jerrika shared a picture on Twitter of her mom, who will run the marathon, standing with Kate--the big smiles say it all:


The Duchess wore her Superga trainers and Kiki McDonough drops to complete her dressed down look. Kate is mic'd up in this photo, you can see in her back pocket and the mic at her collar.  You can watch the video of her chatting with runners here at ITN. Although Kensington Palace may be planning to use this tape for future use, even more importantly they need the publicity right now. Harry has spoken on a podcast about mental health, William has just spoken emotionally at a Heads Together event, and Kate's voice needs to be out there, too. 


A few comments about this video. I think this is the first time we have heard Kate speak so extensively "off the cuff." That is, we have never heard so much raw audio from Kate. Her manner of interacting and chatting, even her real talking voice, as opposed to her formal speech giving voice.  Very fun insight. And, she sounds like Carole!! :)  Anyway, The Heads Together headband will be decorating a number of post boxes around London, and Kensington Palace shared on Twitter that a number of other major London landmarks will also sport the trademark blue and white headband. Is Buckingham Palace due a little accessory on the big day? 



Heads Together 

I think that Kate switched up her make-up a bit today and wore a deeper lip color. It worked really well with the light shirt. She was so radiant in the spring sunshine. 


The verdict is a big win. Kate has given us a little break from her "casual uniform," and this veers back toward the skinnies/Breton combo, but still with a twist. I really liked this entire look. The white Supergas are so, so en vogue right now and the Luisa Spagnoli top is fresh, but still in Kate's style profile. And even the weather cooperated.  Big win all around! 


In other news, William presented Victoria Beckham with her OBE today at Buckingham Palace. Kate has carried VB's bag, as we have discussed on the blog before, and I am still holding out for a full ensemble one of these days. Fun to see Victoria receive her honor from William!


Also of interest to Kate fans, Jessica Ennis received her OBE from the Duke of Cambridge today, too.



You will remember she is the athlete who won 2nd at the Sports Personality of the Year back in 2012, when Kate was pregnant with George. She has been involved in SportsAid, of which Kate is patron.



Ok kids. This is a crazy week for me, so the posts will be a little shorter by necessity, but hopefully we should be back on track come May! See you tomorrow for an event with the Royal Trio! 

99 comments:

Kate and William Join the Queen for Easter Sunday Matins

Sunday, April 16, 2017

This morning, Kate and William joined the Queen and other members of the royal family at St. George's Chapel for Easter Sunday Matins. 


This is the first time that William and Kate together have joined the Queen as she celebrates this sacred holiday. The Queen keeps the Easter weekend at Windsor and although many other members of her family join her, royal watchers have been wondering if Easter would be a holiday the Cambridges reserved for themselves. As the years ticked by the couple did not attend, that seemed a likely hypothesis. 


Kate recycled her gorgeous white Catherine Walker coat from Canada:


Just as in Canada, Kate is wearing the white pleated skirt or dress under the coat. Many have suggested this is the pleated skirt from Whistles that Kate wore for her final day in North America in 2011. Kate again wore her pearl and diamond earrings on loan from the Queen and carried what appears to be a new envelope clutch in a complementing neutral. 


The Duchess wore her hair in a chignon and debuted a new, cream pillbox. I love pillboxes and I love them on Kate. The only problem with the pillbox today is that, possibly because of the color, or maybe because it looks almost squared off in some of the pictures, or because of the way it works with the coat, or a combination of all three...she looks a little like a WWII nurse. In some pictures. I am as excited as the next person to see her out, I am just saying... A beautiful WWII nurse with the best tailor in town, but that's just my overall impression scanning the photos. love the neutral colors on Kate, but...


Just as at Sandringham's Christmas walk, the two did not bring their children today. In 2014 William, Kate, and George were on an epic tour of Australia and New Zealand. The little royal family spent Palm Sunday in Dunedin, New Zealand, and a week later they were in Sydney, Australia, for Easter. The Cambridges left George at Admiralty House while they attended the Sunday morning service, pictured here.



I am not sure on the timing, (whether the couple did the Easter egg hunt with George before or after the service) but the new parents were pictured in the grass at Admiralty House encouraging baby George to "hunt" for eggs. Pictured below where William is planting the bait and Kate is encouraging George to come and get it:


He got it:


Yesterday I was thinking what a busy day it must be for Kate! Three years ago she was in Australia trying to teach chubby cheeks George what an egg was, let alone how to hunt for a colored one. Now three years later George is fully old enough to aggressively hunt those Easter eggs, and even has a little competition from Princess Charlotte. If her enthusiasm at the Children's Party in Canada is anything to go by, she'll give George a good run for his money. So I am guessing Kate had a lot of Easter eggs to dye. Thanks to Pippa's wonderful book "Celebrate," we have a little insight into what the Middletons' Easter looked like:
As children, the day before Easter we would make marbled eggs by hard-boiling them, cracking the shells and leaving them in water colored with food dye, which would seep through the cracks. It was always fun eating our creations for breakfast the next morning. We would look forward to a huge Easter egg hunt, which was (and still is) quite competitive in our household, and then have a family lunch, often with roast spring lamb, but always with plenty of chocolate before and after! 
As Pippa points out in her book, traditions around Easter are quite strong, and I suspect that Kate has carried her family traditions when she started her own family with William. I am guessing that Charlotte and George made a lot of marbled eggs yesterday.



Here, the Cambridges are seen leaving the church after the service:

This view from the back shows that the hat is absolutely love. It is squared off and in satin, two very unusual elements for Kate. I really like it from the back. This would be a great hat in another color. 



"Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!"




151 comments:

Easter Week Break

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Three years ago the Cambridges were touring Australia and New Zealand and I was speedily producing two or three posts a day as we followed the royals on their adventures. That was the most exhausting, but best tour ever, in my humble opinion. So fun! This week leading up to Easter, though,  I decided to go in the opposite direction, and I am on a blogging/social media hiatus...just to see what it feels like after six years keeping a constant pulse on Kate Middleton and her goings on. :) So, I'm not checking or responding on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, but I am still moderating comments here. Can't wait too see you all again at Easter...and to catch up with Kate! 



55 comments:

Kate & Carole Middleton Spotted at Pippa's Place + Meghan Markle Closes the Tig

Sunday, April 9, 2017

A few fast updates, all! There has been a lot of activity around Pippa's flat of late as we race toward her May nuptials. Carole Middleton was at the London home just this past week, according to the Daily Mail, ins hat appears to have been something of a wedding conclave. 


She was pictured leaving the flat trailed shortly after by a man burdened down with white bags that presumably contain items for the big day. The Mail thinks the man was milliner Stephen Jones, who according to Wikipedia is one of the world's "most radical milliners." His designs do look a little daring and unconventional.

Stephen Jones

Although it might be that Carole plans to wear a bespoke Stephen Jones creation, I think it is more likely that Pippa is having a special headpiece created for her own ensemble. In any event, the visit with Pippa, Carole and Mr. Jones was followed closely (dispute on timing here) by that of the most famous Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge herself. Kate was pictured leaving the flat, too, several hours after Carole.


I read another report that she was there the day after Carole and then this other report that she stopped by a few hours after on the same day. Honestly, I wonder if they were all together and Kate just stayed a while after Carole took off. Who knows, the most important point is that Kate the Great was spotted in an increasingly infrequent pap shot and that is cause to rejoice. (You can see quite a few more snaps here at the Mail Online)


Kate was sporting her Jonathan Saunders waffle top that she first debuted in New Zealand three years ago today! Well...actually, she debuted it on the 13th which was Palm Sunday that year. I have been reminiscing on her teal Palm Sunday ensemble on Instagram this morning which puts me in mind.  Anyway, the "Deborah" waffle sweater looks creamy, but on closer inspection it has delicate color. With its light teals and pinks, it just the right combo for a spring day in the run-up to Easter.

To refresh your memory, Kate changed into this top after the Palm Sunday service in Dunedin for a visit to the Forsyth Barr Stadium for a game of Pippa Rugby. I just always like to see my name in print, so I included the stadium name. ;)


The Duchess was also wearing her white Superga sneakers, which are a more recent addition to the closet. These comfy trainers were added in Canada on October 1st:


In Meghan Markle news, the celebrity girlfriend of everyone's favorite single prince made a very surprising and portentous move on Friday. She closed her lifestyle website The Tig after three years. Visiting The Tig site displayed only this splash page announcing that the site had shuttered and wishing fans the best. Of note, there was no reason given for her decision.


A website is a labor of love, a powerful form of self-expression, and a creative outlet. For many blogs, they are also a form of revenue and self-promotion. I use self-promotion in good way not a negative one--everyone is allowed to build a career and build a name. I think that Meghan has been scaling back for some months since she started dating Harry. Her Instagram has had very few personal posts and you could definitely see the struggle between the desire to maintain her presence as she had before and the increasing demands of her personal life requiring greater discretion. I see the closure of this blog as the most persuasive indication that Harry and Meghan are very serious and headed toward commitment. I don't think shutting The Tig is a decision she'd have taken lightly or without a pretty confident plan for an alternate future. Time will tell. 

Thoughts on this development welcome.
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