We are back with more updates and a wonderful contest involving books and chocolate. (More than one book and a large amount of chocolate!)
For those who may not have seen the photos, Hello! magazine published pictures of Kate and George changing planes on their way to Mustique for a holiday with the Middletons. There are additional photos inside the magazine.
The magazine waited until after Kate and Prince George returned home before publishing the pictures. More on the vacation from Victoria Murphy’s story in the The Mirror:
The Middletons spent the week sampling the delights of the secluded Caribbean island with its sunshine, swimming, scuba-diving and spas.
A royal source said today: “They enjoyed their break immensely but of course they missed having William with them.
“He will be very glad to have them home, a week away from your baby is a long time and of course he will have missed little George.”
And her J. Brand skinny jeans, it looks like the Duchess is wearing the Mid-Rise Skinny Leg in navy twill. That specific style from J. Brand is no longer available, the next closest style and color is either the Skinny Stretch Denim in Blue Bird ($185 at Nordstrom) or the 811 Photo Ready Mid-Rise (the fabric is a bit heavier and the price is a little higher for this style).
For those who are interested in what Prince George wears, it looks very much like this hat by Zutano, the brand’s Unisex Pastel Stripe Sunhat in infant sizing. (The hat sells for at $11.99 on Zutano’s Amazon pages.)
A friend on the WKW Facebook page shared this information, Cambridge Follower discovered the hat and shared the photo, asking if people thought this looked like George’s hat. Zutano is a mid-price label, its apparel and accessories are available through Amazon and on Zutano’s own site. In the US Kohl’s offers the brand’s nursery decor and bedding, as does Target.
After looking at additional photos Cambridge Follower no longer thinks it is this specific hat; I remain on the fence about it. With all of the British brands available to her, it seems odd Kate would opt for an American label. (Not that US merchandise is somehow inferior to what is available in the UK, far from it.) UPDATE: Another WKW FB friend, Melissa, pointed out that the brand is available in England; Melissa also noted she thinks very highly of the company, specifically its organic cotton goods. We have asked Zutano if George is wearing their hat but we’ve not heard back from them.
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In Sunday’s Daily Mail there was a story by Katie Nicholl about Kate’s wardrobe for the upcoming Tour. From that article:
Out go the short skirts, on with the tiaras: It’s Kate’s regal makeover… by order of the Queen!
The piece looks at what jewelry and clothing Kate will take on tour. At one point Ms. Nicholl references the ‘Cambridge Emeralds’:
Now, The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the Duchess of Cambridge – who wears her late mother-in-law’s sapphire engagement ring – will be packing precisely these kinds of jewels in April when she sets out in the footsteps of Diana on a tour Down Under.
It is part of a subtle but significant regal makeover supported by the Queen.
The Duchess will deploy a couture wardrobe of day dresses with lower hemlines than she has previously favoured.
The McQueen gown seen above is a good example of a garment featuring a design element directly associated with a host country in mind: it is covered in embroidered Hibiscus flowers, the Hibiscus is Malaysia’s national flower. Below, Kate wears Temperley for an afternoon tea with the British High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur.
Back to the Daily Mail story:
Meanwhile, Her Majesty has offered the services of her most trusted member of staff, her personal dresser Angela Kelly, to help Kate prepare for her trip.
She has been tasked with assisting Kate to select statement jewellery and gemstones from the Queen’s personal collection.
This forms part of a deliberate move to shift the Duchess’s image from High Street to high end, timeless Royal elegance – without losing her freshness and informality.
Statement jewels from the Queen’s personal collection are being selected for the Duchess to reinforce her sense of majesty.
Angela has been asked to start selecting jewels ahead of the trip,’ says a Palace source.
‘She knows most of the pieces in the Queen’s private collection. Her understanding is crucial because this trip will be about Kate appearing more Royal than ever – you can expect to see a lot more tiaras and the Queen will be watching closely.’
Royal followers can expect a subtle shift in the Duchess of Cambridge’s wardrobe for the upcoming Australia tour, as the family is keen to cement Kate’s regal image as wife of one heir to the throne and the mother of another.Replacing Kate’s signature flippy, feminine dresses from high street favourites Zara and Topshop will be designer items with a notably lower hemline.
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Some may recall when my friend Megan’s first book was published back in 2012; she graciously signed a copy for us to use in a giveaway. How the time has flown – Megan’s fourth novel was published this week. The first book, A Royal Pain, was a hit. As were Megan’s next two books, If the Shoe Fits and In Love Again.
The collection is of books is called the Unruly Royals series.
Back to the book that was just published, R is for Rebel. This is the fourth and final book in the Unruly Royals series; it has already broken into the Top 100 Women’s Fiction on Amazon list.
Below, a bit about the plot.
Abigail Heyworth, youngest daughter of the 18th Duke of Northrop, is not your typical British royal—she’ll take a recycling drive over a charity ball any day. She can’t stand hats and heels. Abby’s not getting much sympathy, of course, because everyone thinks the life of royalty is so charmed.
But to Abigail, keeping up appearances is unbearable, while running away doesn’t seem to work either. Just when she feels like she’s getting whiplash from swinging between flat-out rebellion to miserable capitulation, Abigail meets an all-American self-made millionaire who challenges her on every level.
You can buy the book in print, as well as for e-readers, at Amazon and at Barnes & Noble, along with IndieBound. Megan’s books are a little racy, if that’s not something you enjoy then this giveaway might not be for you.
On to our giveaway, compliments of Megan’s publisher, Sourcebooks. Not only do you get Megan’s books, they come in an amazing gift basket filled with all kinds of chocolate!
Here’s a partial list of what’s in the basket:
- Megan’s books: A ROYAL PAIN, IF THE SHOE FITS, R IS FOR REBEL
- Chocolate truffles
- Gold flecked votive candle holder
- Pink British royalty notebook
- DeBrand Tart Red Raspberry chocolate bar
- Chocolate dipped pretzel bars
- Earl Grey tea
The chocolate basket was put together by Le Chocolat du Bouchard; located in a spot close to my heart, Naperville, Illinois. Here’s how you can enter:
- Leave a comment saying what you like most about the Duchess’s style
Please, please, please have a valid email address where we can reach you. In previous contests prize winners who couldn’t be reached lost out on their prize because of an invalid email address. That’s it, we want to keep it simple, just one comment noting your favorite part of Kate’s style. We will take entries thought Sunday night and pull a winner on Monday.
Thank you Megan (and Sourcebooks) for what is clearly the yummiest giveaway we’ve ever had the opportunity to offer!
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Congratulations to Catherine Elizabeth, please get in touch so we may send you your gift basket!
Gail Monds
Tuesday 11th of February 2014
Kate is elegant no matter what she wears. She's beautiful and looks like a model.
Kristina Howard
Tuesday 11th of February 2014
What I love most is Kate's understated, classic style. Although she's a Duchess, I can absolutely relate to her through fashion. Her style is similar mine - adhere to classic lines and designs. Elegance abounds!
Tina
Tuesday 11th of February 2014
fyi, the navy twill pant Kate has on is still available on jbrandjeans.com website, http://www.jbrandjeans.com/store/productdetails.aspx?productid=2170&Categoryid=101&colorid=4645
Sarah
Tuesday 11th of February 2014
I love her ability to mix high street with sparkle and create perfect elegance.
kate
Monday 10th of February 2014
I love the elegance, so timeless and classic! Also, she wears clothes twice :)