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Kate Stuns in ITV’s “Our Queen at Ninety”

We are back with a post covering Kate’s appearance in the upcoming ITV documentary Our Queen at Ninety.ITV

The much-discussed program is being referred to as a landmark project, largely because of the access given to Oxford Film and Television, the production company creating the documentary. More from Robert Hardman’s piece for Weekend Magazine.

For much of the last year, during which the Queen has become the longest-reigning monarch in British history, a small television documentary team (of which I have been a part) has been granted privileged access to the Queen and to those who know her best. 

ITV’s description of the program:

Told in the words of those closest to her ‘Our Queen at Ninety’ features interviews with family members about what the 89-year-old is really like as well as showing behind the scenes footage of her life while homage is paid to her many years at the helm of the Royal family.

Kate’s first solo television interview is one of those featured in the broadcast, as are interviews with nine other senior royals. The others personally interviewed: Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, The Duke of York, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, The Countess of Wessex and Peter Phillips.  In clips released Friday, the Duchess speaks fondly of HM’s kindnesses.

She’s been very generous in not being forceful at all and in any of her views, but I feel she’s been there, a gentle guidance really for me.

The Duchess says her most memorable engagement with the Queen was a visit to Leicester in March of 2012.©Allpix/Splash News

She describes how supportive the Queen was:

I went without William, so I was rather apprehensive about that. She was very supportive. The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she’s doing is a very small element, it shows just how caring she is really. ‘The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy, and looked after me, shows just how caring she is.’

Clips reveal Prince George’s special name for the Queen.

He calls her Gan-Gan.

Kate’s interview also covers HM’s delight in Princess Charlotte’s birth and other topics. The doc looks like a wonderful program; again, it airs Easter Sunday from 8-10pm on ITV. At this point I don’t know about ways to watch the program for those of us outside ITV’s broadcast area, but will keep searching for info. We have had a few comments referencing the dilemma, including one from Sati, a reader who shared “… my friend in California watches British TV through a website called Tunnel Bear.”    A portion of Kate’s part of the program via The Daily Mail.

In the 2-hour special Kate wears her ‘sparkle tweed jacket’ by Rebecca Taylor for the interview. We first saw Kate wearing the separates in April of 2012 at a reception honoring the Scott-Amundsen Centenary Race to the South Pole, as well as in New Zealand during the 2014 tour.i-Images, Polaris

The program shows Her Majesty in situations both informal and formal. This image comes from the footage shot at the Queen’s annual diplomatic reception last December. In the background of that photo, on the far right, you can just see Kate about to enter the hallway leading to the state dining room at Buckingham Palace.

Readers will recognize the Cambridge Lovers knot tiara the Duchess wore to the reception.Tim Rooke/REX Shutterstock

And the icy blue Alexander McQueen gown, really a lovely look for the Duchess.ITV via The Daily Mail

This image may offer a better color representation of the dress.Ron Bell/PA Wire

Kate also wore this frock to the 2013 diplomatic reception. The silhouette of the dress is similar to several other pieces Kate owns, including the red Jenny Packham worn for the China state dinner, with a lace overlay on a fitted bodice with cap sleeves, a nipped-in waist and belt, and a fuller skirt flowing from the waistline.Jesal / Tanna / Splash News

At the 2013 event, Kate wore the Lotus Flower/Papyrus tiara.© Jesal/Tanna/Splash

The Sarah Burton gown is that icy blue color we have frequently written about in these pages. Below we show the Duchess in that hue as she wears Emilia Wickstead to the National Portrait Gallery in 2013, Jenny Packham for a 2014 photo awards gala at the Natural History Museum and Christopher Kane at the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony.All Photos ©Splash News

Kate selected another bespoke Jenny Packham icy blue gown for last October’s premiere of the new James Bond movie.©James Whatling, Splash News/Stephen Lock, i-Images

We share the images above because Kate carried Jenny Packham’s miniature ‘Casa’ bag for the film opening.i-Images, POLARIS/Jenny Packham

She also carried the bag for the 2015 diplomatic reception, just visible at the bottom of this frame grab from the broadcast.ITV

You can also just see a bracelet on each wrist, they appear to be the two worn for the China state dinner. The Duchess elected to wear the same earrings for both receptions, the diamond chandelier-style pair.©PA Wire/Splash

We first saw them at the 2011 BAFTA reception in Los Angeles.© Jesal, Tanna/Splash & Splash

It wouldn’t be proper to wrap up the post without thanking many of you for email, direct messages, and other methods of communication to be sure I was aware of the new image of Kate at the diplomatic reception. Unfortunately, I have been a little under the weather, but am immensely appreciative for all of your correspondence. Thank you!

NOTE: The post has been corrected to show Kate first attending the diplomatic reception in 2013, not 2014 as I first wrote. (Thank you, Alejandra!)

LINKAGE:

  • The entire documentary is currently on You Tube (this is not on ITV’s channel so I don’t know how long it will be available for viewing)
  • ITV’s news story is here, with clips showing HM and the Duchess
  • Gordon Rayner’s story about the program in The Telegraph can be read here, Victoria Murphy’s story for The Mirror is here,  The Sun’s story is here
  • The in-depth story by The Daily Mail’s Robert Hardman for Weekend Magazine may be seen here

 

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CJ

Tuesday 29th of March 2016

I really enjoyed the documentary. I don't think that there is a color that Queen Elizabeth II has not tried that doesn't look fabulous on her -- brights and pastels both seem to work and it seems like most people look good in one and not always the other. I think I like the brights better because they are so cheery and I think the documentary proves that those colors match her personality. On to Kate. I like the dress and the color that she was wearing. Blue just seems to suit her no matter the shade and it just is a color that works with anything - professional, dressy, casual, sporty. Unfortunately, I do not like how her hair is in the video. I'm just not a fan of the bangs.

I too have felt like I have liked more of Kate's clothes from previous years than what I have seen lately. However, I still enjoy seeing what she wears, learning about fashion and reading about the events that she attends. Her life is certainly not the same as mine so most of what she wears I couldn't repliKate for practicality or financial purposes but she still gives me inspiration on what I could wear since our coloring is similar. She's also close to my age and it is very refreshing to see someone dressing modestly - unlike what they consider some American "royalty" (I say that loosely).

Megan

Tuesday 29th of March 2016

She sounds nervous in the documentary, but loosens up a bit later on in the interview. Her hair was a bit of a 'miss' for me, I think it seems a bit overdone. I have no opinion on the blue - don't hate it, don't love it.

Camilla Siqueira

Monday 28th of March 2016

Hi everyone. =)

What did you guys think of the documentary? I know this is a space to discuss Kate's fashion, but I have to say it was amazing to see all those outfits worn by the Queen and to witness her fashion evolution. I think her clothes seemed so serious when she was young; quite conservative (of course, this could be the effect of her being young in a different time, with other values). Now she has those wonderful hats (OMG, I think there was not a bad one AT ALL) and a wonderful sense of style. One thing I always noticed was her fondness of a matchie matchie kind of style, with whole outfits composed with one only color. I am very, VERY afraid to do that myself, but she can get away with it. it works on her, for some reason.

It's incredible how much people like to point out how much of a creature of duty she is. It's marvelous, and the young royals really should take that as an inspiration.

Rayna

Sunday 17th of April 2016

Just replying to say, monochromatic works surprisingly well!! Have you tried it? You might surprise yourself. Regardless of style, taste, etc. A few years ago (I was 26ish?) my partner had a 'colour' party. You had to pick one colour of the rainbow and wear just that. Yes there were some silly outfits too, but a few of us were surprised how stylish the effect was to have the shoes, dress and accessories the same colour. I think the fact that it just isn't the 'done' thing makes it easier to get away with - it becomes a stylish mark of difference instead of just dead boring, which I'm sure it would be if it were common.

Lili

Tuesday 29th of March 2016

I watched it on YouTube. I was pleasantly surprised it was available, since I hadn't expected to see it until PBS picked it up.

I thought it was a very standard royal documentary, like a number of others I've see, though with rather more talking heads. It was nice to see several members of the royal family interviewed, but there was nothing particularly unusual about the film in general.

It was indeed interesting to see the Queen's clothing over the decades, though it's clear that she evolved her coat/dress/hat uniform fairly early on. I thought the Countess of Wessex's remarks on that useful: that she needs to wear bright colors and a hat of a size and shape that's easy to see, even just the edge of it, so that people in crowds struggling to catch a glimpse of her can do so -- and be certain that they have. This very conscious, very deliberate adherence to a certain style over time interests me in the context of royal iconography, which comprises symbols that both convey messages and instantly identify a given person.

The moment I genuinely loved, by the way, was the look at Ralph Heimans' striking portrait of the Queen, in formal dress and robe, standing at the spot in Westminster Abbey where she was crowned in 1953. She looks very reflective in that portrait, and I don't think it was my imagination that she looked both reflective and rather moved as she gazed at it. Her expression moved ME in turn.

Liz

Monday 28th of March 2016

You can also watch the documentary on YouTube :)

mslewis

Monday 28th of March 2016

If you rush over to YouTube right now you will be able to see "Our Queen at Ninety" in its entirety. It's possible it will be taken down soon but, for now, it's up and running. I found out about it over on the Court Jewelry site.

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