Kate is a Bit Boho in Tuvalu as The Duke & Duchess Dance the Night Away

As the Diamond Jubilee Tour hit Day 9, Kate and William’s day in Tuvalu came with all of the traditional pageantry and ceremony expected.

Mirrorpix / Splash News

Media report that more than half of the Island’s population of 10,000 residents came out to see the parade and welcome the Duke and Duchess.  They were carried to the Parliament building where they were welcomed by Governor General Sir Iakoba Taeia Italeli and Prime Minister Willy Telavi.

Richard Palmer of the Express shared William’s reaction to the ceremonial procession:

Richard Palmer/Daily Express Twitter

The couple were involved in a number of activities, including speaking with University students and younger students, Kate and William both wore lush floral head decor, as shown in this photo by Loia M. Tausi.

Following a tour of the community the evening’s big event was a dinner hosted by the Governor General at Vaiaku Falekaupule, the town hall where such functions are held. Kate donned a grass skirt over her gown, while William retained his suit, forgoing the tie. He did however, sport the straw headwear given to each.

Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA Wire

One of the memorable looks for William from the Tour, to be sure. Below we have a better look at the bodice of Kate’s Alice by Temperley dress, you can also see the colorful fan made for her. (As noted in a previous post, it’s not about the spelling.)

Arthur Edwards

But the most memorable moment of the Tour will surely be one of these images…

Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA Wire

Clearly William’s alleged dance practice paid off. More on the evening’s events from the Daily Mail’s story:

Swaying in time to the music, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge became true South Pacific royalty today when they donned colourful skirts and danced the night away at a gathering of island chiefs.

William and Kate shimmied, swayed their hips and moved their arms as they joined six island communities of the South Pacific nation at a fatele or local dance where groups try to out sing and dance each other in a friendly rivalry.

Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA Wire

One of the traditions I wasn’t familiar with, as a sign of respect visiting dignitaries spray perfume or scent on dancers.  You can just about see the bottle in Kate’s right hand in this photo.

Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA Wire

Here we have a closer look at the skirt, it better shows the handwork and detail that went into creating it.

Arthur Edwards/PA Wire

The dignitary is asked to use a scent of their own choosing, in this case the Duke and Duchess brought Paul Smith London for Men.

Paul Smith London for Men

For those looking to “repliKate” or perhaps “repliWilliam,” the scent is available at many outlets, from Target in the US to Debenhams in the UK for about $26.

As noted, Kate chose an Alice by Temperley dress for the evening’s activities, it is an ideal choice for the setting and tone of the Dinner.

Alice by Temperley Beatrice Dress

The cross-stitching detail is better seen in this photo, as are the gold buttons.

Alice by Temperley

The look definitely has a vintage feel, reminiscent in some respects of the frocks worn in the late 1960s and 70s, the embroidery at the neckline, sleeves, center of the dress and hem add to that sense. It is viscose chiffon with a polyester lining, the polished gold buttons we previously mentioned, banded elbow length sleeves and what is called a scarf neckline.

While the dress is sold out at Net-a-Porter, it is available in limited sizing at Neiman Marcus ($795).  There is also a short version of the dress at Shopbop, it is $435.

Beatrice Dress Shopbop

There is also a blue version of the Beatrice,in both long and short styles.

ALICE by Temperley ‘Beatrice’ dresses

The shorter version is in stock at Temperley ($435), also at Net-a-Porter for $435, and also at Neiman Marcus for the same price. The longer style can be found in stock at Temperley,

Kate’s wisely minimal accessories included her Stuart Weitzman Minx wedges and Catherine Zoraida Double Leaf earrings.

This was one of Kate’s best looks on the tour: appropriate to the occasion, perfectly suited for the event in tone and tenor, and ideal for the added elements she knew were coming, the grass overskirts, straw headwear and necklace.

With apologies for the brevity of the post & lack of details on the day’s activities due to personal & business commitments, I’ll leave you with the usual links. We’ll have a poll in a day or two so we can see your choices on what looks you liked best during the Tour, as well as a wrap-up of additional IDs, etc.

Linkage:

• Learn more about Tuvalu from the Island’s website here
• The Mirror‘s story is here
• The Daily Mail’s story is here
• to watch the ITV video of the dinner, including the dancing, click here (it truly is extraordinary to watch)
  
  

  ITV News

  To see the Telegraph’s video story, click here.

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  The Telegraph