Kate Wears MaxMara for Historic Cambridge Visit

NOTE: Please accept our apologies for the technical problems with today’s post, we encountered some serious gremlins. Hopefully we have it all sorted out, I am sorry for the hassle factor.

Below we see the couple on their way to catch the train to Cambridge Station.

The “Welcome to Cambridge” message was visible everywhere, including the Cambridge News newspaper, our thanks to CNN’s David Wilkinson for sharing this photo.

The drizzle falling when the pair arrived in Cambridge didn’t seem to bother either the Duke or Duchess.

Huge crowds greeted the pair wherever they went, despite the wind, cloudy skies and occasional rain. The Telegraph has more:

After making the 48-minute journey from London on a scheduled train, the Duke and Duchess were greeted on the platform of the station by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, who joked that they had come to “claim” the city and county.

Shortly after arriving, they made an appearance on the balcony of the local Guildhall, WKW Facebook friend Joanne Baldwin shared a photo via her Twitter feed.

Joanne also had the pleasure of speaking with Kate, her conversation has become quite the buzz, more from Rebecca English’s story in the Daily Mail.

Another balcony view, this one via Rob Ellis, he shared the photo on Twitter.

Another generous WKW Facebook friend, Sarah Campbell, was also in Cambridge and she shared these pictures.

Another look from Sarah.

It seemed everywhere William and Kate turned more locals wanted to meet them.

Many waited a long time to see Kate and William.

The Cambridge News provided stellar coverage throughout the day. In addition to the work of their own staff, they asked readers to post photos from the visit on the paper’s Facebook page, and there are some treasures. Below we see photos posted by Daniel Almondo (left) and Jon Chiffin (right).

After the Guildhall the pair moved on to the University of Cambridge for a reception.

William also delivered remarks, more from Cambridge News:

He said: “This is a day Catherine and I have looked forward to for a very long time, 18 months, in fact, ever since my grandmother, The Queen, on the morning of our wedding bestowed on us the name of this great city.

The podium also offered another chance for William to have a little fun:

He said: “It’s not the first time I’ve been here. My brother Harry and I were fortunate enough to come to Cambridge five years ago, when we spent a couple of days at Trinity.”

“I have to say it’s the closest Harry’s ever got to university.”

As for lunch, William, Kate and several others visited a local pub, the Fort Saint George. More from Cambridge News:

“He just wanted to sit down for a nice pub lunch with his wife away from all the cameras. They said they enjoyed it and even came back for seconds.”

The special guests ate salmon, tuna and beef sandwiches, a platter of mini burgers, chips and fresh fruit, washed down with soft drinks.

Kate and William then visited Jimmy’s, a homeless shelter, and The Manor School.

The couple wrapped up their day’s official engagements at Peterborough City Hospital, below we see Kate arriving at the facility.

Kate was given another bouquet as she headed into the Hospital.

As mentioned, Kate wore a coat by MaxMara Studio, the “Belli” style.

The piece features a funnel neck, hidden buttons, pick stitching and on-seam front pockets.

The Belli was stocked by House of Fraser (now out of stock), technically the color is called pink.

The piece is a blend, 50% wool, 50% cashmere. Originally it sold for £980 (approximately $1550) but was marked down to£784. The Italian-based luxury label verified Kate was wearing the Belli on its Facebook page.

Max Mara is an ideal label for the Duchess: its sophisticated lines, attention to tailoring and lack of fussy accents make it perfect for someone with Kate’s style aesthetic. Below, a few images from the Max Mara Studio fall campaign.

Other brands under the Max Mara umbrella include a sportswear line, accessories, bridal and other extensions.

We haven’t yet determined who made the frock Kate was wearing underneath the coat, as soon as we do know we’ll update the post. In the interim, here are two closeups of the print on the dress.

It appears to be a lighter-weight fabric, likely chiffon or similar weave and weight.

Kate accessorized with her trusty Aquatalia Rouge booties, now known as the “Royal”.

Kate’s are a dark brown suede, a material that is very difficult to find now, we show that version lower right (below), Aquatalia does not offer the brown suede (they do have black & red suede) Bergdorf has it in very limited sizing ($425), Nordstrom has it in both the black and espresso brown leather, it is $398. The newer version everyone is offering is seen on the left.

The Duchess also carried her Natasha clutch in brown suede by Emmy.

She also had on her Kiki McDonough Grace studs again.

This was an outstanding ensemble for Kate, the coat was elegant and understated. While many are not fond of the short booties, I think they add a touch of youthful exuberance to the overall look, a touch of something that seems “very Kate”.

We’ll see you Friday as Kate returns to her prep school, St. Andrews Pangbourne.

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One other tidbit today, our friends at Links of London have extended the special savings opportunity being offered to WKW readers on the entire Hope Collection. Use promo code WKW15at checkout for your discount.

LINKAGE:

• Socialite life’s story and gallery of 45 pictures is here
• The Telegraph’s slide show of photos is here
• The Daily Mail’s story (and pictures) may be found here
• BBC story is here
• ITN’s 6-minute video is wonderful, you can view it by clicking here
• ITN’s story on the Manor School portion of the day is here
  

  ITN

  The Telegraph’s video story is here

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  The Telegraph