Kate chose pale pink Jenny Packham for today’s Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey.
Here you see HM arriving with Prince Philip for the 11am service marking the 60th anniversary of her Coronation in 1953. She wore silk brocade by Angela Kelly.
There was some concern about Prince Philip, last night the Duke of Edinburgh missed an engagement with HM at St. James’s Palace. Poor health was given as the reason for his absence, the event was a gala celebration for the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
Below we see the Queen, Duke and Dean of Westminster Abbey, John Hall, as they prepare to enter the Abbey. The picture was shared by TimJMGray on Twitter, apparently Mr. Gray’s sister took the photo, she works in the Abbey bookshop.
More on the original Coronation from the Abbey website:
The Queen succeeded King George VI on 6th February 1952 when she was twenty-five years old, but it was not until nearly eighteen months later that the young Queen was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2nd June 1953.
In 1953 the Queen wore a gown by Norman Hartnell; the designer also made her wedding dress. Below, St. Edward’s Crown being placed on the High Altar for the first time in 60 years.
This page from the Abbey offers wonderfully detailed facts, posts and other data on the 1953 Coronation. Queen Elizabeth II’s special Coronation Glove (seen lower right) was made by Dents, the glove worn by Queen Elizabeth I for her Coronation is seen lower left.
Dents own a sizable collection of historic gloves, the company’s blog offers amazing images, including this closeup of the beading done for the 1953 Coronation.
There really is a significant body of information available for those wishing to learn more about today’s event and the Coronation in 1953. The Diamond Jubilee website has an entire section dedicated to the Coronation.
This was the first time William and Kate have attended a public service at the Abbey since they were married at the historic site in 2011.
The Duchess wore a bespoke ensemble by Jenny Packham.
The pale pink coat featured three-quarter sleeves, top stitching, pockets and and open front. Below we see a somewhat similar piece from the designer’s a/w 2013 collection.
Here you see Kate chatting with Sophie before the service got underway.
In this view we see Kate and William with Zara Philips after the service, Zara’s husband Mike Tindall can be seen on the left.
Kate’s lace dress had a jewel neckline, empire waist, and eyelash fringe trim.
Some may recall that Kate’s lacy McQueen dress for the Jubilee Service also featured this element.
These are now familiar silhouettes for Kate, due to give birth to her first child in July. The Tara Jarmon coat and Emilia Wickstead Dress worn to previous engagements have much the same lines. I imagine the dress worn today is probably close in design to the blue Wickstead.
They are silhouettes that Kate likes, they are also flattering at this stage of her pregnancy.
She accessorized with her gray Alexander McQueen clutch. (The clasp on Kate’s was modified.)
We have seen the jewelry before, both the diamond bracelet and earrings have been worn on multiple occasions. Below we show the bracelet as worn in October of 2012 for the Olympic Athletes reception at Buckingham Palace, the photo on the right is from an In Kind Direct reception and dinner in October of 2011.
They are believed to be part of a wedding gift from Prince Charles. The earrings were first noted at the Canada Day concert in July of 2011.
The Duchess also wore a hat by Jane Taylor, many will recognize it as the piece worn to last year’s Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving (below right).
Jane Taylor describes it as a “Beaded cocktail hat with silk tulle and organza discs. Finished with smoked quarts and veiling.”
And Kate brought back her LK Bennett Sledge pumps.
The now iconic pumps remain available at LK Bennett, as well as Nordstrom and other retailers. Kate wore her hair in a partial updo.
It didn’t take long before workers started disassembling things, the Dean of Westminster Abbey shared this photo on Twitter, the caption read “The nave – not as it was earlier”.
This was a splendid look for the Duchess, elegant and understated. The coat and dress by Jenny Packham were appropriate to the gravity of the occasion, while the diamond jewelry Kate lent a more formal tone to the ensemble.
A reminder that Kate’s next appearance is on Thursday of next week. She will christen a new cruise ship from Princess Cruise Lines, the “Royal Princess.” The vessel was built by Italian shipbuilders Fincantieri, it was delivered to its new owners last week and will be christened in Southampton.
LINKAGE:
- The British Monarchy’s primary website is here, its Facebook page may be seen here, the section covering HM’s Accession & Coronation may be read here
- As noted above, the Diamond Jubilee website offers a sizable Coronation section with much more information about today’s events, the Coronation 60 years ago and more
- All of the details on the 1953 Coronation can be found here, including links to the music what was part of the event
- Visit the Westminster Abbey website to learn about the Coronation Anniversary events coming up in the next several months, including a display with the actual Coronation Chair; the Abbey’s Facebook page is here
- This year’s Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace will feature a major exhibition dedicated to the 60th Anniversary, see the Royal Collection website for more
- Classic FM has a wonderful slide show with information on music played at the 1953 service
- For those interested in sending a personal message of congratulations to the Queen, click here
- ITN’s roster of videos may be found here,
- The Telegraph’s live blog is here, they also have a splendid backgrounder filled with details on the 1953 service
- Sky News coverage is here, the BBC’s coverage can be found here
- A wonderful Daily Mail story about the hats worn today & the Maids of Honour from 60 years ago can be read here
Anne P
Sunday 22nd of September 2013
The duchess looks radiant. Her look cannot be faulted.
Tiffany
Friday 14th of June 2013
Love Kate's hairstyle.
She really suits a half up do. I thought the way it was twisted looked elegant.
Melanie
Thursday 6th of June 2013
I have decided I am brave enough to try to sew a suit. While I was looking at patterns online, I happened upon this pattern from Vogue, Vintage patterns. This dress and coat are similar to Kate's; I'm sure the length can be modified. If any of you want to attempt the project, here is the link. Vogue notes that the level of difficulty is "average."
http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v8687-products-13211.php?page_id=850
Lili
Friday 7th of June 2013
Wow, that coat looks more difficult to sew than the Duchess's -- I wouldn't have the confidence to attempt it. What fabric are you going to use?
That's a wonderful early 50's New Look-style design. I LOVE slim sheath dresses like that. You must post a picture when you finish.
admin
Thursday 6th of June 2013
good for you, I really like the pattern! I have an enormous batch of vintage patterns, yet haven't sewn a stitch yet. I hope you'll keep us posted! :)
Christine
Thursday 6th of June 2013
Does anyone know what designer Zara Phillips was wearing? I love that dress and want to see if I can find a similar one. Hopefully not at a crazy price!
Cali Diva
Friday 7th of June 2013
Zara's dress was by Christopher Kane, she most likely bought it at Selfridges because that's where I saw it. Just search "Christopher Kane yellow dress" on Google and click on Images. It's no longer on Selfridges' website.
Elizabeth G. from Tennessee
Thursday 6th of June 2013
She looked perfect and so beautiful! I thought her ensemble was very classy and understated just enough as to not take too much attention away from the Queen. I love the silhouette's she's been wearing and can't believe she's due to give birth in 6 weeks or less!! The information about the Queen's coronation and the information on her gloves is so neat. So many details that I'd never think about. A great post and can't wait for her next appearance (Catherine that is lol)!