This morning the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended Easter Sunday services at St. Andrews Cathedral in Sydney.
Quite a crowd gathered at the Cathedral hoping to get a glimpse of Kate and William.
Damien Smith, 7News
After the service ended William and Kate signed the First Fleet Bible. The Bible dates back to 1788 when it was brought to Australia by the First Fleet Chaplain, it is considered to be the Bible used in Australia’s first Christian service. They also signed the 1788 First Fleet Book of Common Prayer.
Rebecca English, The Daily Mail, Mail Online
Their signatures are in the upper left corner.
Rebecca English, The Daily Mail, Mail Online
The history for the books is remarkable.
Rebecca English, The Daily Mail/Mail Online
Royal photographer Mark Stewart posted this photo showing other regal signatures, including Charles & Diana’s, as well as those of the Duke and Duchess of York.
Mark Stewart (@RegalEyes)
Kate was elegant in a dove grey ensemble from Alexander McQueen.
The coat and dress seen on the Duchess are custom pieces, but you can see the genesis of Kate’s is this garment.
That is a past-season piece, described this way:
Nude pink tailored coat from Alexander McQueen featuring a funnel neck, a concealed front fastening, structured shoulders, cropped sleeves, inset pockets to the sides, a rear vent and a straight hem.
The piece was made of a rayon/acetate blend; it originally sold for $2844, but was discounted to $1564.
Many will note the garment’s similarity to Kate’s Christmas 2011 coat.
Mirrorpix/Splash
That coat was said to be made by “an independent dressmaker, ” whose identity was never revealed.
The Duchess wore her hair partially up, better seen in this picture posted by Rebecca English.
Rebecca English, The Daily Mail/Mail Online
I share the image showing how Kate’s hair is styled because that directly impacts how her hat sits. The chapeau is also bespoke, created by Jane Taylor Millinery.
Neither Kate’s clutch or shoes are custom. First, the bag, it is a McQueen clutch we have seen previously. (Before ever being seen in public the skull clasp was replaced by something more…sedate.)
And the Duchess wore her Harper pumps by LK Bennett. The shoe is no longer offered in Kate’s color, only in a black suede version.
This was another elegant look for the Duchess. Judging from online feedback many had hopes Kate would be in something brighter, more Easter-ish (my word) and less reserved. My gut instinct is that she went with a less exuberant color in an effort to make a quieter style statement. It could well be a flawed thought on my part, but it was my visceral reaction.
Kate, William and hopefully George are due at the Taronga Zoo shortly. We’ll be back with another post shortly.
Please help want to buy dove grey coat dress like kate middelton
Finally something that looks good. but of course it does its McQueen. Although I do think with colours this pale she needed to add a bit more oomph to the makeup colours. She is wearing a lot of heavy makeup though and between that and her hair pulled back all the time is looked a lot older than a woman in her early 30s.
I absolutely adore this elegant look from Kate. Sure, it isn’t exactly the color palette that most of us would choose for Easter. However, this sophisticated look has “regal” and “future Queen” written all over it. It is spot on for the occasion.
Not only do the coats for the Queen and Kate look similar, but is that the Sabitri dress in Eden the Queen is wearing???! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2608865/The-Queen-elegant-light-blue-attends-Easter-service-Windsor-Castle.html
I can’t like this coat. I’m tall and slender like Kate and I think long coats like this with no waist or buttons to break it up just make us look blah.
I love the Jane Taylor hats that the duchess has worn, including this one – a very elegant look.
The Duchess looks absolutely STUNNING! I love this look on her – so sophisticated and chic…
Great look again. As should be expected of an Alexander McQueen garment the coat is made to sit well on the Duchess. The hat with the Kate’s hairstyle suits. All up I would give this a 10/10 for colour, length of coat, bag, shoes, hat and hairstyle – all well suited for this occasion.
This is a very conservative, sophisticated look. I actually like the color; I think it would have been a little too on-the-nose for Kate to show up at Easter Sunday services looking like a brightly colored easter egg.
Love it. Simple, chic, fits beautifully. I expect we’ll see it again at one of Kate’s friend’s weddings.
Well, I didn’t have to sit on my accolades for very long. I love this look; it may very well be my favorite of the Duchess’s bar none, certainly my favorite of the tour so far. I understand those who wish that she had worn brighter colors, but as my own taste in colors leans toward understated, muted, earth tones and greys, whites, and blues, this light grey coat simply has me thrilled. I agree that she probably made a conscious decision to dress more subdued, and I would add that this particular color choice might have been influenced by the reality that she is attending a church service, rather than going somewhere on purpose to do a walkabout in the crowds. Just a thought.
This is such a well-designed, exquisite coat. The seaming and exceptional tailoring really take my breath away. I love the funnel neck! (Which, incidentally, suits the Mappin & Webb necklace that she has worn on nearly every tour stop, unlike some of the dresses with higher collars where the necklace keeps falling under the fabric.) I always enjoyed the aubergine coat, but I have always thought the construction of that coat left much to be desired, and now when paired beside the McQueen the sub-par tailoring comes into much greater relief. Just examining the seaming on the bodice of both coats highlights how superior the McQueen is.
I also adore this jaunty hat! I appreciate that Catherine chose a slightly darker grey, as opposed to matching it exactly to her coat. I feel like too much of one color in an outfit fails to stimulate the eye. Those shoes have long been some of my favorites.
As someone who specializes in the eighteenth century and has worked in the archives, I was simply horrified at the thought of signing a book dating from 1788. However, it is Australia’s bible to do with what they please, I suppose, and I understand there is a historical precedence for royalty signing it. (But, I’m still going to cringe over here!)
A funnel neck — of course it is, why can I never think of these things in the groggy state that is my first-thing-in-the-morning? It clearly pays to be deep into the eighteenth century to keep you up to speed on tailoring details.
I’m so pleased that you too are so bowled over by this outfit. Like you I think it should be in the “best ever” category — this one’s right up there with Jackie O and Chanel, no contest!
And thanks also for pointing up the darker shade of the hat — another big “miss” for me. But I suppose I was just dazzled when I first saw the whole thing and lost the place. I wonder if the aubergine coat was worn over more bulky winter clothing, here in Sydney Kate will only need the slinkiest of lightweight dresses. I’m a little reminded of the grey Katherine Hooker Kate wore to the 2011 Garter service, again in church, at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Seems she came back to grey for the sacred-space thing.
I think the book-signing is historical in itself, and acceptable, even required, behaviour. They are genuine royals after all, and the First Fleet and all that is as significant to Australia as Pilgrim Fathers to the US. It’s an odd colonial hangover to keep up the tradition, but it maintains the link with the Old Country even if it annoys the republicans.
This is a very elegant look and is a beautifully understated piece. I do not like the hat, in color and placement, but it does not take away from the overall regal, classy look 🙂 I agree with you Susan that she wore this color to NOT stand out so that no one would think she was more interested in her fashion choice vs the actual Easter service. I also think the color, dove grey, may be a statement in itself. I know it’s a sign for peace and also the importance of the dove in Christianity may have been a subtle hint of symbolism? Happy Easter to everyone!
happy easter to all at WKW!
i love this color on her! is there a color she can’t wear, honestly! this is conservative yet frames her face and hair beautifully, i think.
I am confident this coat is the Alexander McQueen Strong Shouldered Coat because of the shoulder pads–it is otherwise identical in every way to the Funnel Neck Coat. Victoria Beckham has been seen in the same version of the coat.
This is the stuff of legend — Burton & Co have excelled themselves in this utterly superb coat, I am simply lost in wonder at the beauty of the immaculate tailoring! The exact height and curve of the stand-up collar, the depth of the neckline, the sheer genius of the overall clean fabulous line of the body of the coat — in just above the waist and skimming the hips — and all in such a heavenly colour.
I may just spend the rest of my life looking at this one outfit. The hemline to just above the knee — Kate’s perfect length in my book, that brilliant hat, impeccably worn with her customary panache, the lovely demi-chignon, as we’ve been gently reminded to call it by AshleyOlivia. And all finished to perfection by a discreet clutch and those ultra-elegant court shoes.
A masterpiece in monochrome.*swoons*
And the shoulders… forgot those brilliant raised shoulders on the coat , not as crude as shoulder pads in the days of Dallas and all that, but raised by genius tailoring and echoing that delicious collar and neckline. *swoons again*
And the invisible front fastening, nothing, but nothing to interrupt the superb clean flow of the line of that coat. It’s a stunner.
Not invisible, not invisible at all. The word I was groping for was concealed front fastening. *sighs deeply*
Or structured shoulders is a better way to describe the tailoring feat on Kate’s shoulders — grateful for the turn of phrase from RCFA on Twitter, where else?
I, too, love the structured shoulders and concealed front fastening! (and I’m mentally storing both terms in my “fashion descriptors” file…)
Hello, what about the earrings?
They are identified as the “diamond line with blue stone dangle” on the Catherine section of “Diana’s Jewels”: http://www.dianasjewels.net/earringscatherine.htm
At first glace, I assumed they were the earrings from the set that Prince Charles gave her as a wedding gift, which I’ve never liked (they just have no movement and the setting seems uninspired, in my humble–and by no means authoritative–opinion). I was just thinking how surprisingly good they looked paired with today’s outfit, until I realized they were not the Prince Charles earrings at all! I really do like this pair, though I suspect if she acquires another Kiki McDonough pair with a blue stone I will like those more (I’m a real Kiki fan, but her jewelry is far out of my price range, so I have to be content with enjoying her jewelry vicariously when the Duchess wears her!).
Hi, thanks for the update. I am a fan of the Duchess’ jewellery as well, especially the Asprey Woodlands collection she was pictured wearing recently! I wish Asprey will have a markdown soon! And a big one it has to be. 😀
I love these photos and the information added with them. I look forward to seeing lots more from you. Thank you.
Very nice outfit, and the hat is placed well, good point.
I think the soft neutral pastel is properly conservative.
Absolutely fascinating to see the signatures.
Kate looks gorgeous and so elegant she really suits McQueen designs. Happy Easter to all of you!
At the zoo: Kate looks like she is wearing the yellow dress she wore to the Solomon Isalnds. George is there in blue stripey shirt and shorts. He’s met the bilby! So cute.
Kate is looking as gorgeous as usual. I like that she’s worn her hair half up both yesterday and today. How she manages to never show a single crease amazes me. I must agree and would’ve liked to see something a little brighter, but still a very lovely look.
Very smart look. The coat fits her really well but am not very sure about the hat. So fashion detectives havent figured out what she wore underneath the coat? looking forward to an update…
It reminds me a bit of what her mother wore to the royal wedding. I think Kate looks stunning, but it is quite conservative.
I was about to make the same observation, Brenda. Very reminiscent of Carole’s wedding look, even though the designers were different. Appropriately conservative for church, but simply stunning.
Susan, you’re a wonder! How you get these posts up so quickly… I’ll never know. And “something more.. sedate.” lol.
This look is fine, appropriate, lovely. Not a favorite of mine, but then, none of the tour has wowed me.
I do really like her style because it is similar to mine (I think), but nothing on the tour has really wowed me either. I thought I was the only one.
We’re united, TEW. I was hoping for more Canada looks– loved so much of that on tour. And her hair in Canada! I miss her chocolate brown locks.