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Cowboy Boots & a New Coat for Kate as Day 5 of the Royal Tour Wraps Up

After their morning in Whitehorse Kate and William did a quick clothing change and headed to Carcross, a town of less than 300 residents.Kensington Palace

Above left you see Andy Carvill, Khà Shâde Héni (chief) of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, greeting the royals.

Emily Andrews / The Sun @ByEmilyAndrews

Emily Andrews / The Sun @ByEmilyAndrews

The community is located on the renowned Klondike Highway, and the scenery was spectacular. The royals were greeted with a traditional welcome from the Carcross/Tagish First Nation at Carcross Commons.Kensington Palace

From Rebecca English’s Daily Mail story:

The Duke and Duchess clapped and cheered as they experienced a colourful ceremonial welcome beneath an elaborately carved totem pole by the local First Nations community.

Kensington Palace

They were particularly captivated by a group of tiny Tagish dancers, local children aged between four and seven, dressed in traditional cloaks and headdresses, demonstrating their’ Raven’ and ‘Wolf’ dances.

Kate and William chatting with some of the children. Kensington Palace

After the welcoming ceremony ended it was time for the couple then moved to their next stop. We learn more from People’s coverage:

The royal parents then took a stroll across Carcross Commons to visit the workshop of renowned Tlingit carver Keith Wolfe Smarch

Smarch showed William and Kate how he practices his craft, and even put the couple to work painting a 35-foot totem pole. 

Kate and William getting ready to add their own touch.Emily Andrews, The un @ByEmilyAndrews

Each painted a portion of the totem.The Crown in Canada

More about Mr. Smarch from the People article

The local craftsman also took the opportunity to send his regards to William’s father, Prince Charles, who received a carved mask from Smarch during his visit to the Yukon in 2001. 

Smarch told CBC News that his mask’s placement in the Buckingham Palace art collection is “the highlight of my career.”

The Duke and Duchess then traveled to Montana Mountain to watch mountain bike training and meet local families.Kensington Palace

More from People’s story:

While there, they learn learned about the Single Track to Success Project, an initiative aimed at engaging the Yukon’s First Nation youth in trail building and mountain biking to promote health and wellness and restore a connection to the ancestral lands. 

Kate and William then headed down the mountain. There was an interesting twist to their journey, as The Evening Standard explains:

After hearing how his grandparents had travelled in the last carriage on the train, which was specially fitted out with a marble table for their 1959 visit, William gallantly helped his wife climb back down onto the tracks and they sidestepped along to the front of the engine.

Their host in Carcross, Chief Andy Carvill, 52, explained: “The Duke asked if he could go in and they got inside the train and blew the steam whistle.

©Andrew Parsons/i-Images/Polaris

It’s time for a look at what Kate wore.©Andrew Parsons / i-Images/ Polaris

We begin with her Wrap Coat with Ribbed Sleeves from Canada’s Sentaler brand.Sentaler/Polaris/Sentaler

The piece has a shawl collar, slit pockets, belt. The ribbed sleeves are a signature look for the company. It is made of 60% superfine alpaca / 40% wool, and sells for $920.

Monique Jessen shares the designer’s reaction to news the Duchess was wearing one of her pieces in this People story:

“Kate Middleton is an international style icon and I am very honoured that she chose to wear Sentaler on her Canadian tour,” designer Bojana Sentaler said in a statement. “She wore [the coat] with such grace and elegance and I couldn’t be happier.” 

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau is fond of Sentaler and wears the brand with some frequency.

The Duchess was in a pair of boots we have seen her wear before in Canada. You can just see them on Kate in this picture from the 2011 Calgary Stampede.©Polaris

The boots are by R. Soles.

UPDATED: Kate’s boot *are* by the same company, R.Soles, but not the same pair she wore in 2011. More from People

“It’s a different pair – the design is the same but the heel height is higher,” R.Soles designer Judy Rothchild tells PEOPLE, adding that Kate’s $385 Virgi Chocolate Suede handmade boots completely sold out overnight, mainly to customers in the U.K and the U.S. The suede-and-leather style, which has a nearly three-inch heel, is now on an eight-week waiting list.

kate-r-soles-cowboy-boots-day-fi-5-canada-sept-28-2016-i-images-polaris

Kate wore new earrings from another Canadian designer, Shelley MacDonald.BOth: ©i-Images/Polaris

The earrings are the Large Bronze Ulu style, available on the designer’s etsy site ($73.96).Shelley MacDonald

They are also offered in a smaller size, as well as in sterling silver.

More about the jeweler in this Yukon News story:

What also sets her apart is her age. At 28, she’s the youngest full-time goldsmith in Whitehorse.

She paid her dues and worked diligently throughout six years of studies in jewelry design and metalsmithing at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

Kate and William then flew back to Victoria to be reunited with George and Charlotte, in advance of tomorrow’s children’s party at Government House.

We’ll see you tomorrow for an event many of us have been looking forward to, the children’s party.

canada-tour-2016-schedule-graphic-agenda-events-thursday-september-29

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TravelingBlush

Tuesday 11th of October 2016

Cleverly put together, and looks comfortable, to boot! (teehee!)

The sweater looks very plush, and love the boots! I really appreciate the beauty of a well-crafted boot, they will last forever and if you found a pair that feels snug, very comfortable. I am of the opinion that artisanal cowboy boots are now more urban than rural, and very confused at the opinion that they are trashy. I think, for those of us who don't associate with boot-wearing trashy people, we will not be able to understand this association of cowboy boots as trashy.

E T FORSYTH

Sunday 2nd of October 2016

Kates boots were given to her by the Canadian government in 2011 when they visited Calgary. They are not trash ...they were hand made. The earrings are also beautiful, created by a canadian artist. (Shelley MacDonald)

Sandra

Monday 3rd of October 2016

Interestingly, the Duchess has got a snuggly cool weather southern California vibe happening, right down to the skinnies tucked into those boots. She'd be right at home in Marin or Malibu.

As a long time reader, I'm a bit surprised at all the comments judging cowboy boots to be trash or country something or just not conventional enough for their tastes. Whatever has provoked this sartorial ire, I think I'll go back to reading the posts and skip the comments. Thanks, admin, for your ongoing wkw posts!

admin

Sunday 2nd of October 2016

The earrings really are lovely, it's great seeing her wear pieces from local artisans. The boots given to Kate at the Stampede were never worn, at least not to the best of my knowledge. This is from a July 11, 2011 post: "Leisa also corresponded with Ben Gerwing of Alberta Boot Company, he verifies that Kate was not wearing the boots made for her. Mr. Gerwing told Leisa she may have had them on later in the day on the second day the couple was at Stampede events, but she was not wearing them in any of the photos we show." (Post is here: https://whatkatewore.com/2011/07/11/poll-results-mysteries-solved-kates-cowboy-boots-earrings-trench-coat/) :)

Célie

Sunday 2nd of October 2016

Very nice casual look for the Duchess ! I love her sweater coat, the color is great and I think it is adaptated with the landscape colour. Also it seems really warm and comfortable, I would love to wear it !

Though I'm not a huge fan of the earrings, I think it's a nice choice to wear a Canadian designer during the trip.

Finally, I think the boots works with the look, but I don't really like the "cow boy style", just my personnal opinion ! :)

Lavender

Friday 30th of September 2016

I really like this look - didn't like the ribbed sleeves at first but they grew on me. Is it really a jacket/coat, it looks beautifully soft & fairly thin, more like a cardigan. I think I prefer pink as I am a pink person but the dove grey is gorgeous too, sigh, I wish. I have stroked alpaca in wildlife centres though & found their coat quite coarse so don't know what different breeds are used for wools (as opposed to all baby goats are meltingly soft).

Victoria

Friday 30th of September 2016

Why. Is. She. Wearing. Cowboy. Boots.

I'm truly confounded, as these are just awful and frankly, look quite trailer trash with such a beautiful coat (I have the same coat in pink and for anyone interested, Sentaler's alpaca coats are quite lightweight, yet very warm). I see that The Duchess is wearing the same boots in Haida Gwai today, which is a real shame... Not sure who suggested that these were a good look....

I am a proud Canadian, and as an FYI to anyone looking at these and thinking that they may be a sartorial nod, we Canadians are all truly confused. Most Canadians wouldn't be caught dead in boots like this, other than if attending the Calgary stampede, or as a silly joke at a country and western bar.

The overall outfit is great - as with today's Smythe les Vestes blazer - but when she lugged the Penelope Chilvers boots all this way, why wouldn't she opt for those instead?

Someone needs to take those boots away, as other than that, this tour has really been a successful one for her in terms of style, colour, cut and pushing the boundaries.

Faith Poole

Sunday 2nd of October 2016

I am proud to be an American and wear my western boots quite often. Nothing "trashy" about them.

Kay

Friday 30th of September 2016

Speak for your self. I'm a proud Canadian and I live in my boots year round, without the excuse of working on a farm or riding. They are comfortable and pair well with just about any outfit.

The boots look wonderful with her outfit, toning it down for a casual day out. She's outdoors, walking around and visiting all day, not sitting in a conference room - Kate doesn't need to be decked out all the time. She looks fashionable and comfortable, and her outfit is very appropriate for the day's activities.

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