Kate in Hot Pink McQueen & the Children Charm at Trooping the Colour

It was a bright sunny day in London for Trooping the Colour, the official ceremony celebrating the Queen’s 91st birthday.

The Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Cornwall.

Prince Harry rode with Kate and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The event is known as the Queen’s Birthday Parade although HM’s actual birthday is April 21.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh arrive at Horse Guards Parade.

Her Majesty The Queen is at Horse Guards Parade to inspect her troops at #troopingthecolour #queen @royal pic.twitter.com/JlS4vc90zr

— The Army in London (@ArmyInLondon) June 17, 2017

This year there was an additional element to the ceremonies. Before the carriage procession left Buckingham Palace on its way to the Parade grounds there was a moment of silence in honor of those impacted by the ghastly events in the UK. More from The Express.

The traditional parade celebrating her majesty’s official birthday comes after a horrific few months for the UK, a fact acknowledged by the Queen herself in a statement released this morning. Today, she stood alongside her husband for a poignant tribute to those affected by the catastrophe.

The Band of the Irish Guards, with mascot Domhnall leading the way.

As always, it is a magnificent display.

More than 1400 military personnel take part.

And more than 200 horses.

The Queen watching her troops.

It was the warmest day of the year in London, but that didn’t deter crowds. The temperature was around 83℉ during the ceremonies. You can imagine how hot that was for those in uniform.

Escort to the Colour! Quick March @BritishArmy@RoyalFamily#TroopingtheColourpic.twitter.com/QGrta3wGUB — The Army in London (@ArmyInLondon) June 17, 2017

It was also quite warm for spectators. HM was in a Stewart Parvin ensemble with a hat by the late Philip Somerville. She wore the Guards brooch, as this year the colour “being trooped” is the 1st Battalion Irish Guards.

Princess Anne wore her Colonel of the Blues and Royals uniform.

The view from the roof of Buckingham Palace.

After the review of the troops was done it was time to gather the children and head to the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the flypast (flyby in the US).

It must be an amazing thing to see in person.

A look at the renowned RAF Red Arrows.

The @RoyalAirForce Red Arrows perform their display above the crowds gathered on The Mall and outside Buckingham Palace. pic.twitter.com/V0j4Qj9MNn — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 17, 2017

As expected, the Cambridge children wowed the crowds.

It really was a spectacular show.

But it’s not easy standing there when it’s so hot and noisy.

Her Majesty has only missed one Trooping the Colour during her reign; that was in 1955 when there was a general strike. Today was the first time Prince Philip has not been in uniform, wearing basic morning dress instead. From The Telegraph:

In a concession to the day, the 96-year-old Duke for the first time chose to wear a morning suit and top hat instead of his heavy full uniform, instead sporting his Household Division tie, Garter Star and medals.

I might be imagining things, but it looks like the Queen and Prince George are sharing a smile here.

We have details on the children’s wardrobes at What Kate’s Kids Wore.

Now to what Kate wore for this year’s Trooping the Colour.

Kate opted for a vibrant Alexander McQueen dress that appears to have been modeled on this garment from the a/w 2016 collection.

Today’s Tip of the Tiara goes to fashion super sleuth Michelle of Perths Fashion; she discovered the ‘Pleated Skirt Skate Dress.’ Offered at a variety of retailers, the pink was available at Farfetch and a soft blue at Neiman Marcus. A closer look at the ‘paper bag waist’ detailing from the front.

Here is a look at Kate’s frock from the back.

We had a number of questions about the way Kate’s embellishment looked at the back of the dress; I think it was smushed a bit when she was riding in the carriage.

We’ve not yet discovered a McQueen blouse or dress with the same darts or diagonal pleats at the neckline.

Thought on the color from Vogue’s Alice Newbold:

This year’s ceremony was a rather more solemn occasion to dress for. Ahead of the event, the Queen released a statement acknowledging the “terrible tragedies” that have fallen upon the country of late.

Faced with appearing in front of a sombre nation, the Duchess chose not to tread down the muted fashion path, but to opt for a cheering colour palette. The bright pink McQueen dress with pleated neckline and paper-bag waist is one of the boldest hues she has ever worn in public. Topped off with a swirling pink hat design by Jane Taylor and a pair of drop diamond earrings belonging to the Queen, it was a considered display of joy in a time of sadness.

The Duchess was in an exquisite hat by Jane Taylor.

A closer look.

Kate’s handbag was one we have seen before, the Etui clutch.

The Duchess accessorized with diamond drop earrings loaned to her by the Queen. They were previously seen at last year’s Diplomatic Reception, as well as the Place2Be Awards in November 2016.

Below, the earrings as worn today are shown on the far left; the sun makes them tough to photograph well. They feature a cluster of diamonds at the top, with a diamond ‘frame’ surrounding a line of four diamonds that graduate in size from small to large. 

I thought this was a terrific look for the Duchess. The vibrancy of the color was offset by a restrained dress design and lack of embellishment. The Jane Taylor hat was elegant, and the earrings added some sparkle to the ensemble.

Here is a 45-second video of the day’s events from the British Army.

The Queen’s Birthday Parade is over for another year. The sun shone and British ceremonial excellence was shown off to the world pic.twitter.com/oo1ebGntQ2

— British Army (@BritishArmy) June 17, 2017

LINKAGE:

• The Mirror’s primary story is here; a piece on what Kate has worn previously to the event is here;
• The Daily Express primary story is here & the story on the Guards fainting is here;
• The Daily Telegraph‘s fashion story is here;
• People’s photo gallery is here; PopSugar’s gallery is here
• The RAF has a nifty graphic here showing the logistics of getting so many planes coordinated in such a busy airspace.
• The Telegraph has a good backgrounder here about Trooping the Colour