It’s Jenny Packham & Hugo Boss Breton Stripes on Day 4 of the Royal Tour

As the royal tour continues, we see Kate once again practicing fashion diplomacy via her clothing. Today’s first example is a dress from one of her go-to designers, Jenny Packham.

Kate and William started the day in Heidelberg; the city is a twin (akin to a sister city) to Cambridge. In a comment, Lara points out that yellow is the color of Baden Württemberg, where Heidelberg is located. The duo’s first engagement was at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg. Below you see the Duke and Duchess with board members from the Centre.

Then it was time for a walkabout in Heidelberg’s Marketplatz, or Market Square, with Mayor Prof. Dr. Eckart Würzner as their tour guide.

Next, a pretzel making contest. More from The Express:

The royal couple also got their hands dirty as they were pictured trying their hand at making traditional German pretzels during a vist to a market in the Central Square.

Kate giggled and appeared to tease William as he had a go in front of a crowd of revellers in the centre of the market.

This brought back memories of the cooking class Kate and William took in 2011 at Quebec’s renowned Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie. 

They also tried making sweeties.

Making sweeties! pic.twitter.com/mqXfVNHV4i

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 20, 2017

Now to what Kate wore, starting with the Jenny Packham dress.

Crafted from what I initially thought was a brocade, the dress is made in a fabric that is more like a lace (thank you to Sarah for the heads-up on this). In a comment Alexa suggests it may be ‘linen with appliqued lace or embroidery,’ and I bet she is right. The color is either a sunny yellow or rich gold, depending on the lighting. I like Jessica’s word in a comment; she referred to the color as marigold.

The dress features a fitted bodice with princess seaming that is accentuated by white piping. It also has a set-in waistband with box pleats that create the volume in the skirt. (I initially thought there was an asymmetrical front flap, but Erin pointed out in a comment that was really a trick of the way the skirt fell in that particular photo.)

The dress looks like it may have that beautiful sheen and the floral motif is very pretty, but the fabric somehow makes the dress look heavy.

The Duchess wore a new pair of earrings by Oscar de la Renta, the brand’s Pearl Star Button earrings ($175). They are made with gold plated pewter and glass (or resin, depending on the retailer’s description) pearls. The style is also available at Neiman Marcus, as well as Halsbrook. Our thanks to Katie on Twitter for the speedy identification of the earrings.

Kate carried an Alexander McQueen suede clutch she has used previously.

And wore her Fleur espadrille wedges by Monsoon. These made perfect sense for the cobblestone streets Kate had to walk on but seemed casual in contrast to the dress.

The Duke and Duchess did a quick change of clothing and headed to the River Neckar for a friendly rowing competition, with each leading a team.

This video shows Kate and William as they head to the River and gives you a sense of the crowd size.

Zu Fuß hinter dem Herzogspaar in Heidelberg, Richtung Alte Brücke pic.twitter.com/peCAUz7VP7

— Sir Sebastian Wood (@SebWoodFCO) July 20, 2017

More from Robert Jobson’s Evening Standard story:

The Royal couple renewed their friendly sporting rivalry as they faced off in a competitive boat race during their visit to the picturesque city of Heidelberg.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took to the waters of the River Neckar and were both charged with steering their respective boats.

The Evening Standard piece noted that Kate “….jokingly told her crew: “No pressure, but I do want to beat my husband!” 

Longtime followers of the couple will remember another event in Canada during the 2011 tour; only the teams were in dragon boats.

Canadian Heritage

Prince William was the victor on that occasion.

Canadian Heritage

That was also the case today. From The Telegraph’s story:

They have a long history of friendly spousal rivalry.  It was the Duke of Cambridge who had cause to gloat today, after he beat the Duchess in a Royal boat race.

The Duke punched the air after his boat crossed the finish line narrowly ahead of his wife,

William’s team took first place, but both Cambridges were awarded medals.

After the race steins of beer were hoisted in celebration.

Kate’s top is by Hugo Boss. 

We saw the return of Kate’s Superga Cotu Classic trainers. We show them at Nordstrom, they are also available at Superga, and at Zappos. They are $65 at all three retailers.

NOTE: Kate and William are headed back to Berlin, and we will have a separate post for their evening event. We will continue updating this post with images and information.