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Kate is In The Pink for Coventry Engagements

By Author admin

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Kate brought back a favorite coat for today’s visit to Coventry.

Coventry is England’s 9th-largest city, located about 90 minutes northwest of London in the English Midlands. The city was recently named the UK’s City of Culture for 2021, a designation expected to help raise the city’s profile and grow its tourism industry, economy, and arts presence.

Crowds waited eagerly in the cold temps to see the Duke and Duchess at the Coventry Cathedral.

Kate and William did a walkabout when they arrived at the Cathedral.

Victoria Murphy of The Daily Mirror shared this video of Kate thanking the woman responsible for putting together today’s program in Coventry.

Kate was given a bouquet by Megan (aged 7), Isabella (aged 8), and Szymek (aged 7); all three attend Coundon Primary School.

More from Simon Perry’s People story:

The couple arrived to cheers from hundreds of flag-waving schoolchildren from the local Sacred Heart School. Among them, was Darcy Hayes, 9, who gave Kate some bright orange flowers.

“She said her son George will love the flowers because he loves orange — and police colors. I told them I had an American girl doll for Christmas and William said Charlotte loves dolls,” said Hayes. “They were nice and cheerful.”

Kate was also given several little bears wearing tee-shirts with the Sidney Stringer Trust logo; the Daily Mail reports the Trust helps fund several schools in the area.

It was a long wait for some hoping to see the royals, especially one ten-year-old; more from Rebecca English’s Daily Mail story:

The Duchess also came to the rescue of a 10-year-old boy who felt unwell after waiting three hours in the cold to catch a glimpse of the royal.

When she spotted that he was not well, the soon-to-be mother of three turned to one of her police protection officers, who came to the rescue with a brown paper bag. ‘Princess Kate came over and give him a sickbag, our little Craig,’ said Carole Flynn, a learning mentor at the school. ‘I think he was a little bit overcome.’

The Duchess had met Craig Skipper, a pupil at Corpus Christi primary school, during the royal couple’s walkabout outside Coventry Cathedral. Ms Flynn said: ‘He went quite pale. She came over to speak to him, and noticed he was not very well. She asked if he was OK. She bent down, and was concerned.

WKW Friend Eluned Kronacher-Edwards‎ shared two photos on the WKW Facebook page that she took in Coventry today. 

The walkabout took part in the ruins of the city’s 15th-century Cathedral.

Coventry Cathedral Facebook (click photo to visit FB page)

A devastating Luftwaffe attack in 1940 destroyed the original building.

When it was time to build the new Cathedral the website notes: “Her Majesty the Queen laid the foundation stone on 23 March 1956 and the building was consecrated on 25 May 1962, in her presence. The ruins remain hallowed ground and together the two create one living Cathedral.”

Back to today’s events.

After seeing the ruins, Kate and William then moved inside to what is called the “new Cathedral,” and took part in the Litany of Reconciliation. Kensington Palace explains “The Litany is prayed at noon each weekday in Coventry Cathedral and in the Cathedral ruins on Fridays by those inspired by its story. The prayer hopes to encourage a culture of reconciliation and peace.”

They also paid a visit to the Rising Café, run by a charity called Betel UK, a non-profit “for men, women, and families affected by drug and alcohol addiction and homelessness. Through work, well-being and worship, we restore broken lives.”

Prince William ponders the dessert offerings at the Cafe.

We return to The Daily Mail story:

There, they were confronted by a spectacular array of cakes, including a princess one with a tiara and a Union Jack cake, baked by volunteers and addicts in various stages of recovery.

William said that Charlotte would like the princess cake – and described the Union Jack one as ‘very patriotic’.

He added: ‘You should be on Bake Off.’ But he reserved his greatest praise for the chessboard cake, with chess pieces on top.


The Duke and Duchess then traveled to Coventry University to officially open the new Science and Health building, a £59 million structure that has been in use since October. Rebecca English posted a brief video of their arrival.

One of the first things they did after arriving: the Wiggle Dance. More from Robert Jobson’s story in The Evening Standard:

The royal couple, who are expecting their third child, put there hands above their heads and smiled, moving their hips from side to side as Ms Roebuck played and sang the song “Learn From Us”.

The simple tune is used in the first training session for students working in the health service who want to improve their communication skills.

With thanks to Rona who left a comment about the video, here you can see the couple doing the dance.

Kate and William speak with a young student learning about infant care.

The new building is described by the University as the “only facility of its kind where students can learn to care for a patient at every stage of their healthcare experience; from paramedics arriving at their house and their subsequent ambulance journey, to their stay in hospital, through to their discharge and rehabilitation at home.”

The duo clearly enjoyed their time at the University.

A video via Kensington Palace.

The day’s final stop was at the Positive Youth Foundation, an organization helping young people improve their lives for more than 20 years. The BBC’s Joan Cummins shared this photo on Twitter.

 

The Foundation has been cited as a vital part of Coventry’s winning City of Culture effort. The city’s website notes: “The Foundation has supported thousands of young people in the city – including newly arrived asylum seekers and refugees – and has helped Coventry to become a multicultural role model for other cities.” Below, Kate taking part in a discussion about mental health.

More from the Positive Youth Foundation Facebook page:

Their Highness’s were shown around our delivery centre at Yardley Street before the Duchess spoke to a group of young people about mental health whilst the Duke headed to our sports and music area.

Kate and William also made time for one-on-one chats with staff and volunteers.

Simon Perry shared a picture of Kate being given a babygro for Baby Cambridge #3, complete with the Positive Youth Foundation logo on the front.

Now for what Kate wore today, starting with her Mulberry Double-Breasted Cerise Coat.

More from Vogue:

The cheerful pop of color stood out next to all-black base layers: her signature opaque tights and suede block-heeled pumps were as practical as they were chic.

The garment is made of a double-crepe wool/silk blend, described by Mulberry as having “been given extra lustre.” The design features double-breasted styling, a rounded collar, front pocket detailing and horn buttons.

We first saw the coat during the 2014 visit to New York.  

The Duchess then wore the striking piece in March 2015, for her last day of engagements before Princess Charlotte’s birth.

A look at Kate on the three different occasions.

Today she accessorized with her Bayswater Wallet Clutch, also by Mulberry.

We saw the Tod’s suede heels return.

Cornelia James says it looks like Kate was wearing her Beatrice gloves ($92) in 100% merino wool.

Kate wore her pink morganite drop earrings by Kiki McDonough (£2500).

 

It was nice to see the bright pop of pink on the Duchess today!

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We have a quick heads-up to share from Stephanie, The Lady Sapphire on Instagram. She ordered the Hugo Boss tee worn by Kate in Germany last summer and wanted to let shoppers know the tee seen below left is what she received. On the right, the tee as shown on the website, clearly a very different color. Thank you to Stephanie for letting us know.    

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Our other topic today is a brief update on the Royal Tour of Sweden and Norway beginning in two weeks. I have posted the detailed itinerary on the Kate’s Calendar page. A few highlights:

  • A few more tidbits from the Kensington Palace News Release:
    • “This visit is at the request of The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and will be Their Royal Highnesses’ first official visits to the two countries.”
    • “The tour will also take in the beautiful settings of both Stockholm and Oslo, and The Duke and Duchess are looking forward to exploring these two cities for the first time.”
    • “The Duke and Duchess are keen to experience a taste of the Scandinavian way of life for themselves, and to see how people of all generations battle the elements to make the most of their surroundings, whether ice-skating in Stockholm’s local parks or skiing off-piste in the hills that surround Oslo.”

We’ll see you tomorrow for Kate’s engagements at Bond Primary School to see the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative in action, and at Great Ormond Street Hospital where the Duchess will officially open the Mittal Children’s Medical Centre.

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Aidee J S

Sunday 21st of January 2018

Can someone let me know what pantyhose brand is she wearing? Wolford?

admin

Monday 22nd of January 2018

It was suggested back in 2011-2012 that Kate wore Wolford, the company itself may have reported that, or a retailer. We know she wore John Lewis Barely There with the anti-slip rubber strips on the sole during the Canada tour because of photos showing her foot with the little rubber grips. I wear these and love them. https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-7-denier-barely-there-non-slip-tights-pack-of-1/p3241529 Hope that helps! :)

Anne-Christine

Thursday 18th of January 2018

Kate is glowing in this coat! She is wearing a color combination (the bright pink with black) that we've often seen worn beautifully by the Queen, and both women make it their own! I don't dislike her shorter hair, but I agree with the commenter who said that Kate could go back to wearing it longer-- she is not too "old" for longer hair, and she has the goods! She should flaunt it!

Eileen Magone

Wednesday 17th of January 2018

LOVE her shorter hair, and love this coat, but not together, for the styling reasons that have already been stated. I still think she should have a few more inches lopped off because her hair is so thick and has a natural deep wave, as do I. She will soon have three kids under the age of five and shorter, low maintenance hair can be both her friend and chic! No one is suggesting she gets a pixie cut or a bob, but longer hair on women can make them look older.

As someone else stated, Kate must have been warm inside, which makes sense if you look at the photos of everyone else and how they were dressed in T-shirts or only one layer of clothing. How I would have been SO KEEN (haha! I agree; the communications contact at KP needs a thesaurus stat!) to see her remove her coat and to have seen the 1960s inspired "Naomi" dress from Madderson London underneath! (It's the navy mini dress with the pale pink tweed faux pockets and hem) That would have been pure perfection!

Allow me to remind everyone we are here for the same reason: we love the DoC's wardrobe...most of the time! :) I'm not hating on her at all...how can I when I'm a self-professed CopyKate?

I know I'm not the only one here who wants to tell Kate that "coats are not an outfit", mostly because we want to see what she wears underneath those gorgeous coats!

I am genuinely curious about this (#CoatGate), and have been for a long time. WE know she isn't rude, hence my sincere and respectful inquiry and polling of my fellow WKW readers. Why doesn't she remove her coat on so many occasions during engagements?

She was chatting with loads of staff members and other leaders at the university, received a gift for Baby #3 after chatting with several people and even sat at a table with a group engaged in conversation about mental health. What's wrong about getting comfortable and taking off her outerwear while she is indoors? It reads as if she is non-verbally communicating "I won't be here long, so let's get cracking." It's almost as if she is in a perpetual state of "Okay, let's leave. I'm ready to go." when it's most likely the opposite of what she might be thinking. Even when posing for group photos, who would be comfortable and relaxed in a really warm coat inside an undoubtedly warm room? I have never understood it and I am desperate to find out any possible reasons that clear up my confusion.

Does anyone know the tradition or reality of why she wears coats as an "outfit"?

Jessica

Wednesday 17th of January 2018

This has been discussed in other threads. The perception that it's rude to leave your coat on indoors is not universal. In other contexts--and it's been argued that the British upper classes observe this--it's may be perceived to be rude to take it OFF. It may indicate that you intend to overstay and impose upon your host.

There is a long tradition of "calling" outfits in British culture, which include coats and hats that were not meant to be taken off while calling. I imagine there is some persistence of this tradition among British royalty.

At any rate, I don't think there is any reason to believe that we know better than the Duchess or her team the protocols of dress for royal public appearances.

LauraT

Wednesday 17th of January 2018

While Catherine is a beautiful woman, longer hair gives her a more distinctive look and sets her apart. I find the shorter hair ordinary looking. If you got it, flaunt it. Let the hair go longer.

Jennifer

Wednesday 17th of January 2018

I 100% agree! While I love when she changes it up, this outfit, in particular, made me really miss her long hair. Iove love love it when she pulls off an amazing ponytail and This coat made me miss that look. The color is stunning against her complexion and I would have loved the earrings to sparkle even more with her hair pulled up.

Elizabeth

Wednesday 17th of January 2018

I agree with you completely on the hair. I know that at times long hair does not look right on an older woman, but she can rock those long locks at least until 40. I have read many times, though, that she often has hair extensions in. I do not know a lot about hair extensions, but why on earth would she need them? I thought she had thick healthy hair?

SG

Tuesday 16th of January 2018

I like this coat quite a bit. The color is excellent and it is a huge improvement over the pastels on Kate. I also like it with the black...it is sort of like a modern take on the Chanel baby pink and black combo. The shape is not the greatest...Kate really seems to favor double-breasted coats which have a tendency to look boxy unless there is a belt to give it shape...but I love the color so much. I like that she is keeping with the sleeker hairstyle and looser curls. Seeing her with the longer hair of yore actually makes me appreciate the newer hairstyle so much more...the old hair was SO voluminous that it is kind of overwhelming her. And her makeup looks good. I am looking forward to the Swedish visit...particularly if there are pictures of Prince Carl Philip. He is not hard to look at :) Although I would love to buy KP a thesaurus so they can come up with an alternate word for "keen"!

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