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Kate in Vibrant Blue for Hospital Engagements & New Patronage Announcements

The Duchess wore a vibrant blue dress and coat ensemble for her engagements in London today. The first was at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists this morning.

Kate’s visit came as Kensington Palace announced her new patronage of the RCOG, as well as Nursing Now (we have more on that topic after the RCOG coverage). 

It has been announced that The Duchess of Cambridge will become Patron of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists  and the Nursing Now campaign ahead of her engagements today, where she will learn about and support global health work.

Here you see the Duchess with Lesley Regan, President of the RCOG.  

More about the patronage announcement via People’s story:

Of Kate’s patronage, Professor Lesley Regan — the president of the RCOG — said in a statement that he was “absolutely thrilled.”

“We are very grateful to Her Royal Highness whose support will help to raise our profile as a medical charity that champions the provision of high quality women’s healthcare at home and beyond. We know that maternal health and mental wellbeing is an issue close to The Duchess’s heart, as a young mother herself. We hope that this new relationship will build on our work to improve healthcare for women everywhere, and ensure that women’s views on the care they receive are at the heart of everything we do.”

Later today Kate will make a speech at the London launch of the Nursing Now campaign. UPDATE: Our coverage of this event follows below.

The RCOG was founded in 1929 and works in the UK and globally to set standards for clinical practice, provide doctors with training, and advocate women’s healthcare.

More from Hello!:

Kate will be the second patron of the RCOG. Formerly the position was held by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who passed away at the age of 101 in 2002.

More on today’s visit from The Daily Mail:

The 36-year-old royal learned about the college’s global health programmes, designed to reduce maternal and newborn mortality worldwide.

Here you see the Duchess taking part in a discussion about the stigma surrounding women’s health, especially maternal mental health, a topic she has great interest in. 

From the same Daily Mail story

The Duchess also learned more about the work carried out by the RCOG’s Centre for Women’s Global Health, which supports communities across the world with women’s maternal and gynaecological health, and aims to reduce maternal and newborn fatalities.

Kate is said to have been especially interested in RCOG’s Leading Safe Choices program in South Africa and Tanzania. At this morning’s engagement, she was officially recognized for her new role as patron of the organization.

A quick video from Kensington Palace.

While at the RCOG Kate was greeted by Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, one of the midwives who helped deliver Princess Charlotte and Prince George. (Thank you, Charlotte, for commenting and letting me know she was also involved with Prince George’s birth!)   

More from The Express:

Kate, who is expecting her third child in April, spotted Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent among a crowd gathered to applaud the duchess as she was made patron of the Royal RCOG and patron of the Nursing Now campaign.
The midwife beamed as she hugged the duchess. And as she left RCOG,  the duchess told Professor Lesley Regan: “It’s so great to see Jacqui as well.”

The Duchess appeared to enjoy herself as she made her first visit to the RCOG as its patron. 

Kate’s second engagement was at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. Here is a quick video of her arriving.

The Duchess was at the hospital for the launch of the Nursing Now campaign. Kate is the new royal patron of Nursing Now, a campaign created to raise the profile of nurses around the world and also enable them to have a greater role in making key health policy decisions. More on Kate’s new role from The Express:

Lord Nigel Crisp, co-chair of the Nursing Now campaign, said: “Our campaign aims to improve health globally by raising the profile and status of nurses worldwide – influencing policymakers and supporting nurses themselves to lead, learn and build a global movement.

“We are delighted to have a patron with such a strong commitment to nursing and a history in her family of volunteer nurses. We look forward to working with Her Royal Highness as we support nursing and nurses across the world.”

Kate being greeted by some of the staff at St. Thomas’. 

Kate met with some of the patients and their families on the hospital’s Snow Leopard ward; it is for children needing long-term ventilation treatment, often for months or years at a time. The Express reports the Duchess wanted “…to get a first-hand look of the work the nurses do in caring for children who need help breathing to stay alive.”

Teams led by nurses train relatives and caregivers on using the children’s ventilation equipment as they prepare for going home.

Kate chatting with some of the nurses working in the Snow Leopard unit.

Below, the Duchess with five-year-old Bella Kedwell-Parsons as she leads her brother Bobby, father Jamie Parsons, and director of nursing Janet Powell (right) along a corridor in the children’s ‘Snow Leopard’ ward. 

Bella gave Kate a flower posy.

How precious is the look on little Bella’s face?

Here is a brief video from Victoria Murphy of the Daily Mirror:

The Duchess delivered a brief speech at today’s launch.

Nursing Now Twitter (click photo to visit feed)

People has more on Kate’s remarks: 

“This campaign means a lot to me personally. My great-grandmother and grandmother were both volunteer nurses,” she said in her speech. “They would have learned first-hand from working with the Voluntary Aid Detachment and the Red Cross about the care and compassion that sometimes only nurses can provide.”

Here is a video of the speech, it runs about 2:20.

Now to what Kate wore for the day’s engagements.

The Daily Mirror reports the ensemble is by Jenny Packham. 

The collarless coat has distinctive white piping at the cuffs, side tabs, front placket, buttons and neckline.  The dress has a slightly gathered empire waistline. The buttons seem oddly placed, almost as if the position would work if the piece were being redesigned and tailored at some point.     

The one thing I noticed is that I *don’t think* the fabric used in the two pieces is the same. The coat material originally looked like a silk perhaps a shantung or raw silk. Looking at new hi-res photos I am leaning more toward a fine wool or wool blend. It’s not all that relevant; it was just something I noticed when editing photos.

There were several suggestions on social media this morning that Kate’s dress was similar to the Jenny Packham worn for the Coronation Service in June 2013.

That seems an apt comparison; thank you to Carolyn on the Facebook page and Emma4AboutRoyal for pointing this out. Another interesting point was made by Laura on Twitter; she wondered if the blue coat and white piping were a nod to nursing uniforms? This graphic is from the Nursing Now homepage.

Nursing Now (Click photo to visit site)

The Duchess accessorized with her navy suede Stuart Weitzman for Russell and Bromley ‘Muse’ clutch (£325, about $450 at today’s exchange rates).

And her navy suede Georgia pumps by Jimmy Choo.

Kate also wore the tanzanite earrings and pendant set from G. Collins and Sons.

Kate wore her hair down with a loose curl. 

We will see you tomorrow for the Royal Foundation engagement.

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Vicki

Friday 9th of March 2018

This outfit...ugh

Pat

Monday 5th of March 2018

I like the monochrome look. It’s not this choice of style that is the problem. In fact Kate’s style has never been the problem. The problem is the lack of polish. As others have pointed out, the blues don’t match. To fix this, Kate needs professional help. Only a trained eye can anticipate these issues. Most people think Kate’s style is dull but polished. Wrong. Her style is interesting—simultaneously modern and classic—but unprofessional. It’s time to add the polish! Kate, you are no longer the new kid on the block! Bring gravitas to your role!

mocro

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

Agreed that this coat is spring-like and costumey and am not a fan of the tanzanite which to me looks wrong in the daytime, and old-fashioned and paste-like anytime, but....

...that cannot stop Kate from looking absolutely stunning! That hair and her enviable legs - all dwarfed by her charm and naturalness. Was so struck by her singling out her midwife and by her adorable laugh with her wrinkled up nose. She looks like a carefree girl and not the mother of 3 - or 4. She superwoman.

Amanda McCabe

Thursday 1st of March 2018

I never can make myself like the tanzanite, though they are a lovely color. The design looks very "I picked this up at Zales for a Valentine's Day present" think)

Amanda McCabe

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

I think this is--okay? She certainly looks lovely (her hair has been especially shiny and bouncy lately, I really envy her that, LOL), and I think it's wonderful she is taking over a patronage of the Queen Mother, and one so appropriate for her. I liked this outfit better when I first glanced at it, but then when I took a closer look it seemed a bit unpolished. The slightly mismatched blues, the thick, awkward elastic waist, the weird button placement, it doesn't look like a designer outfit for a royal engagement but something run up at home in a hurry. But the color looks great, as always!

Siobhan

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

I agree completely with Brune. A simple rule to follow and make live easier for everyone : if you can't say something nice, then say nothing at all. Kate looks happy and healthy. And if the outfit isn't everybody's taste, then it isn't. I am following this blog for quite a few years now and lately I got the feeling people are expecting a showstopper every time Kate is stepping out. Remember ladies: She is just doing her Work.

mocro

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

What katefanatic said. My assumption is most posters are huge fans; think Kate is gorgeous and could be a model in another life; and greatly respect the duchess and her work.

However, this site exists to admire, analyze and critique Kate's fashion choices which I feel is done with no mean-spiritedness. To me, it's fun to hear the community's opinion on Kate's fashion and I get educated in the process. Yes talking fashion is pretty superficial, but it's a welcome break from the real world.

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