We had news today that, as anticipated, the Cambridges are spending time at Balmoral, the Queen’s Scottish estate.
Today the Duke and Duchess accompanied HM to Sunday church services.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of HM, but you can see her in this tweet, wearing a deep turquoise and rust ensemble. (My color names, probably all wrong!)
Kate joins the Queen in her Bentley as the Royal Family attend church in Balmoral https://t.co/7mSOOc34oa
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) August 26, 2018
Today’s images show the family as they are leaving Crathie Kirk, the royal family’s place of worship when at Balmoral. More about the church from the Parish website.
The Parish of Braemar and Crathie is one of the largest, highest and most remote in Scotland. It is set in the magnificent Cairngorms National Park.
Also attending church this morning: Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence, along with Peter and Autumn Phillips. Edward and Sophie Wessex and daughter lady Louise were part of the royal contingent as well. Below, another view of the church. (You can see photos of the royals in this Daily Mail story.)
Kate was in a bespoke Catherine Walker design. For those curious about the blanket, the weather in Scotland was cold and rainy today. We had comments on Facebook noting the high temp was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is difficult to tell if this is a coatdress or coat. My vote is for a coatdress because of the snug fit and because Kate wears so many by the brand. Below, three Catherine Walker pieces with similar design elements. From left to right: The Ella jacket, the Astrid coatdress, and the Liza coatdress.
Kate’s garment is done in what looks like a fine wool; it features princess seams, a rounded collar, and long sleeves. The collar, cuffs, and buttons are trimmed in black and there is a decorative button at the cuff. The trim *could* be velvet, but it is really difficult to see from the photos. NOTE: In a comment, Josephine suggests the trim is navy, not black. That makes a lot more sense. The lighting is such that on my monitor the hat actually looks black.
The Duchess’s hair was partially up and her hat is a familiar design by Lock and Company, worn on previous occasions. Below right, Kate sporting the chapeau for a service honoring the 75th anniversary of the RAF Cadets.
We saw the return of the Queen’s Bahrain Pearl and Diamond Drop earrings, so named because the earrings were created using pearls that were a wedding gift to Princess Elizabeth from the ruler of Bahrain. The closeup below shows the earrings when worn for Remembrance Sunday in November 2016.
It looks like the Duchess wore her Cartier Ballon Bleu wristwatch. (The photo of Kate’s watch below left is not from today.) 
Kate carried a pair of gloves, most likely from royal favorite Cornelia James, although it is impossible to definitively identify them from the available pictures. Many thanks to Gabi and Christin on Twitter for their input on Kate’s hat and earrings, and Aaron on Facebook.
It turns out the family has been at Balmoral since at least Friday; a photo shows Kate driving Zara Tindall, Prince George, and Savannah Phillips to lunch. The Mirror has more about that in this story.
We’ll leave you with this quick look at what Kate has worn to Balmoral before. (Note: there is a little pre-roll at the front of the video.)
I just have to say, YES! She looks fantastic and if I could I would totally wear those earrings while hanging out with the Queen. She’s dressed to perfection!
I don’t need Kate to be on-trend, I just need her to keep rocking these Royally righteous looks because she’s the only one that can!
This is a very 80s look, with the padded shoulders, covered buttons, and heavy makeup. Impossible not to think of Diana. It’s not my favorite fashion era, but the Duchess is certainly doing it well; better, I’d argue, than Diana herself often did.
I’m fond of piping, but here I think I’d rather see it along the placket than around each individual button–I just feel like that would have been a little more modern. It’s darling around the cuffs.
The earrings are glorious but I do agree that they look perhaps a bit much for the outfit, and for churchgoing.
In the past I’ve been a frequent of Kate’s “matronly” style. But I see nothing matronly about Kate today. My first thought seeing her was she looked sophisticated and elegant – channeling a 30/40s movie star look which suits her very well. She looks serene and confident – perfect for the Queen she will be one day. The low bun seems to be off the neck and sets off the hat, the collar and those gorgeous earrings. They provide a perfect pop for the conservative but perfectly tailored suiting she is wearing – and I’m not a big Walker fan. The conservative look is further offset by the full makeup – love, love the lashes and the brow shape, although the bronzer may be a touch too much. I’d hardly expect her to dress down when riding to church with the Queen Bravo!!
My goodness, Kate looks amazing! I can’t believe she saved this look for a non public event. I want to see more!! I love the fabric pattern and I also love her darker makeup/more dramatic blush. Or maybe she just has a summer tan, lol. Either way, she looks gorgeous.
I would like to know what this shape/type/style of hat is called because I never like them on anyone except the sailors in Anchors Away. The earrings are absolutely gorgeous and I am a sucker for piping on a wool coat or coat dress. The Duchess looks beautiful. I hope someday to make it to the Highlands. It’s on my bucket list.
Barbara, I call it a “percher,” but I’m not at all sure that is the correct term.
It’s good to see Kate again, but I’m not crazy about this look. I’ve never been a fan of Kate’s coatdresses, or Peter Pan collars or the low buns that Kate so often favors. Yes, yes, I know that it can be damp and chilly in Scotland year-round, but there’s absolutely nothing about this outfit that says “summer holiday” to me. (I’ve always lived in northern sections of the U.S., so I’m very familiar with chilly temps, but my, oh my, it must be really cold in Scotland!) The earrings are beautiful; however, I’m not quite sure that they go with such a tailored outfit. I agree that Kate looks regal here… but maybe a little too regal for an ordinary church service. All in all, I think this outfit would be more appropriate for late fall rather than late summer. A rewearing of the Astrid coatdress would have been a much better choice, in my opinion.
On the other hand, I really like the Queen’s outfit (what we can see of it). She looks lovely in turquoise!
Great to see Kate! It’s been awhile. But not thrilled to see more Catherine Walker. I don’t understand Kate’s enthusiasm for her pieces. With a few exceptions, they tend to look matronly and outdated. I love classic, but pieces can be classic and still modern. Catherine Walker’s stuff never looks modern. It doesn’t really look classic either. Just outdated. Again, with a few exceptions. Oh well. Good to see Kate again!
I agree with you 100%! I’ve never understood the appeal of Catherine Walker- with a very few exceptions, it just always looks so dated.
Hello Magazine has mentioned What Kate Wore. Always nice to see this fabulous blog getting the exposure it deserves.
https://ca.hellomagazine.com/fashion/02018082646881/kate-middleton-chic-for-church-with-queen-balmoral
Thank you for this, Maggie, I’d not seen it! 😊
Hi, Some web sites are suggesting that the coat is “Gatsby” coat by Really Wild. What are your thoughts? Although only available in black on reallywildclothing.co.uk at the moment, both the collar and buttons are strikingly similar.
It is a terrific coat and it certainly shares a few design elements. Catherine Walker confirmed to me yesterday that Kate was wearing their garment. Really Wild confirmed to @MiddletonMaven on Twitter, who initially posted the coat as possibly being what Kate wore, that the Duchess was not wearing Really Wild yesterday. 🙂
I love this outfit, everything from the Peter Pan collar to the piping on the buttons to the earrings to the hat. We don’t really know what color the coat/coat dress is because we’re looking through glass that is reflecting a grey sky.
Catherine is a traditionalist and a future queen. I wouldn’t expect to see her in anything but a dress and hat for church. I’m very happy to see Catherine riding with HM. I’m glad to see the Cambridge family spending these last few precious days before school starts at Balmoral with the rest of of the Royal Family.
Bracelet?
Thank you for mentioning this; it is actually Kate’s wristwatch. I added it to the post. 🙂
This outfit is definitely pulled out of a time capsule. But who cares. It’s warm, cozy and appropriate for a dreary, cold day to sit in a presumably cold church. I am wildly speculating that Kate might have worn those fabulous earrings the night before at a fabulous dinner and then rewore them again the next morning. I’ve read somewhere that the Queen hosts a formal dinner at Balmoral.
She looks lovely! Very appropriate. Church on Sunday morning is not the time to make a
fashion statement or wear something edgy. Anyway, that is not Kate. She seems to be a traditional woman. Her make-up looks wonderful as well. Much softer than usual around the eyes. Such an elegant lady.
The brilliant smile, the angle of her face, and the impeccable Catherine Walker design — my first thought, Diana!
A very inoffensive outfit. Given that this is the Queen’s Summer break and the family visits at this time, wouldn’t you just love to see some sharper contemporary dressing eg nice pant suits? Something smart casual rather than dressy dressy with hats. OK for the Queen of course but given that this is a holiday break, a move to the early part of the 21st century for the younger members would seem appropriate.
Kaz, I know that pantsuits are trendy but Catherine has such beautiful long legs. It would be a shame to hide them. After HM and Camilla, Catherine is the next most senior royal lady and I would be very surprised to see her in something so trendy.
I agree. The Queen was pretty fashion forward when she was younger (and the Queen to boot). I think Kate’s style just does steer conservative.
Kate looks lovely. I hope we get to see this outfit again soon (in full length)!
From what we can see, it seems like this coat/coat dress is beautifully tailored. I understand the need to dress for the (apparently very chilly) weather but this just seems like such a drab outfit for August. A different color palette might have been better.
I really do not enjoy Peter Pan collars, which IMO have the rare ability to look both juvenile and matronly at the same time.
I agree with another poster who said this looks like something Anne would have worn.
Adore the earrings, but don’t think they go with this outfit.
Glad to see the duchess looking to tan and happy and thrilled to see her riding with HM. Am hoping we get some more pics of the gorgeous kiddos soon.
I love your statement: “the rare ability to look both juvenile and matronly at the same time.” I almost spewed coffee! I will be stealing that line in the future 🙂
LOL—glad I could give you a little giggle. You are welcome to steal it any time!
I think Kate looks wonderful and how lovely to see her again after quite a break. I am usually a fan of Kate’s Catherine Walker outfits and this is no exception. They always seem to be beautifully tailored and fit Kate well – she looks elegant and her glorious earrings just set the outfit off in my opinion.. I like the fabric and the trim details and the hat seems to suit the outfit well. How lovely it would have been to have seen the outfit as a whole. However, a little is better than nothing at all. Kate looked happy and relaxed and it was especially nice to see her travelling with the Queen.
Thank you for an informative and interesting post as always.
I’ve missed getting new pictures of Catherine. It’s great to see her again! I like the look of this coat and pairing with the Lock &Co hat and I always love seeing the Queen’s Bahrain Pearl earrings! Love how Kate re-wears her clothes and hats by creating new combinations.
I’m happy Kate wears hats so frequently as once she is Queen she will dictate the fashions for the Royal Family. The legendary milliner Philip Treacy credited HM the Queen (and by extension the Royal Family who follow her lead) for single handedly keeping the British hat industry afloat and ensuring hats remain visible. The Queen and Camilla are from another age when hats were much more frequently worn so it’s normal to wear hats for them but it’s not the same for Kate’s generation so it’s great she has embraced hat wearing.
I didn’t realize Scotland could be so cold in August! My goodness. It’s probably refreshing for the family, after spending so much time in Mustique. One article said they spent two weeks there; I’m afraid two weeks at the beach would drive me batty with boredom but I bet it’s very very relaxing.
I’m not a fan of this outfit as it seems old-fashioned to me, and quite drab. But the rest of it – including her tan – looks great.
I have to agree that this is a rather boring if inoffensive look. It reflects 1960’s fall/winter coat-dress styles outfits, comfortable and safe, neat, discrete. But (if I had had them…) I would never have worn such relatively dainty elegant earrings with this outfit but a bolder, perhaps slightly larger, button style earring. The Queen’s outfits over the last few years have been wonderful! Great colors, imaginatively decorated hats! In spite of my comments about this retro and perfectly decent but not particularly flattering outfit worn by the Duchess, I’m glad to have the new blogs – it’s been a long dry spell!
Very beautiful coat from what we are able to see . Lovely earrings although a bit more evening wear than going to church in the Highlands Way too much bronzer on top of what must be a healthy tan. Heavy sigh as I always find this particular hairdo ages the beautiful Dutchess and almost verges on dowdy.
It was clear from first glance that we had some quality tailoring here and I’m not surprised to learn it’s from the trusty Catherine Walker. This is very skilful work to take an outerwear fabric and make it look buttersoft and smooth. Features like the rounded collar and covered buttons seem to be trademark Walker judging by the likes of the blue-and-white Astrid coatdress shown above or the cream Walker coatdress in which Kate took her leave of Canada.
I love the grey tweed-effect pattern here, appropriate for Highland terrain and climate, and the deft use of chic dark piping for definition. From the waist up it looks to be a gorgeous coat so I hope we get a full-length view on another outing before too long.
The earrings are divine, it’s such a pleasure to see Kate becoming more accustomed to bolder bling within her own taste preferences. Her hair is styled so we have a better view and the hat looks to be in good balance with the coat, although hard to judge without seeing a full-length shot
Thanks for a super, well-researched post.
Nice outfit for the place and occasion. As people have said, Kate has got a good tan but she is also wearing a lot (for her) of makeup and, it looks, even false eyelashes. That’s quite an effort first thing on a Sunday!
I love Kate and the way she’s brings elegant tayloring and hats into fashion. I have to agree though, I have noticed that her make up is getting heavy, a bit overdone at times.
It’s Sunday, and no surprise… we have another driving to church photo op.
Thank you for the parish link for Crathie Kirk. I was unable to find any current info regarding services and such, guess the website isn’t maintained. Locals must know the details and don’t need a website to give the particulars. I imagine while the Queen is in residence at Balmoral these services at Crathie Kirk are private?
That’s an uber bronze tan Kate is sporting! Even William looks like he’s enjoyed some vacation sun although it’s hard to tell much through the rain spotted windshield (Daily Mail).
I’m not sure if I like the styling of Kate’s ensemble. The Bahrain Pearl and Diamond earrings are gorgeous but to me they read more evening wear and ill paired with her Catherine Walker coat dress which comes off to me as prim and a bit schoolmarmish. I do love the “Ella Jacket and dress” pictured above Really like that sleeve length. Christmas is coming and that would look festive going to church at Sandringham!
Crathie is open from April to October. There’s a single service at 11:30 on Sunday, and the public is welcome. You can visit the church during the week. It sits directly across from the carpark for Balmoral and a bus stop for the Ballater bus is there, too,
Thank you, Brenda – Appreciate you filling in the details, as I mentioned the parish website doesn’t seem to have been updated in years. You make it sound very accessible and welcoming.
It’s such a treat to see Kate again, and looking so beautiful! Catherine Walker is one of my favorite designers for Kate, and the whole outfit is really perfection with the hat and the Queen’s gorgeous earrings. More Kate, and soon!
Speaking of the Queen, oh, my goodness, she looks fabulous. The rust and turquoise are terrific on her. The Queen wears color just as well as she wears the winter whites and creams.
I agree with you about that colour combination on the Queen, though I’m tempted to wonder if the earth tone might not qualify to be called something like mahogany. It could be marginally more regal than, er, rust. I’m glad we’re in agreement about Kate’s outfit, I’m sorry others haven’t been so keen on it.
I’m about an hour north of Balmoral today and it is freezing so I can honestly say they are all dressed appropriately with scarves and gloves as well. I think this look on Kate is fairly matronly and something I’d expect for Anne to have in closet for the last 40 years. It does seem like Kate tries to dress for the country when she’s at Balmoral.
I’m about an hour-and-a-half east of Balmoral and can confirm that it’s felt Arctic today. Heating turned up and lights on at 5 o’clock to combat the gloom and cold! Layers are necessary and I can understand Kate using a knee rug on top of a cosy-looking coat, though I would have thought a royal Bentley might boast some reasonable heating.
Petition for Kate to always ride in the Bentley 🙋🏻♀️ I hope she wears this coat again in the fall!!
Lovely dress. Kate looks tanned and glowing. Clearly someone has had a great vacation in the sun!
My goodness it must be cold at Balmoral. Everyone looks dressed for winter and there is a blue wool throw across Kate’s lap. Kate looks rested and happy. I love her coat with such pretty details and wish we could see more of it.
This is family vacation time and we hear of outdoor activities and such. But imagine going on a holiday to Grandma’s house and having to take a hat with you.. Mind you, if I could wear those earrings, I’d gladly wear a hat
I believe the trim and the hat are dark blue, not black. So pretty!