The Duchess wore Alexander McQueen for Trooping the Colour.
And we saw all five members of the Cambridge family on the iconic balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The event is the official commemoration of HM’s birthday. 
It’s believed the initial Trooping the Colour was during the reign of King Charles II. Below, HM at her first Trooping the Colour in 1947. 
Another view of the Duchess today, riding in a carriage with the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 
The Welsh Guards. 
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 
The Grenadier Guards. 
The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise, and just barely visible in the lower left corner, James, Viscount Severn. 
The event is also known as the Queen’s Birthday Parade. 
It involves more than 1400 parading military personnel, almost 300 horses, and 400 musicians. 
From The Telegraph’s coverage:
Trooping the Colour originated from traditional preparations for battle. Colours, or flags, were carried, or “trooped”, down the rank so they could be seen and recognised by the soldiers.
Below, the four Royal Colonels, from left to right: the Prince of Wales as Colonel of the Welsh Guards; The Duke of Cambridge, the Irish Guards; the Duke of York, the Grenadier Guards; the Princess Royal, the Blues and Royals.
A brief video from the BBC.
Her Majesty The Queen has arrived at Horse Guards Parade for the ceremony #TroopingtheColour #QBP2019 @RoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/rFSMEpLTCC
— BBC Studios Events (@BBCStudiosLive) June 8, 2019
HM reviewing her troops at Horse Guards Parade. 
A few of the younger royals watched the action from inside Buckingham Palace. 
That is Prince Louis, about to make his debut on the Palace balcony!
Another view of HM. 
After the trooping part of the day ends it is time to head to Buckingham Palace for the flypast. Below, a video from the BBC as everyone makes their way out to the balcony.
The @RoyalFamily gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the #TroopingtheColour parade – and the fly past proves a big hit with one member in particular 👋🏻 👋🏻 #QBP2019 pic.twitter.com/SgkMTm8loF
— BBC Studios Events (@BBCStudiosLive) June 8, 2019
It was quite a crowd watching the RAF Red Arrows race across the sky. 
As noted above, Prince Louis joined the celebration for the first time. 
The photos from this part of the celebration are always fun. 
Kate pointing something out. 
One of the Red Arrows taking part in today’s flyby. 
The Duke and his youngest son. 
Mother and daughter.
I think Charlotte gave Louis lessons in royal waving.
A video from Kensington Palace.
Happy Birthday to Her Majesty The Queen!
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined Her Majesty and members of the @RoyalFamily to watch the @RoyalAirForce fly past pic.twitter.com/WY4Y35ZfQN
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) June 8, 2019
In this one it looks like maybe Kate was trying to get Louis to take his thumb out of his mouth. 
Another view of the family. 
And a cute one of Louis with his mother. 
We’ll do a quick look at what some of the other royal women wore, starting with HM, who wore an Angela Kelly tweed dress in pale pink, mint yellow, and gold. Her matching hat is also by Ms. Kelly. Ella Kay of the Court Jeweller reports HM has worn the same brooch at Trooping the Colour for more than 20 years, the Guards’ Brooch. 
The Duchess of Cornwall wore a Bruce Oldfield ensemble in green with white embroidery and a hat by Philip Treacy. Many thanks to Sara and Carol for their comments noting the Duchess wore this for the garden party celebrating the Prince of Wales’s 70th birthday just days after last May’s royal wedding.
The Duchess of Sussex was in a navy design by Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy with a hat by Noel Stewart. 
Princess Eugenie wore an Amanda Wakeley dress with an Emily London hat, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, was in traditional morning dress with a top hat worn for the carriage procession. Lady Louise was in the same navy frock worn for Princess Eugenie’s wedding. Sophie is in a Suzannah dress with a Jane Taylor hat. Many thanks to UFO No More and Polka Popp for some of the ID work on this trio of ladies. 
Sophie Winkleman and her husband, Lord Frederick Windsor, Prince Michael, newlywed Thomas Kingston, Princess Michael, and the other half of the newlywed couple, Lady Gabriella Windsor, whose wedding we recently covered.
Now for our look at what Kate wore. 
She was in a soft yellow dress by Alexander McQueen that featured a v-neck with double elongated collar, inset waistband, and slightly peaked shoulders. Many immediately recognized her hat; it is the Philip Treacy worn for last May’s royal wedding.
A look at the Duchess’s updo. 
Kate also wore the Queen’s Bahrain Pearl and Diamond Drop earrings, so called because the pearls used for the earrings were a wedding gift to Princess Elizabeth for her wedding. More information comes via Her Majesty’s Jewel Vault:
One of the wedding gifts received by Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in 1947 was a pearl shell containing seven large pearls from the ruler of Bahrain at the time. According to the Royal Collection, two of these pearls were used not long after to create this pair of earrings.
The earrings each contain one large round diamond and four smaller ones, three baguette diamonds, and a Bahrain pearl dangling below.
They were first worn for Remembrance Sunday in November 2016; then again at Royal Ascot in June 2017 and a church service in Scotland with HM in August 2018. The Duchess also wore a cross pendant.
It is not the same pendant we have seen Kate wear on other occasions. Below left you see the necklace worn today and on the right, the pendant worn on several occasions.
The Duchess carried a white clutch that is similar to an Alexander McQueen style. UPDATE: The clutch is called the Butterfly Box Clutch and it originally retailed for £2050.
Many thanks to a Facebook friend who wishes to remain anonymous for sharing the photo and information about the bag.
Town and Country, and several other publications noted that Prince Louis may have been wearing the outfit Prince Harry wore for Trooping the Colour 1986.
We’ll leave you with this image of the family at Trooping the Colour 2019. 
For more on the children have a look at today’s What Kate’s Kids Wore post here.
For more on the Duchess of Sussex, visit What Meghan Wore by clicking here.
VIDEOS:
This one from ITN’s Royal Family Channel is about 3 minutes; it has the carriage rides and some of the parade.
And this one is all video from the balcony. At about 2:17 you’ll see Prince George do a classic wave goodbye.
This is from a spectator’s viewpoint and shows about 45-seconds of the Coldstream Guards Band as they left Wellington Barracks this morning.
The @ColdstreamBand stepping off from Wellington Barracks this morning. Most probably lots effort to make those instruments shine! pic.twitter.com/hWsIS6WzoP
— Scott Strzadala (@SStrzadala) June 8, 2019
LINKAGE:
- The Telegraph’s story is here; some of The Daily Mirror’s coverage is here
- A Hello! story is here; the Bazaar photo gallery is here; Town and Country’s gallery is here
- The Washington Post has a more in-depth story about HM in this piece
Woo hoo!! The Trooping of the Colour is always the most fun event of the year (for an onlooker like me) and I love the family balcony events. My goodness Prince Louis is just too cute to handle with that arm waving!! What a gorgeous family.
Great outfit choice by Kate today. Love that hat!
How lovely our Duchess looked! I absolutely adore everything about this outfit, from the color, the dress itself, the hat, and the earrings. I’d like to say this is my favorite trooping outfit yet, but admit I can only recall I handful with certainty. Would our wonderful admin consider including a side by side for previous years attended to allow a more thoughtful comparison? I love this blog, and am so grateful to you Susan for creating such a lovely community for discussion!
Thank you, Danielle! A look at what Kate wore for all Trooping the Colour events is a good idea. 🙂
Late to the party, but how could I not comment on this gorgeous summery ensemble??
Kate in buttery yellow. J’adore! This is such a beautiful dress. I thought it deceptively simple – the restrained design really let that showstopper of hat shine. And I absolutely love that side-swept hairdo…what artistry!
Glorious day all around.
If you look closely at the cross pendants you can see the difference easily. The ‘new’ one has princess cut diamonds and their sq shape fit together tightly. The cross seen before appears to be round diamonds that don’t create the same straight line or bar effect.
I guess when you are given jewelry from so many people you get lots of similar pieces.
The earrings are perhaps my favorite. I do love when she has worn giant emerald pieces. I don’t think they are on loan from the Queen- I guess they are wedding gifts(?)
I took another look at these photos today and was struck by the fact that Catherine looked so vibrant! She really glowed and stands out. I’m happy for her.
I guessed it would be yellow this year! I think Kate looks lovely. A bit samey, but then again, the event is the same year after year, so why mess with it when surely she has many other things to be thinking about. As others have mentioned I think her makeup is perfect.
The kids are precious. I get the sense Louis is going to be great fun to watch grow up. He has such a sweet, silly character already. I particularly enjoyed screengrabs where he is trying to wrestle free of Kate’s arms and it looks like he’s blowing a raspberry straight at big brother George. What a cute kid. Hoping for years of shenanigans between him and cousin Archie…
Resplendent – both Kate and the Queen!!
I think it’s the same cross altered slightly with the round diamond atop. This way it coordinates better with the Bahrain Pearl Drop earrings that attach to the ear with a round diamond stud. Clever alteration. I wonder if it was Catherine’s or the jeweler’s idea? Perhaps we will see these earrings and necklace paired more often now. She looked stunning Saturday, btw. Perfection!
I love this hat! I think it must be the yellow dress because its color pops so much more than it did last year.
Unrelated, I melted at the photo of William smoothing George’s hair. So cute!
From my observation of all the pictures, I notice that Kate was wearing her cross too with a little change, because I love wearing my diamond cross and always observe what others wear too. Kate outfit was perfection 💛. My morning read of MailOnline, look what they said!
Eagle-eyed Susan E. Kelley, founder of website What Kate Wore, noted the piece looked to be slightly different to a similar cross pendant seen on the royal on a number of occasions – including to the Order of the Garter ceremony in 2011.
You are famous! Bravo.
Once again, DoC’s TTC ensemble is utter perfection. There is simply nothing more I can say about the overall look (can’t heap enough praise!), so I’ll focus on her hair and makeup. Catherine’s makeup on this occasion was superb…she looked natural. Ethereal. Blush and delicate lip color were perfectly balanced, and the photographs are stunning. But her hair was the real standout for me. It was a work of art. Not only was it an exquisite updo—-one of DoC’s most memorable, I believe—-but it makes me wonder: does Catherine’s hair stylist practice first? Did she “design and build” (for lack of a better term) this style around the hat/dress/jewelry/neckline Kate would wear? Whatever she did worked. Hats off (no pun intended) to Kate’s hairstylist…she won the day!
I totally agree here. There isn’t much more I can say about her ensemble except that it’s perfect! I’ve always wondered the same thing about her hair and how I can figure out how to do these updo’s myself!
The Cambridge kids are just so cute. You can already see the differences in their personalities and I find that very enjoyable. Louis’ exhuberant waving was just adorable.
I like but don’t love Kate’s hat but I think her hair looked great and the updo worked better with the hat than the way she wore it for Harry’s wedding. Makeup was lovely and thank goodness for the earrings—real gemstones with royal provenance. I am so tired of the Kiki’s. I liked the necklace and the deep V neck of the dress, which is flattering on almost everyone. I didn’t love the construction at the waist or the way the extra pleats around the neckline were “tucked into” the waistband. I agree with several other posters that this dress was matronly.
All in all, it was a gorgeous day and I was pleased to see HM looking so spry at 93. The Cambridges are clearly a lovely and happy family and it was great to see all 5 of them out on the balcony.
Thanks for another great post, and DoC looks perfect as always! I love that neckline in particular. I think it’s very modern and fresh.
The kids stole the show….they are just adorable! Kates outfit was impeccable as usual.
Agreed!
Did anyone else notice that Charlotte’s hair was different for the balcony appearance? – Compared to the image of her looking out the window, she didn’t have a middle part. If she’s anything like my girl of the same age, she may of pulled it out before having to go out onto the balcony, and someone had to do a quick redo!
I was hoping she’d wear yellow! I have to say this is now my favorite Trooping look, hands down. She was bright, polished, and looked so happy with her family.
I totally agree! The hat is gorgeous–so glad to see it again. The dress also is perfection. Youthful and interesting but not complicated. Love the jewelry! My favorite look for the Trooping the Color.
As each year passes, HRH DOC looks more regal and yet relatable, all at the same time. To make elegance look this effortless, is a real skill. Just think how long it would take for her hair styling alone.
Superb
This dress could never be described as a coat, which was the description given by the palace – “primrose yellow wool silk tailored coat by Alexander McQueen” – so I do not believe this dress was intended for Harry’s wedding as many have speculated. Additionally, the coat worn to the wedding was clearly not white when compared to Meghan and the flower girls, even outside in the bright sunlight. In the family portraits, her pale yellow dress (or cream if you like) looked lovely with the Queen and Ms. Ragland’s green dresses and the green bouquets. It seemed an intentional choice to me, not a matter of “oops, my clothes don’t fit! What can I pull out of the closet today?”
Buttercup yellow suits kate i love the hat but wish she had worn her hair down with it!Lady louise looked so classy and the kids are so cute.
What a super family the Cambridge’s are. Little Prince Louis stole the show on the balcony. It seems he is going to have Charlotte’s personality, rather than George’s shyer demeanour.
Catherine’s outfit was as gorgeous as ever. I adore that hat. It definitely stood out more with an updo than when her hair was worn loose. Sophie as ever looked amazing. She really doesn’t get the coverage her outfits warrant IMHO. I had to have a small giggle when I first saw the Duchess of Cornwall’s outfit. It was the same colour combination as Teresa May wore to the D-Day 75 celebration In Portsmouth last Thursday. All in all the Royal ladies presented a super portrait of style although for me, Meghan’s all navy outfit was rather severe amongst all those pastel colours. My least favourite outfit. As always HM The Queen came out on top, that material was utterly divine.
May I just point out one error made at the beginning of the post. The Household Cavalry is made up of two regiments – the Life Guards, and the Blues and Royals. HRH The Princess Royal is the Colonel of the Blues and Royals, not the Household Cavalry. The Colonel of the Life Guards is Field Marshall The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank.
Thank you, Caroline! 🙂
One thing I noticed in a couple of the videos; as Louis’ father is holding him, Louis puts his thumb in his mouth and the Duke pulls it out just as though he’s done it a million times before. Then later the Duchess gently removes the thumb yet again. These parents seem to have a coordinated effort to discourage the thumb-sucking. More evidence of a (literally) hands-on (thumbs-out) approach to a normal family ‘problem’. Kudos to them for being in there pitching and not always leaving it to the nanny to be the ‘bad guy’.
I noticed that too! It’s really good to see how they work together as a team and yet another example that they are a hands-on parents. Louis’s reaction impressed me too. Some children will scream or cry like banshees when you try to stop them sucking their thumb or dummies (pacifiers) but he was chill about it even though he did keep sticking his thumb in again haha!
I also noticed another part where they were watching the aircrafts and William asks George if he knows which one it is, George answers and you can see William smile at him and say “Good boy!” Really enjoy these little family interactions.
The Duchess of Cambridge looks stunning. This is such a summery, elegant look. Absolutely regal and yet– soft and motherly! I love Kate in Catherine Walker, and this is definitely a winner. And what a treat to see all three of the lively, adorable Cambridge kids on the balcony with William and Kate!
Sorry, Anne-Christine, this outfit is by McQueen, not Catherine Walker….unless you mean you love Kate in CW, as a general statement.
Oh my goodness! Thank you, Bonnie– that is an error on my part. I DO love Kate in Catherine Walker (Jenny Packham too)– but not as consistently in McQueen. Just personal preferences based on things she’s worn. I guess I liked this so much I turned it it into a Catherine Walker! 🙂
Just to clarify… I do think some McQueens have been absolutely perfect on Kate: the gorgeous wedding dress, the beige lace sheath a few years back … all wonderful.
Such a great day! Gorgeous little Louis really stole the show and trended on Twitter for hours afterwards. 🙂
I love Kate in this soft yellow, and am glad to see the return of that beautiful hat. I’m in the minority with this dress though, as for me it immediately read “matronly,” and I just kept thinking it looked like Carole’s dress for Louis’ christening last year – I think it’s the similar neckline/chest detail. But those earrings are amazing and Kate was radiant and stunning as usual. And did anyone else notice Beatrice in Sophie’s 2018 Ascot dress?! I’m wondering if Sophie leant it to her or if she bought her own! Loved Camilla and HM’s ensembles too.
When I saw this ensemble this morning, it immediately put a smile on my face. That’s what Kate’s outfits for Troop do for me on the whole – they just make me smile. She somehow balances this idea of the birthday bash with spring, fashion, family friendliness and maintaining that conservative royal air but also maintaining that approachable demeanor of hers. Never forget the dash of whimsy.
This color is so refreshing and reminds me of delicate lilies or those delicate candies that when you bite into them, taste sweet yet complex. The hat is one of my favorite hats.
And George! I just love George’s ever funny facial expressions.
What a fantastic look! The yellow is gorgeous! The dress style has enough detail to keep Kate happy but is clean enough to keep the rest of us, who hate all the usual buttons and excess of pleats, happy. LOVE the hat. Wish she she would wear this style more and ditch those akward little flying sauers that always dangerously pearch above one eyebrow, obscuring half her face. Imagine a pink version of this hat with the garden tea party dress. (where are Zara and Mike Tindall? Do they ever attend these? Or notbecause they dont have titles?)
That is a good question about Zara and Mike Tindall. They often attend the event; Zara is reported to have been competing in the Bramham International Horse Trials yesterday. The titles aren’t part of the equation, many of those on the balcony yesterday do not have titles.
I’m curious why Kate’s kids always seem to be wearing the same repeat of clothes? Or hand-me-downs? Charlotte seems to always be in this same dress, Louis always in hand-me-downs from George (or his dad??). Is there a particular reason for this? Certainly it’s not just the royal family being thrifty.
I believe there are two reasons, the first being appreciation and respect for a family tradition (apologies for the lack of a better description). The other is that I think it helps minimize some of the attendant frenzy that can arise when people want to purchase the same things the children have worn for their own children/grandchildren. 🙂
I don’t have enough words to describe how much I love this look.
Kate’s dress is the most beautiful shade of buttery yellow I’ve ever seen.
She’s wearing one of my most favorite hats with it!
And I just love not only how she and Camilla look sitting next to each other in mint green and yellow, but also how the two of them coordinate with the colors in the Queen’s coat.
The past few years Kate’s trooping look has been a 10 for me… this one may be an 11. Or 12.
I also agree with those who think this was maybe what she planned to wear to Harry and Meghan’s wedding. When that didn’t quite work out so soon post birth, she casually threw on a more comfy McQueen and saved this gorgeous little number for today.
Nice coverage, thank you! However, typo — designer for D. of Sussex’s ensemble was Claire Waight Keller, not Kelley.
Thank you! 😊
The duchess looks wonderful, as do the rest of the ladies on the balcony. I particularly enjoyed seeing Louise in the carriage – her hair and face are so lovely- and the recent newlyweds.
I noticed Charlotte’s hair was pulled straight back with a blue bow in the window, but was in two side braids on the balcony. I have a four year old girl who is particular about her hair and can imagine Charlotte asking her nanny for the new hairstyle while they waited, or fighting the new style, depending on her mood!
Louis is a cutie, love his enthusiastic wave.
Love this outfit! McQueen rarely fails her. She looks polished and radiant. Beautiful dress, perfect earrings, and I love the hat. I like it better here than at Eugenie’s wedding. It might be a hair-up hat. Love the side bun. An outfit win.
In regard to my last comment I could likely not fit into Catherine’s ensemble from Meghan’s wedding let alone this one!
I’m 37 too and have a rather petite frame but I still couldn’t fit in this ensemble and I’m not expecting or just given birth! Catharine always looks lovely. Her whole family is down right adorable!
As always, great job, thank you so much! I can’t help but wonder if this yellow dress was originally what Kate was going to wear for Harry’s wedding? Remember when the palace issued info on Kate’s outfit that day, it said she was in a yellow dress. But then after much debate, it was *decided* by spectators/readers that she instead wore an off white dress? Add to that that she’s wearing the same hat that she wore to that wedding, anyone have any thoughts on that?
Yes–keep reading. 😉
The dress worn to the wedding was clearly yellow, as seen in the group photo.
Love this pale yellow color on Kate! And the dress was beautiful. Everything about the look was perfection. What a great story about the beautiful earrings too. HM certainly has great taste in jewels.
So many lopsided hats on the Royal ladies today makes me wonder if a memo went out lol.
As always, thank you for including photos of all the Royals in this post. It’s so fun to see everyone and I think it’s important for the photographers to see that there is interest in everyone.
Loved the green dress on Sophie but I feel like she got lost in that hat. Louise also looked beautiful in the dress from Eugenie’s wedding. I imagine it’s hard to buy a more formal wardrobe for her since she’s still growing. Interesting to see Beatrice in a dress that Sophie wore less than 2 weeks ago at a BP Garden Party. It also doesn’t seem to be her style? I wonder if something happened to the dress she was supposed to wear and maybe Aunt Sophie came to the rescue. If Beatrice was staying with her parents, I believe Edward and Sophie live nearby. Or maybe something happened at BP and Sophie still had the pink dress there. We will likely never know:) Eugenie looked gorgeous. I couldn’t really see Meghan’s full dress so won’t comment on that. Not a fan of that hat with her hair in a bun. I think she should have worn it down.
HM looked radiant as always. I too miss seeing Philip I hope he has a wonderful 98th birthday on Monday. Too bad George couldn’t take Philip’s place in the carriage.
The duchess is looking more and more regal to my eyes. I watched the whole thing on YT, and at one moment, there was a shot of Catherine and Camilla watching from the Duke of Wellington’s office. Everyone remarks on Her Majesty’s eye for detail and her incomparable knowledge as she’s reviewing the troops, but here were the two queens-in-waiting watching closely, talking, and pointing. They were studying up. A marvelous moment.
I thought it was a very nice dress on Catherine and the yellow looked nice for once. The dress did look a little matronly. Was trying to figure out if the hat had been remade!
Definitely liked it so much better than what Meghan was wearing.
Well, she rather knocked it out of the park today. The warm, yellow is gorgeous on her and the cut of the dress perfect. Those earrings are to die for. And she, William and the kids look so happy as a family.
The other ladies looked lovely as well with Autumn Phillips looking especially nice. Probably a good thing that little Savanah and George were separated. Trouble follows them everywhere!
As someone else mentioned, it was almost sad to see the tiny Queen sitting alone in the carriage, tho she didn’t seem to mind. Still, I imagine she misses having Prince Phillip next to her…..
I love, love, love this hat. I loved it at Harry’s wedding and I’m so happy to see it again! This dress is stunning and the yellow looks perfect on Kate. I love her updo and makeup as well and those earrings work so well. I’m not a huge fan of the necklace but that’s minor. Kate looks amazing in all of the pictures. She definitely looks like a future Queen and a fabulous mom! That’s a hard combo to pull off with such ease 🙂 Thanks for an excellent post, as usual!
Just curious, I’m sure this has been covered before. What determines if a hat is necessary?
Totally agree, this is my favorite hat that Kate has ever worn. So lovely to see this perfectly tailored gorgeous dress with it. I like it better than the coat dress she wore with it last May for Meghan and Harry’s wedding. Overall gorgeous and perfect for the Duchess of Cambridge.
Don’t quote me on this (and please, someone correct me if I’m wrong!!) but I don’t believe there is an ‘official’ standard about when a hat is and isn’t *required*.
Generally they are seen at more formal daytime events, such as TTC, Ascot, garden parties, church services (including weddings & christenings), etc.
HM, unlike the younger royals, wears hats at many of her regular engagements; when Kate joined her on one earlier this year, she wore a hat as well (I believe that decision was made solely based on the fact that the queen would be wearing a hat- there seemed to be no other reason for it).
Is there a color the DoC can’t wear well? I can’t think of one. She looks amazing today, and it looks like it was done with no effort. Which we know is not true. As many have stated, this may have been the coatdress planned for Meghan and Harry’s wedding. She has kept her weight constant (beside pregnancies) so she can wear clothes from years ago and they still fit beautifully. Most of her clothes are very fitted and I would think a
few pounds would make a big difference. I have three sizes of clothes in my closet and I’m unfortunately in the largest size now. Lol.
Cam’s dress is a repeat from Meghan’s first post-wedding event last year. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2018052248833/meghan-markle-prince-charles-garden-party/%3fviewas=amp
Utter perfection from Kate. She gets better and better in terms of her fashion choices, which I always liked by the way. I think it’s just greater confidence in what suits her and a wonderful choice of colour palettes.
I believe Camilla is wearing a repeat from Prince Charles’s 70th Birthday Buckingham Palace Garden Party which took place just a few days after Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
What a beautiful day! I only wish that the Queen had had some company in her carriage – after all, it is her birthday celebration. But it was delightful to see all of her family supporting her on the balcony.
That hat is absolutely gorgeous and is the perfect accessory with Kate’s soft yellow dress. Love her hair, those earrings and her bright smile. She has become so assured, comfortable and confident in her role as a member of the royal family. I am always impressed by the parenting styles of William and Kate when we see them with their children. In the video you can see Willliam and Kate calmly distract Louis from sucking his thumb. They seem such a happy, loving family.
Yellow is definitely her color! She looks spectacular!
I love the style of this dress, color, hair and jewels. The style of this dress has to be one of my favorites for daytime engagements and the hat looks beautiful with it.
I thought Sophie,Countess of Wessex and Autumn Phelps looked stunning but of course everyone looked ravishing.
Thank you for sharing. This website is just fabulous and everyone associated does such a great job informing us. I certainly appreciate everything you do and I’m sure everyone else does. Again, Thank You.
Just love the colour and style of Kate’s outfit. Kate is really smashing the fashion game at present especially with outfits that will never date and will still look amazing in decades to come when photos will still be viewed. I would have loved to see the bottom of the outfit though suspect it may have skimmed the knee.
Meghan looked amazing, just love her in navy and again would have loved to see the whole ensemble. The jaunty little headpiece was gorgeous and looked so elegant. What a shame that the media and trollers are still writing unkind things about her. A gorgeous pair of ladies who are certainly going to take the royal family into the next age with their passion and elegance.
Thank you for a fabulous post Susan . So much work! Hello! magazine posted that Prince William also wore the outfit that Prince Harry subsequently wore, and now Prince Louis.
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2019060873961/prince-louis-same-outfit-prince-harry-prince-william-trooping-the-colour/
Thank you, Nic! It is very similar to the Balmoral outfit, but William’s had piping on the placket and Prince Louis doesn’t have that on his shirt. But they sure are similar!. 🙂
Ahhh ha! Good spotting. It’s one of the reasons I love your blog so much – attention to detail. X
While I agree Louis’s outfit is supposed to bring to mind Harry’s 1986 outfit, I don’t think it’s the same outfit. The shoulders/sleeves seem to fit Louis almost perfectly but look a little bigger on Harry and the sleeves look longer. Given that Louis is just past a year old now, and Harry was about 3 months short of two years old at the 1986 Trooping, I don’t think the sleeves would have been looser and longer on Harry. The shorts are definitely different. Louis is wearing baby “bloomers” with elastic at the legs and the waistband fastens at the sides. I suspect that by nearly two years old Harry would have been wearing “big boy shorts” not bloomers even with diapers. While I can’t find a picture that shows the full leg on Harry, his garment clearly has some sort of fastener in the center of the waistband and Louis’s does not.
Hello magazine even claims this is the same outfit William once wore for a trip to Balmoral. But the picture the magazine published shows that William’s shirt had blue trim around the button placket which neither Harry’s nor Louis’s shirt had. The embroidery pattern also looks different.
My guess is these tops are still pretty easily found for purchase. And there may be lots of blue and white boy’s outfits stored in the royal attic!
Loads of fantastic media coverage beginning with the morning departures through the afternoon and finally the long awaited balcony appearance and flyby! All of the uniforms, horses, carriages, musical groups, and spectators make for an unbelievable event. How the riders control their horses is more than commendable. The proficiency of the Queen’s, “Four Royal Colonels,” is impressive and so was the black and white photo of the Queen in 1947 at her first Trooping the Color riding sidesaddle!
Lady Louise Windsor looked prettier than ever sitting in the carriage with her family. Her hair style was very becoming and her hair color and complexion looked lovely in the sunlight. Her navy dress with the pendant necklace looked simple and appropriate with the intricate swirling ribbons on her fascinator. How nice to see Jack Brooksbank in the carriage with Eugenie, Beatrice, and the Duke of Kent.
I spied royals on the balcony I’ll need to do some research on… Gilmans, Taylors, Ogilvys, and that little Windsor boy by George with his arm in a sling, that’s probably an interesting tale!
Nice seeing the newlyweds Lady Gabriella and Thomas Kingston reunited with her parents and her brother and family.
I’m wowed by the Queen’s Bahrain Pearl and Diamond Drop earrings on Kate. It’s so exciting to see Kate wearing these impressive jewels from the vault. The workmanship, provenance and quality takes my breath away!
Hi Christina,
The link below identifies everyone on the balcony.
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a27815906/british-royal-family-balcony-trooping-the-colour-2019/
Mistake on my part… not Duke of Kent in carriage with Jack, Eugenie and Beatrice.
Yes that was the Duke of Kent in the carriage with the Yorks. He no longer rides on horseback so he rides in the carriage.
Yes, the Duke of Kent rode in the carriage with Jack, Eugenie & Beatrice.
Thank you Heather and Anglophile in Ohio –
I originally went with info provided online by People Magazine, then doubted my source when I couldn’t locate it later online . Thanks for clarifying!
Just a beautiful dress, wonderful vivid color and no awful little schoolgirl collar, yay! Interesting thought, that it might have originally been intended for the Sussex wedding, and I can see this as possible. But Kate has a history of dressing so as to not outshine the brides at others’ weddings, and I thought all along that a repeat dress, or a repeat style, was her intention on that occasion. Today’s dress actually seems to me like it would be more forgiving than that one, for a new mother in post-pregnancy adjustment, but I could be wrong. We may never know. Dress, hair, hat, jewelry – I have no complaints today! Everybody looked great, and like they were genuinely having a happy occasion. It was good to seen the Duchess of Sussex, and Lady Louise, who looks so grown up now.
The genius of McQueen has produced yet another wonder of tailoring in which Kate looks absolutely superb. The dress made little sense to me until we saw Kate standing on the balcony, when the sharp collar pleats could be seen heading smartly down to a waistband, and then transformed into the neatest of peplums. It’s classic, uncluttered, and consummately fashionable.
The soft yellow is an unusual colour for Kate, her previous yellows having tended towards bold. I love the clean v-neck and the added interest of the lightly structured shoulders. That is a perfect dramatic hat for a set-piece carriage ride, and it’s great to see those Bahrain pearl earrings again, they make a statement without being showy. I think she might have done without a necklace as I’d have thought there was enough going on with the sharp pleats, but Kate’s natural caution ensures she doesn’t go too far off the mark. Her updo is a triumph.
And a huge treat to see the whole family with Louis’ comical face-pulls, not to mention his competition-grade waving technique. Such a happy family is a boost to anyone’s morale.
Agree, I had the same thought about the necklace and its inclusion in this look.
What a great post, thank you. The Duchess looks beautiful. Her dress I love. She looks stunning. Her earrings and necklace are lovely. Her up do is just gorgeous. The Queen looked beautiful, love her outfit. Duchess of Sussex has beautiful long gloves they are divine, caught a glimpse of them, in another photo, so elegant and finish off the outfit.
I too wonder if this yellow dress was meant for Harry’s wedding. My guess would be that she wouldn’t have fit in it quite yet and went with something more comfortable. I like the color on her but the over all style is just so aging. I’d love to see her try something a bit younger looking. Autumn always looks well put together although her fascinator was a bit of a miss today. Love Sophie’s dress again and happy to see Cams in green vs her standard cream.
If Kate had planned to wear this dress to the wedding lady year it is possible she just couldn’t make the fit. Remember she was just a few weeks postpartum and nothing probably fit quite right. Nonetheless this is just beautiful! She has always been beautiful but lately she has seemed even mote so!!
Stunning! What a beautiful dress, and the happy color echoes the celebratory occasion. Kate has really mastered the art of effortless-looking elegance; I can’t imagine the level of commitment and self-discipline it requires! What a treat to see this loving family of 5 together!
I loved Kate’s sweet nod to Harry and Meghan’s wedding with the hat. I agree with other posters that perhaps this was the original dress planned for the Sussex wedding. It was wonderful to see Meghan today. I do think her hat was too flat and somber and didn’t complement her well. Hats must be such a tricky thing to learn!
What a gorgeous look for Kate! I love that such a soft, pretty colour is worked into clean, crisp lines. Perfection.
I tuned in to the live coverage JUST in time to see Prince Louis doing his hugely enthusiastic wave. What a sweetie!
Love it! Such a pretty color! They style was perfection and the hat, so lovely!
Meghan also looked lovely in the navy ensemble!
How wonderful the baby Louis and Harry shared same traditional smocked shirt! The little shorts and socks and shoes are so classic! And I’m telling ya, that baby Louis has the best and most expressive eyebrows!
As always, thank for the excellent coverage and tidbits of history and tradition I always learn!! ⚓️
Um, I love this. Way up there with favorite Trooping the Color looks ever. I loved that hat in May, and I am glad to see it again with a somewhat sassier McQueen coatdress (stronger color, more detail). The jewelry is wonderful: those earrings are just spectacular, and the diamond cross is lovely. It’s so similar to the other one worn previously–are you sure it’s an entirely different piece, or could it be the same piece with an extra diamond toggle added?
The kids are the cutest. I love the video of Louis waving.
I could not love this buttercup ensemble more!! I keep saying this in recent posts, but this is one of my favorite looks on Kate, ever. She really can wear such a wide range of colors and hues, and this is so flattering, especially with this gorgeous hat that I am so happy to see come back for a major occasion. Kate’s updo is also nicely created and placed, and of late we have escaped the dowdiness of the ones that were low and aging. The future queen is looking more and more regal, settled and happy week after week. It really is a wonder to see.
The Cambridges are such a delightful family, and oh that little Louis, he did not disappoint!! I enjoyed seeing William holding him, too. Thank you for such a lovely post today, I have been looking forward to it for a while. It looked like gorgeous weather, too.
Shout out as well for Sophie’s look which, as usual, is a standout. She really has great style.
You reflect in your comments everything I was thinking as I looked at this post. Louis is a charmer, the buttercup ensemble is perfection, and it was great to see Williams holding Louis.
I, too, love to see what Sophie was wearing. Such a classy lady!
This look is such a winner. Gorgeous tailoring and a lovely yellow that doesn’t clash with anyone. But my favorite thing? Seeing Kate take such pleasure in her children. She really loves and has a great way with them, doesn’t she? Beautiful photos.
I very much like the color and style of Catherine’s dress, but the waistband is a bit high. This happens sometimes with McQueen, and I always find it odd. I see what you mean about the cross, but except for the addition of the extra diamond at the top, it looks pretty much the same to me. Perhaps she had it restyled? I don’t know. It’s hard to tell as the close-ups blur the lines a bit. Once again, perfect sleeves for a bracelet, and no bracelet. I loved that hat the first time, and like it even better at this wearing with her hair different.
I thought HM looked stunning, but it made me sad to see her ride in the coach alone. I was hoping Camilla would ride with her and George would ride in the carriage with Catherine. Maybe next year…
As I commented on FB, did you notice that Beatrice was wearing the same Emilia Wickstead dress that Sophie has worn a couple times recently?
Another standout for me was Autumn Phillips dress and hat. Lovely colors.
The children looked adorable as always. George looked a bit grumpy. I wonder if because he was not standing with Savannah, his usual partner in crime ; )
And just one more thing: Louis’ exuberant wave smacking Camilla’s hat and her amused reaction cracked me up. I imagine she was relieved when he reached for his papa, and wasn’t that just the sweetest moment of the day?
Do you think she doesn’t wear bracelets because they might catch on or get in the way of tending to the children, especially when she is holding them?
I think you might have something there. I have wondered at times about that too because she wore them with some regularity until she got married (and then had children).
@Elizabeth in Colorado, the Daily Mail is reporting they believe Beatrice borrowed the Emilia Wickstead dress from her aunt, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, who wore it last year at Ascot. See: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7118927/Princess-Eugenie-sister-Beatrice-wave-crowds-arrive-Queens-birthday.html
Thank you so much for the link!
I also thought, same cross, different chain and pendant holder.
Camilla’s mint outfit I thought was an excellent choice! One of the best I’ve seen her in.
I also was happy to see so many members of the extended family! I had heard that the ‘firm’ had decided just to have those in the direct line on the balcony these days – perhaps they decided to roll the whole family out for this special occasion! After all, all good things must come to an end some time and we must steel ourselves against HM deciding or needing to take a step back from her duties.
The Duchess looks amazing. I adore the (coat)dress and of course the spectacular hat. Very happy to see it worn again. She looks perfect from head to waist (too bad we can’t see her shoes), and I love the hair. A bit (a lot) disappointed by Meghan’s look, but it’s a different matter. The more I follow the Duchess of Cambridge, the more admiration I have for her. She seems effortlessly beautiful and gracious, while I’m sure it takes a lot of work and self-discipline.
And as always, such a pleasure to read this blog. I would probably not care for the Duchess and the royals so much wihtout WKW.
What a stunning dress! I’ve been waiting for years to see Kate wear yellow for a formal occasion and love the result. The sharp pleating is gorgeous and is a perfect example of royal-appropriate McQueen edge, and the dress fits Kate beautifully. I feel like this is a bit of a new silhouette for her and one that I would be happy to see again. Happy to see that last summer’s puffed sleeves haven’t made a reappearance, too–the clean lines of this dress are much more flattering and this should be a piece that ages well.
I think I liked this hat a bit better at Meghan and Harry’s wedding–mainly because the flowers made for a better pop of contrasting color than the cream portion of the hat does–but it’s still a gorgeous piece. Philip Treacy’s hats are always so flattering on Kate and I hope she keeps pulling out new ones here and there. These are my absolute favorite of her “royal” earrings, too!
Great to see the Cambridge kids (especially Louis) again and the family’s blue/red/yellow color scheme was perfect. I woke up early today (in the US) and watched the parade for the first time ever, and it was absolutely spectacular! Getting up to watch every year might have to be a new tradition of mine.
Kate looks lovely today and I like the dress with its wonderful details of the collar and peplum. It is nice to see another appearance of the beautiful hat, that she wore to Harry and Meghan’s wedding. Many of us will recall the debate that went on for days, as to whether or not Kate recycled her coat dress at that wedding. It appeared to be one we’d seen several times before. We were told that dress was yellow, not cream. Her dress today, at Trooping the Colour, is most certainly yellow. It is too bad she didn’t wear this yellow one to the wedding, as there were so many comments that her cream outfit did not honour the credo of only the bride wears white.
The five members of the Cambridge family look great. Louis is resembling George and they both resemble Michael Middleton. I noticed that they kept George and Savannah Philips apart on the balcony. Those two seem to get each other into a wee bit of trouble when they are together. This is a wonderful, festive occasion and I wish that Meghan has worn a festive colour also.
Beautiful day and a great post- just one note you have Sophie Countess if Wessex listed as Princess Beatrice of York’s mother 😉 love your posts and thanks!!
Thank you! 🙂
Kate looks lovely in this buttercup yellow. I can’t help but wonder if this coat dress was originally planned for the Sussex wedding. The hat (also worn at the wedding) matches it perfectly, the palace said Kate would be wearing buttercup yellow, and Kate shows up in (I believe) a repeated off-white coat dress. Perhaps the new mum sustained a case of spit-up from Louise on the original frock? We shall never know. Never-the-less, she looks divine today! I love the tailoring of the coat, the folds in the collar, the peplum, everything… just beautiful!!
I thought the same thing about the Sussex wedding. 🙂
I think you have a good theory about this dress supposed to be worn at Harry and Meghan’s wedding versus the cream dress she wore. Who knows, it’s fun to theorize though. Not to reignite a debate but everyone swore up and down the dress at the wedding was pale yellow and it was definitely not. When you compare this dress to the dress she wore to Meghan and Harry’s wedding, you can plainly tell she was not wearing yellow. The dress she wore to Trooping today was yellow (and a pretty one at that).
Beautiful lemon yellow ensemble. And the family of 5 looks lovely. I think Beatrice’s dress was worn previously by Sophie, who is not her mother. Also think Queen’s coat is mint *green* pastel stripes. I loved the BBC photo of the child taking the salute for HM at yesterday’s rehearsal. What a brave little boy.
Thank you! 🙂
I can’t help but think, that if Kate had swapped the outfit from last year’s royal wedding with today’s coatdress it would have saved us all a lot of trouble wondering about the color-scheme (cream-vs.-soft yellow discussion).
On the other hand, had we seen the soft yellow outfit from last May today, we would probably all have taken it for the one from prince Louis’ christening, since cream/off white would not have been a strange choice of color for Trooping…
I love this dress! The neckline especially. The hat goes fabulously well with the dress and the whole look is appropriately celebratory. I’m thinking Kate likes a little peplum action around the hips. Oh well, we all have our body hang-ups. She looks great.
There’s a darling video where Louis is asking for his Papa to carry him. It’s adorable.
I do wish Meghan had worn something a little more joyous. The dress and jacket are elegant, but this is a parade, after all. However, motherhood seems to be suiting her.
We did have quite a BRF showing on the balcony this year, didn’t we?
The Royal Family turns out for this event every year.
Thank you for the wonderful post! Everyone looked beautiful today. I especially loved Kate’s hat from the wedding – so fun to see she had a dress made to match it.
Question: why do you think Peter and Autumn Phillip did not ride in a carriage? Charles’ kids, Andrew’s kids, Edward’s kids all were in a carriage, but not Anne’s. Thoughts??
Happy day!
I believe it is because they are not considered “senior royals,” at the level of those riding in carriages. 🙂
I love this colour on Kate and while it is similar in feel to last year, I think it is an outfit that works well for the carriage ride and for the balcony – looking good from both close up and far away. Looking at the colour, I am even more convinced that the dress she wore to Meghan and Harry’s wedding was not a new pale yellow one (I know, stop beating a dead horse 😉 )
The kids look fantastic and Louis appears to enjoy the crowds and show. A shout out to Beatrice, Louise, and Sophie who also looked great!
Thanks for this post! One quick note: Sophie, Countess of Wessex is Princess Beatrice’s aunt, not her mother. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂