The Duchess Wears Roksanda for Sandringham Church Service

The Duchess was in a new coat and hat for church services this morning at Sandringham, the Queen’s Norfolk estate. 

The Duke and Duchess joined HM for the morning service at the church of St. Mary Magdalene. 

The church is where the royal family worships when at the estate. More about St. Mary Magdalene from the Sandringham website.

Sandringham Church is considered to be one of the finest carrstone buildings in existence and dates back in its present form to the 16th-century. The sumptuously decorated chancel with its carved angels frames the silver altar and reredos presented to Queen Alexandra by the American Rodman Wanamaker as a tribute to King Edward VII. He also presented her with the silver pulpit and a silver 17th-century Spanish processional cross.

A file photo of the church. 

And from a Hello story:

St. Mary Magdalene – a.k.a. Sandringham Church – has been the go-to worship spot of the Royal Family and its staff since Queen Victoria’s reign, whether for prayer, baptisms or funerals.  Princess Eugenie and Princess Charlotte were both christened there, as was the Queen’s father, King George VI.  Lady Diana Spencer, who would eventually marry Prince Charles, was also baptized within its walls, in 1961.

Another view of the Cambridges this morning. 

Also attending church today, the Duchess’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.

The couple was also joined by several close friends, some of whom are godparents to the three Cambridge children.  Below, Thomas Van Straubenzee, one of Princess Charlotte’s godparents, with his fiancée Lucy Lanigan-O’Keeffe, who teaches outdoor learning and mindfulness at Thomas’s Battersea, where Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend school.  (Mr. Van Straubenzee was previously married to Lady Melissa Percy.)

Below right in the white shirt, print dress, and boots, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, one of Prince George’s godmothers, and her husband, David. Below left, you see Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, and her husband David, the Marquess of Cholmondeley (with the berry-colored scarf). 

You may remember the June 2016 fundraiser for EACH the couple hosted at Houghton Hall, their Norfolk estate located just a few miles from Anmer Hall.

James Meade, another of Charlotte’s godparents, and his wife Lady Laura Marsham were also part of the group. Below you see Lady Laura with Kate.
Now for our look at what Kate wore to church this morning.

We begin with the Roksanda Denton Coat ($3405, most recently selling $1608), in a striking fabric that mixes midnight-blue and orange hues in a midweight wool blend. 

The actual fabric content is 65% wool, 30% other, 10% polyamide.  The coat features a funnel neck and double-breasted design with distinctive bar-shaped hardware closures in a copper color. It also has lightly padded shoulders, front slit pockets, and a back vent. Made in England, the coat is fully lined in silk.  Many thanks to a savvy HRH Duchess Kate blog reader for identifying the garment, as well as Charlotte for sharing that information!

I believe this is a 2016 piece, and it was most recently carried at The Outnet, which generally has a good selection of Roksanda sale pieces.  (The Outnet is the discount site for Net-a-Porter). There is a special Roksanda X The Outnet collection launching January 24th with a percentage of proceeds going to Malaika, a charity supporting Congolese girls. 

With thanks to Polka Popp on Twitter, it looks like Kate was wearing a Hicks and Brown hat, the brand’s Suffolk Fedora (£95, about $125) in wool felt, a water-resistant style in a classic silhouette, embellished with a pheasant feather wrap.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was seen in a Hicks and Brown fedora at the 2018 Royal Windsor Horse Show, shown here with daughter Lady Louise Windsor. 

The brand was founded by sisters Alice Leet-Cook and Rosie Turner.

The duo explains on their site that “growing up we realised there was a mutual passion for design and textiles.  When launching our brand, we decided to incorporate the name of our family home, Hicks Farm.” A variety of retailers carries Hicks and Brown merchandise, and the company also does pop-up shops at equestrian events and country shows throughout the year.

UPDATE Jan. 7: In a story for People, Monique Jessen has more:

As to whether Sophie, who often wears fedora-style hats, recommended the brand to Kate, they can’t confirm. “There is a high possibility, but honestly we don’t know,” says Leet-Cook. “Kate’s team got in touch with us at the end of last year and we were just thrilled. We spent most of Sunday jumping around the room, over the moon once we saw she had actually worn it!”

The brand… has sold hundreds of hats in the 24 hours since Kate stepped out in their design, which she wore with an orange-and-blue flecked wool coat by Roksanda. “We have been working around the clock! We now have family members helping to pack the boxes,” says Leet-Cook. “It’s a real team effort and we don’t mind. It’s been incredible!” While the style is currently sold out, the hat is now on pre-order, with delivery expected in 5-6 weeks.

Kate’s boots look much like her dark brown  Zipkin style by Stuart Weitzman, first noted when worn in Denmark in November 2011 (shown below left).  

She carried her ‘Kate’ bag in navy quilted leather by Jaeger (£150, no longer available).

The piece has a goldtone chain for carrying as a shoulder bag and was first noted at engagements in Nottingham with HM and Prince William in June 2012.

The Duchess wore her sapphire and diamond drop earrings, shown below as worn on a previous occasion. 

Here is a look back at the recent ensembles worn by the Duchess for church services at Sandringham. 

From left to right, the Duchess today; the blue Catherine Walker worn last year; the Moloh Turpin Tweed coat seen in January 2018; a Sportmax coat the Duchess wore in January 2017; and the Michael Kors suit seen in January 2016.  With the exception of today’s look and the Kors suit, all of the coats were repeated pieces.

UPDATE 2 Jan. 7: Several savvy commenters recognized Carole Middleton’s coat as a piece that has been worn previously. Below, you can see the Duchess’s mother in the coat at church services in Bucklebury on Christmas Day 2012.

LINKAGE:

• The Daily Mail’s story is here; The Mirror’s coverage is here; The Sunday Express piece is here; a Metro article is here; Monique Jessen’s People story about Hicks & Brown is here