The Duchess brought back a Catherine Walker coat for today’s Commonwealth Service.
The service was at Westminster Abbey. 
A wave from the Duchess. 
Below, HM arriving.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. 
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 
The Earl and Countess of Wessex.
There are 54 countries that are Commonwealth members, with a population of more than 2 billion citizens. The annual celebration is marked in Commonwealth nations in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, the Pacific and Europe. This year’s theme is ‘Delivering a Common Future’, “highlighting how the 54 member countries in the Commonwealth family are ‘innovating, connecting and transforming’ to help achieve some of its biggest goals like protecting natural resources and boosting trade.” Below, I believe the Cambridges and Sussexes are standing as they await the arrival of HM. 
At today’s service we did not see the usual handshakes and hugs as people greeted each other; more from The Times of London:
At the beginning of the service there were no handshakes between the members of the royal family and the clergy and Commonwealth dignitaries who were lined up to greet them. It is understood that the Queen and other senior royals were following the protocol that the Abbey has been operating under in the past few days.
There were more than 2000 in attendance at the service, including elected officials and dignitaries, ambassadors, faith leaders, and more than 800 school and young people. Below, flags of member nations are brought into the Abbey. 
Here you see senior members of the Royal Family at the service. 
Highlights included performances from West-End star Alexandra Burke performing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Along with a performance by an African drumming group called “One Drum.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson did a reading from Luke 10. 
Multi-platinum, multi-award winning singer-songwriter, Craig David sang his hit, ‘Unbelievable.” 
World heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic Medalist Anthony Joshua spoke.
Mr. Joshua said he was “proud to be a child of the Commonwealth” and asked people to remember how “our Commonwealth cousins stood shoulder to shoulder in combat” and spoke of the values of “fairness, responsibility, tolerance and diversity which bind us”.
Below, HM and senior royals as they were leaving the service. 
They spoke with those taking part in today’s presentation.
Below, HM chats with Mr.Joshua.
The Duchess was given a posey by Ruby who is aged 6; she is from the 1st Magor Rainbows in Wales. 
We turn to our overview of what some of the royal women wore for today’s service, starting with HM. The Queen was in a powder blue cashmere coat by Stewart Parvin adorned by the Jardine Star brooch and carrying a Launer handbag. 
The Duchess of Cornwall sported a navy coat by Bruce Oldfield and a matching blue feather hat by Philip Treacy.
The Duchess of Sussex wore Emilia Wickstead with a hat by William Chambers. 
The Countess of Wessex repeated a dress by Suzannah London first worn to Royal Ascot, accessorized by a Jane Taylor hat. 
And now for our look at the Duchess of Cambridge. 
Kate brought back a Catherine Walker coat first seen on Christmas Day 2018. 
The double-breasted style features a fitted bodice, full skirt, slanted pockets, and velvet trim at the collar, cuffs, pocket flaps and on the buttons.
Kate carried her Prada clutch and a pair of gloves we’ve not identified. 
She brought back her Gianvito Rossi pumps in ‘Bordeaux’ suede. 
The Duchess wore a new hat by Sally Ann Provan, the SADA Felt Saucer Hat (£460) in ‘berry red.’
The piece is described as a “felt saucer style hat trimmed with hand-made silk camellias in toning shades, and finished with hand-made felt leaves in toning shades, and is perfect for a winter wedding or event.” Many thanks to PolkaPopp for the ID on this piece.
As is evident in many of the photos, the Duchess’s hair was styled in an elaborate updo.
This provided a better view of her ‘new but familiar’ earrings. They appear to be reworked from a necklace by Mouawad Kate wore to the 2011 Sun Military Awards. The jewelry was believed to be a wedding gift. 
A closer look. 
UPDATE: A number of people have asked a very good question via their comments, something I should have originally addressed in the post. The question is about why I think the earrings are re-worked portions of the necklace. My personal belief is that because Kate wore the matching bracelet to the awards it is likely she would have worn the matching earrings as well if she had them. There is no way of knowing that; there is every chance I am wrong and the earrings seen today came with the necklace and bracelet. But my gut is that the earrings were created from the necklace seen in 2011.
We’ll leave you with the bells of the Abbey ringing as the Royal Family leave following the service.
The Westminster Abbey Company of Ringers are ringing 653 changes of Stedman Caters as The Queen and members of the Royal Family depart the service. 🔔#CommonwealthService#CommonwealthDay pic.twitter.com/GIY1OFOdvL
— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) March 9, 2020
I’ll be back as soon as possible with a post on Kate’s repeat of the Jenny Packham for tonight’s Place2Be 25th anniversary gala at Buckingham Palace, seen below. 
VIDEO:
With thanks to Bonnie for the heads-up, here is the entire broadcast of the service.
The Royal Fashion Channel offers a 3-minute look at today’s styles.
LINKAGE:
- Read more about the Commonwealth on the official Royal Family website here; view the Order of Service by clicking here; a recap of today’s service with photos is here
- Visit The Commonwealth website here; the organization’s Facebook page is here and its Twitter feed is here
- Learn more about the Royal Commonwealth Society on the group’s website here or its Facebook page here; you may also follow the Society’s Twitter feed here
- The Daily Mail’s coverage is here; a Daily Mirror story is here; a Telegraph story is here
- Hello’s story about the Duchess of Cornwall’s look is here; its article about Kate’s ensemble is here; its column on Meghan’s look is here; the magazine’s piece about Sophie’s ensemble is here; a Harper’s Bazaar gallery is here
From top to bottom she looks absolutely stunning i adore the chianti coloured coat and the rose inspired hat.
I loved this outfit, the hat made the look! I think that the ladies were directed to wear royal colors, red, green, navy. It was perfect for the occasion, I think the re-wear was intentional to allow Meghan a spotlight.
Kate and Wills were perfectly coordinated as well as M&H and S&E.
I appreciate that the Duchess of Cambridge has developed her own flattering and appropriate “working uniform” that is not dissimilar to the Queen’s. I understand the wish that she would wear something more of the moment or interesting, but that is not her role. Her role as a future queen consort and mother to a future king is to project continuity and tradition when she is out in the public eye in formal events like this. There is a reason we always see the Queen in a nearly identical version of a tailored coat in a bright color with a hat and a brooch. The Duchess of Sussex, who also looked beautiful, can try different silhouettes because she is now a private citizen and a member of the royal family, rather than a representative of the Queen and the UK.
To me, the diamond and ruby earrings were an acknowledgment of her vital role and that the “working royal” part of the family is going to increasingly focus on Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, and their three children. I imagine we may see the Duchess of Cambridge wear more jewels for official state events in the future. Both the Duchess of Cornwall and the Queen always do…
I have always believed Harry got her that Ruby necklace/bracelet/earrings(?) for a wedding gift. She only wore it once – when she was going out with Harry and William. I believe it even more now.
I LOVE this ensemble and I loved it back in Christmas 2018 as well. Recently you posted about the Penelope Chilvers boots that the Duchess has had since 2004, and I think somewhere else I read that the DoC is ‘the most famous re-wearer of clothes’ in the public eye. I find it amazing that two or three wears of an item in public counts (to some) as being repetitive— I love to see these wonderful items worn again and again. I personally would consider an item that only got 10 or 15 wears as having a short shelf-life! But then, I am not a Duchess.
Catherine looks like she literally stepped out of a John Singer Sargent portrait here. The gorgeous felt tilted hat, beautifully styled updo, the diamond and ruby drop earrings form a very pretty and elegant silhouette indeed with the Catherine Walker fit and flare coat with velvet collar and cuffs. This is not a favorite coat of mine but here pulled together with these accessories I love it. I do not think at all it was too “wintry” for the first week of March in London. Rather I find it tacky when you see a woman wearing Spring clothes too early in the season. As if you cannot wait to wear your new outfit even though it’s still too chilly. No need for a new outfit every time for this yearly event. She got it just right for this particular outing, made it look effortless and not as if “competing” or trying too hard.
Kate tends to play it safe when she’s around the Queen, I’ve often noticed she rewears outfits or doesn’t go too bold and daring and that’s fine. She has her uniform coat dress and that is fine. I really like this one on her and think it’s a great outfit for the occasion, along with the new hat and shoes. I really like her earrings too and good catch with the necklace she wore back in 2011! Either they were part of a set or she did rework part of the necklace into earrings. I don’t know if I love these earrings with the coat dress, they seem a bit much for a day event though but that’s minor. And while I’m glad Kate has her hair up, that’s a pretty terrible updo. She’s never been very good at selecting updos, they always look fussy and weird.
I know we don’t often talk about Camilla’s fashion (I usually don’t care for it) but I really like her outfit here, along with one of her oversized tilted hats she typically wears (seriously just google “Camilla hats” in Google images and you’ll see she wears the same kind of hat silhouette every single time lol). I’ve always wanted to know about the necklaces she wears because she regularly swaps out the same 3-4 pearl necklaces and that’s pretty much all she wears apart from special occasions. I’ve been wondering about them since we see her wear them so often and if we know the history behind those favorites of hers.
I may be in the minority here. I did not like this coat the first time nor do I the second time around. The color along with the velvet buttons and trim make it so juvenile. The whole look is so monochrome… that it becomes boring.
The hat looks stunning from the front. However the back is overdone. I was really hoping for a gorgeous new look today! It was really disappointing.
I usually think Kate can do no wrong style wise, but I am not a fan of this look. The velvet collar along with the deep red color feels more appropriate for winter versus early March. I know it’s technically still winter until March 19th, but most of us are turning the page to spring like attire, at least color wise. I will throw in a huge caveat – I am from the southern US and have no sense of customs or norms for this event. On the other hand, Kate’s hairstyle was killer and her makeup was flawless as always.
My sister lives in the UK and the weather has been dismal and quite chilly. I think this outfit was beautiful and probably warm. The Abbey isn’t the warmest location on the best of days so I think dressing in this type of attire makes complete sense. I loved the whole look but I generally love everything she wears as we have similar tastes in silhouettes.
I haven’t read all the comments so maybe this has already been said. Did anyone besides me notice that Kate, Sophie, and Camilla wore red, white, and blue?
Interesting that together they wore the colors of the Union Jack.
Love this column!
I have what is maybe a stupid question….
This appears to be a coat, not a coat dress, so is there a dress under this coat? Or is she wearing the coat as a dress? How does one style a coat as a dress? I know sometimes there is an obvious dress underneath and we can see glimpses, but there doesn’t appear to be one under this. How does this all work…inquiring minds…
This is just stunning. I love the rewear and the hat, which looks just as beautiful from the back with the roses. It seems this is something Catherine does frequently for more formal occasions. The clutch is perfect and so are the shoes.
Mixing reds is a little easier, I think, than mixing greens, but I agree with those who have commented this is a little over the top. I do love that hat, though. It has interesting detail on all sides, not just the front. I think it is one of the loveliest hats she has worn.
The earrings trouble me for so many reasons. They are too formal for day wear. Just the flower part would have been a nice stud (or the circle). I do hope she didn’t disassemble the necklace, but I suspect either she did that or there are removable pieces that can be converted to earrings. In either case, they lack movement, giving a stiff appearance not typical in a dangle earring.
HM and Sophie both looked stunning and knocked it out of the park. For me, they won the day.
I have not had time to watch the service but am looking forward to it because it’s always filled with glorious poetry, stories, and music.
The combo updo + hat is simply amazing and so sophisticated! I love it.
The Christmas coat looks good on her slim figure and it is interesting how she is able to re-wear outfits with different accessories and making them look even better. Probably she chose to reweat the burgundy coat in order to let Meghan shine, as this was her last public outing. In that case, I think it was a wise move.
Oh I love the hat! It’s gorgeous! And so appropriate to decorate a winter hat with Camellias, often the only thing in bloom I my garden during a Melbourne winter, and always such a welcome sight. It’s a lovely outfit.
This comes from someone who is proud to live in a Commonwealth country with our wonderful Queen as head of state.
I was struck today for the first time (I may be a bit slow) that Kate’s coat dress “uniform” bears a lot of resemblance to the Queen’s official uniform. It may not be showy or exciting but they look well-groomed and ready for business, and that the message and mission are more important than making a splash with an outfit. Can you imagine if the Queen had tried to do unique looks for each appearance? Her dress and coat combos may be the equivalent of the Prince’s business suit. Men get away with it. Maybe we can allow professional royal women the same courtesy and rejoice when they surprise us with something new.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said!
Allison, I have to agree with you. One of the reasons I see Kate as a style icon is exactly because of this – she knows what works for her and she is not afraid to own multiple green coatdresses, for instance. I am trying to take that “it works for me and I like it, so I will lean into it and enjoy it!” attitude into my own wardrobe and life.
I am delighted that she has reworn this coat; it remains one of my favorite Christmas looks on her, and I think this hat is beautifully suited to it. I thought the color of the Queen’s coat was very becoming to her and the DoS looked smashing too.
Allison, I could not agree with you more! I love the idea that the Queen’s outfits are the equivalent of a business suit. Only so much prettier, and with a much broader range of colors. Additionally, some of us have a relatively limited number of styles/silhouettes that flatter us so have to be repetitious for that reason.
I love this coat (yes, it is a coat not a coat dress) on Kate. The colour, cut, and fit are superb. This hat is fabulous and takes the outfit to a whole new level. I keep hoping we will see that fabulous black McQueen again some day. It was so stunning!
So lovely! I like Kate’s styling so much better this year. The updo is very flattering, and the hat is perfect for the occasion. I’m so glad she’s not wearing an extremely long coat / skirt / dress today.
Whatta beautiful fantastic look for Kate! Like many others, I prefer the way its styled today vs the Christmas outing! Amazing how wearing an old outfit with new/different accessories offers such a better presence, and I love it when she does exactly this. Not surprisingly it’s a great color on her, I love this whole look😁
I really love the idea of repeating a dress with Indian handwork from the tour. It seems a very gracious nod to the Commonwealth, stays in the Red/Blue/White color story the Royal women use on Commonwealth day, and is potentially a gesture towards the largest Asian Commonwealth country, an area of the world facing discrimination and tremendous financial loss due to COVID-19 and the fears surrounding it.
I’m really not a fan of this style coat dress. Seems to be suited for women a bit older than 30’s Kate. But she is beautiful looking today in all her monochrome.
It would have been very easy for Kate to wear something new, but I think she purposefully chose not to, possibly in order to allow the Queen and Meghan to take the focus, knowing that Meghan would be in a new outfit. I love her dignity in ensuring that she shines when required (most often on tour) and otherwise, so the occasion/engagement is given centre stage.
I love her hair, it’s exquisite and ensures she looks beautiful from the back too. I’m not hugely keen on these coat dresses, but appreciate that Kate views them as essentially a uniform. I do feel that when they’re on the longer side, because she is relatively tall and very slim, it looks rather flat and repetitive. It would be an ideal time to add details in other ways, such as her shoes and bags, but just as she relied heavily on the platform type shoes for a long time, she now seems to favour matchy but very plain shoes. Classic, they may be, but they’re also rather dull. Sophie looked stunning as usual. I love her dress sense.
But this was the Queen’s day and a celebration of the Commonwealth. What a wonderfully eclectic and fascinating collection of nations we are so very lucky to be a part of.
This was A complete miss for me, she wears too many of these coat dresses that it’s almost predictable. She is young and needs to dress that way. I understand her trying to be frugal, along with keeping in mind she will be A Queen someday, but Her sister in law Meghan WOW! Sophie and even Camilla dressed way better than this. I think IMO she is trying to channel the Queen, who always looks fabulous, but predictable.
The earrings were horrid, Queen Mary would be rolling over, ( as I think she was the queen of re-working jewelry) such a disappointment.
Love everything about this outfit and oh, how I wish my hair could do that updo.
The Duchess is blessed with great hair and that updo is a work of art. I remember the coat dress from Christmas 2018 and like it much better today with the Sally Ann Provan hat. The hues on the flowers really compliment the coat and the accessories, bringing the ensemble beautifully together. The earrings are lovely. I do hope they were a silent tribute to Harry, as some comments have mentioned. All the ladies looked lovely today. I really liked Camilla’s hat. The Queen is truly amazing. That is a long aisle to process down when you are in your 90’s.
A work of art is the perfect way to describe that hat!
It seems that monochrome dressing was very much ‘in’ with the royal women today, except for the Countess of Wessex, who looks absolutely smashing. I love Kate’s entire outfit, though I am surprised, like other commenters, that she would rewear a coat last worn when the Fab Four were last publicly together. Unlike other commenters, I’m not sure how I feel about that. It seems to show stagnation where there isn’t any. Maybe in reading too much into it.
I know this isn’t WMW, but I love Meghan’s hat! Not too fond of her dress though.
I love the way Princess Kate looks in Catherine Walker. The outfit is complete with hat, shoes, and her beautiful earrings. She always looks so polished in anything she wears.
Love the color in her blue gown. Loved seeing it again. Looks amazing.
I thought all the Royal ladies looked lovely. Prince William looked so handsome at Buckingham Palace for the reception.
Thank you for sharing.
The coatdress is very well tailored and figure flattering. I don’t like peter pan collars, but at least this one doesn’t look like it is choking her to death. I just really don’t like how this is styled. There are too many competing/clashing shades of red/berry/maroon/etc. In some picutures, the gloves and clutch go well together and with the shoes, but in others they do not. I don’t think the shoes, clutch or gloves look great with the dress, and I think the hat is a total miss. The silk flowers look a little amateurish and I really don’t think any of the hues in the hat go with the dress. I feel like this could have been a knockout if the accessories (including the hat) were black.
Her hair is an architectural marvel and her makeup and smile are lovely as always. I love the earrings and am really hoping that they are either earrings that are part of the parure with the bracelet and necklace, or that the necklace components are made to come apart and be worn as earrings.
I love the hat and her hair, as always is amazing. And though I do love all things Catherine Walker when worn by the Duchess, I would have like to have seen something new or a different repeat. If she really wanted to wear red or burgundy, there are many more choices. The hat is divine though. Gorgeous earrings. I would think it was part of a set with the necklace or parts of the necklace detach and can be worn as earrings.
Ugh, I do not like these Catherine Walker coats. Dated, not classic. I hate how this looked in contrast to Meghan’s elegant and regal frock. And Catherine Walker does not serve Kate well silhouette-wise. I’m not sure what it is, but I think they make her look overly long-waisted. Oh, for more McQueens, so sharp for state occasions! However, there is no denying this looks better than it did when worn for Christmas. The hat pulls in the burgundy accessories. The earrings, unfortunately, do not work. Too much for the outfit, and totally competing with the collar of the coat. I love the earrings and can imagine them with a gown or a sleek pencil dress (please, let’s go back to more of those). But they don’t work here. A stud would have worked better. I love Kate — could anyone be classier or more genuine? — and hate that so often lately her clothes have not seemed to serve her. She needs a stylist, not to override her own taste, which has resulted in many beautiful coats and dresses, but simply to provide some guidance and refinement.
Totally agree with your take on Kate needing a stylist. I *like* Kate’s style–I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t–but I don’t think she has the best sense for detail or cohesion. This outfit is proof of that; sure, everything matches, but the overall look is just kind of a mass of burgundy that can’t decide what it wants to be. Her role has also transitioned a lot over the last few years, and I’m not sure she’s quite figured out how to dress for that (hence the seesawing between matronly and juvenile).
I don’t always really care for Queen Letizia’s style, but she’s really good at combining the printed midi dresses and basic pumps and clutches that Kate favors into incredibly chic, polished looks. A good stylist could take the sorts of pieces that Kate likes and combine them into something more elegant and timeless, and I do hope she goes down that road at some point.
I would agree that Kate needs a stylist…a real one, not a PA turned stylist. Kate’s outfits are often poorly styled. Good styling can elevate a blah outfit or make a great outfit sing…and a lot of times, her accessories and everything are a mishmash. She’s already paying a stylist…may as well hire someone qualified.
I completely agree with this! She has every opportunity, she just needs the artist to put it together.
I hadn’t thought about the coat looking a bit dated, but I think you’re totally right now that I’m looking more at it.
Gorgeous! I lov Kate’s hat! Also a big fan of what Camilla was wearing.
I like the coat. The hat is not my jam just because I like more geometrical than floral looks for headwear (I feel the same about tiaras). The earrings are gorgeous and the side by side reminds me of how the black strapless gown with the ruby necklace is a top 5 Kate look for me.
It occurred to me re the Jenny Packham: yes, the reception was for Place 2be but since the Royals were celebrating Commonwealth Day today and this dress was worn on the India tour (Commonwralth country) might it have been a further Commonwealth ‘nod’ by the Duchess? I’m probably overthinking it, on the other hand it is the sort of thing Catherine might do.
And the embroidered fabric was made in India, as well.
Isn’t it possible the earrings are part of a set, together with the necklace? It would be such a shame to ruin such a beautiful piece.
That was my thought as well—I strongly suspect the earrings are part of a parure with the necklace (which I believe is convertible into a tiara) and bracelet.
I mean, whoever was able to afford the necklace/bracelet set could certainly afford the earrings to go with! I only wish they had been stud-convertible as they dangled a bit too long with the coat and its collar.
I’d never thought about the necklace being tiara-convertible. Hopes up!!
Love the hat and LOVE the updo! I think I like the styling a bit better with this rewear too.
And now I will be impatiently waiting to see what she does with the rest of the jewels from the Mouawad demi-parure. I’ve been waiting for the Duchess to get her own tiara and maybe some of this could be incorporated into a design of her own (although I know the RF’s high jewelry spending isn’t seen as prudent), but maybe in the future…
Is it possible that this (demi-)parure had pieces that were able to be worn in different ways? Judging by the clasps on the earrings I would guess no, but I am not an expert.
Thank you for all that you do on this site, it is my favorite source to find out “what Kate wore”!
Is it possible that the earrings and necklace were a set and this is the first time she’s worn the earrings?
It is possible, absolutely. But my gut is that she would have worn them to the Millies as she wore the bracelet from the set. 🙂
Thank you so much for writing this blog. I really enjoy it! It was great to see the Catherine Waker coat again, as it’s so elegant and cut beautifully. I didn’t like the hat, though, and I think the earrings were a bit too dramatic for daytime. I can’t wait to read about the blue Jenny Packham gown from tonight’s reception. Thank you!
Gorgeous color for the DoC’s ensemble. Otherwise yet another one of her typical 1940svibe “ uniforms.” I also always find these voluminous updos with hat, while very skilled- to be very aging. And honestly I can’t quite figure out why that is the case.
And finally and sadly- an awkward moment for all it seemed.
That hat and the updo!
I thought I read somewhere that the ruby jewelry collection was a wedding gift from Prince Harry. I read this years ago when going down the internet rabbit hole (clicking through various stories) when trying to find the origins of the earrings she wore to the 2017 BAFTA event. I remember thinking (1) wow she and Camilla have serious connections to receive some of the pieces that they did and (2) the ruby collection was, when compared to others, a less sophisticated collection and I could imagine a young man of Harry’s age (at the time) selecting them. But I could completely be misremembering what I read. If they were a gift from Prince Harry, it was a lovely gesture that she wore them.
I remember that theory as well about that suite being a wedding gift from Harry. And i agree – sweet gesture from Kate.
That updo is beyond dreamy! She looks amazing today and that updo just throws the entire look into “spectacular” category for me 🙂
Agreed. Normally I dislike when she goes one colour head to toe, but today hat and hair were so fantastic. And coat tailored so perfectly. Sweet too if the earrings were a gift from Harry.
I think I like the look better with the nude hosiery rather than the darker…a bit more spring like. The look is perfectly tailored you are right! Didn’t like Meghan’s, the tailoring!
Sophie’s outfit was smashing.
NOTE: admin edit
The Catherine Walker ensemble is lovely. That’s such a beautiful color on her. I liked it in its first appearance but prefer how it is styled here, with the wonderful hat, perfectly matched colorwise, and the updo.
I’m excited to see these earrings! The black velvet McQueen is one of my all-time favorite looks on her, and when I referenced it somewhat recently I was reminded of that completely stunning necklace. Also, side note, but I am not sure I realized how unapologetically dynamite her winged eyeliner was that night!
The Duchesses of Sussex and Wessex also looked really great, I thought. And I loved the Queen’s brooch as well as the Duchess of Cornwall’s–a pretzel!
Kate’s look was a triumph today, and her superb updo topped by frothy hat created a real crowning glory. The beautiful Catherine Walker coat enjoys some characteristic elements, like the angled pocket flaps set neatly to the side of the waist and heralding a full flare to the skirt, plus matching velvet-highlighted collar and cuffs.
The double-breasted bodice is a fine fit and the collar has a v-neck angle to it,keeping it from finishing too tight to the throat. Earrings are sensational and dramatic, just right in the grand cathedral setting, and adding to the theatrics of artificial camellias on front and back of her tilted hat. Enough for flair, but never too much from classy Kate; one of her finest updo and hat combinations to date.
I see from a close-up of the gloves that they don’t suffer from an awkward bow detail which wouldn’t sit under a narrow cuff, but instead have a decorative bow-imitating twist of fabric. I still can’t help feeling that grown up gloves would keep things simple and leave embellishment to the coat, but that’s just me. Love the Rossi heels as ever, which hold to the principle that simple elegance works best.
There is some piquancy for me in that the coat is a repeat from the last time the Fab Four were together with the Queen at Christmas, and the earrings are from the sparkly Mouawad set worn with her black off-shoulder McQueen on a very merry evening with both William and Harry. A hint of ‘haste ye back’ perhaps?
She looks absolutely gorgeous and regal. I loved the ruby and diamond necklace- it was such a beautiful young piece. I hope it still exists. Red is fabulous on her and today her reds all look beautiful. Very regal!
I loved this coat when Kate first wore it at Christmas in 2018. I like the outfit even better now with her hair up and this wonderful hat. I recall quite a few people commented in the previous wearing, that they thought the deeper reds of the purse, gloves and shoes clashed. With the new hat, featuring several shades of red, the entire look is tied together in harmony. What a treat to see the beautiful, ruby earrings!
I also think that Sophie, Countess of Wessex looks splendid.
For anyone interested, the entire service starting with arrivals of the Royals can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q600z-uVXPI
Thank you for the link, Bonnie!
I loved both her looks today and love that she rewore previous outfits. I love the blue Jenny Packham from the India trip so I was glad to see it again. I also thought the red for the service today popped and loved the updo. Overall both are hits for me! But also I wonder if she picked this Catherine Walker coat because the last time she wore it was at Christmas when Harry and Meghan were there and it was a happier time? Or I’m probably reading too much into it lol.
Though I guess we’ll never know for sure, her choice of the Christmas coat as a nod to that happy occasion is an idea that I love.
I wondered about the re-wear of her Christmas out fit too.
I love the elements on her hat. In the reds but with subtle variation to make it interesting.
Her earrings are beautiful! The ruby earrings she wore in Poland would have been pretty, too.
I always liked this dress so nice to see the blue Jenny Packham – we don’t see Catherine’s overseas tour outfits too often once she is back in Blighty, which I always think such a shame. In my opinion they are often much better than her ‘local’ outfits, and she looks lovely in it.
First, hooray, I’m so happy to see that beautiful blue Jenny Packham re-wear!
Second, Kate looked just right today. Nothing new and flashy, but a beautiful, well-tailored coat dress in a rich, flattering color, that exquisite hat and her chic updo. She let Meghan and Harry shine and have a moment at their last “official” royal engagement, and she let the Queen shine too, while being the very picture of elegance herself in the process.
Sophie also looked so lovely. Is she in a Suzannah dress? I’m such a fan of that label 🙂