The Duke and Duchess have been doing video calls this week. 
On Wednesday, they called volunteers from two organizations, Conscious Youth, which is based in West Yorkshire, and then Machynlleth Community Corona Response in Wales. The calls were made as part of the annual Volunteers Week effort in the UK, held June 1 -7.
Founded in 2016, Conscious Youth is an “award-winning social enterprise that is led by young people for young people!” The charity supports people aged 8 – 24, helping them turn their visions and aspirations into action, while also working to enhance their emotional resilience. The organization’s projects and programs include a youth group, social action, creative arts, fundraising, culture sharing, community engagement, and personal development workshops. The activities and events are planned and led by young people. 
During their call, Kate and William heard from two of Conscious Youth’s volunteers who talked about the impact volunteering has had on them. They also spoke about ways they have adapted their work to accommodate changes created by the pandemic. 
The Duchess asked if there were common themes in the types of help they are asked for and volunteers talked about the requests for mental health support. 
More about the conversation from Richard Palmer’s story in The Express:
William, who has a degree in geography, admitted that some of Prince George’s coursework has proved daunting at times. “I struggle with Year 2 maths,” he said.
Sophie Simpson, 38, who co-founded Conscious Youth with Serena Johnson, 35, said: “We were talking about the struggles of teaching at home. Both Serena and I are parents as well and I guess we totally understood their saying: we can’t teach maths and English like they do at school.
“The Duke and Duchess totally agreed that teaching Year 2 maths was very difficult. I could agree with them because I teach that as well and I’m struggling.”
A volunteer also explained that many of the young people that come to Conscious Youth for assistance end up returning to the organization to work as volunteers. The volunteer talked about the reward of seeing clients develop enough confidence to return as volunteers. 
The couple also spoke with Machynlleth Community Corona Response in Wales (MCCR). The organization has 120 volunteers and is one of many mutual-aid groups that have sprung up throughout Wales in recent months to help offer support to those impacted by COVID-19.
Prince William told the volunteers:
It’s National Volunteering Week and I want to say a big thank you from both of us. Thank you for all the volunteering you’re doing, thank you for all the time and effort you’re putting in. It’s been hugely rewarding and important that you guys are doing that and you have been a lifeline to all the people who you’ve helped in the area.”
During the call, you can hear the Duchess say:
One of the things that would be amazing is if everyone in their communities was to carry on and still celebrate volunteering in a way that they have been during the pandemic. Everyone’s got something to give back.
The couple also learned some of the group’s other efforts, like a phoneline service that helps those needing help with shopping, picking up prescriptions. They also facilitate referrals to local befriending groups. The Duke and Duchess met Lynda, a 91-year old who reached out to the MCCR for support and Sadie, the volunteer who has helped Lynda while she has been self-isolating. Here you see Sadie and Lynda. 
Kate and William heard from volunteers about ways the group is helping; they are making 3-D printed visors, scrubs and facemasks, and also growing produce for meals that are cooked and delivered to those in need.
We return to The Express story:
Kate told volunteers Kim Bryan, Sadie Maund, Katie Hastings, and Martin Kemp that she has been planting seedlings at home with George, six, Charlotte, five, and two-year-old Prince Louis after hearing that local children had been given free seed packs to grow their own food.
William seemed baffled by some of the shortages that have occurred during the crisis. “Can any of you explain to me why all of us were bulk buying toilet roll?” he asked.
Kensington Palace notes the Duchess has taken part in ‘check-in and chat’ calls with people in vulnerable situations, or those self-isolating. As we mentioned last week, this effort is part of the Royal Voluntary Service’s NHS Volunteer Responders scheme, created to support the NHS and those must vulnerable to Covid-19.
The Palace also reports big news about Prince William: he has been volunteering for Shout, the crisis text line launched last May. The Duke is now trained to volunteer in that capacity. Below, William telling Shout Volunteers about his new status during the video call the Duke and Duchess did with them a few weeks ago. You can see the reactions on some of the faces. 
He is now one of more than 2000 Crisis Volunteers. 
You can see the Prince telling everyone the news at the top of this video, which also has clips from the calls made this week. You will hear him say, “I’m going to share a little secret with you guys but I’m actually on the platform volunteering.”
To all the incredible volunteers across the UK this #VolunteersWeek: Thank you.@GiveUsAShout | @Cyouthcic pic.twitter.com/2QavveKkF0
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 5, 2020
Volunteers need to commit to 25 hours of online training and then fulfill 200 total hours of volunteering; that’s 2 – 4 hours volunteering per week. Visit this page on the Shout site to read more about volunteering. Below, Shout’s Tweet a few minutes ago sharing the news.
And here is the full 8-minute tape of the most recent calls.
Now for our look at what Kate wore on this week’s calls. 
It appears the Duchess brought back her Mabel Shirt (£255) by MiH Jeans, a broderie anglaise piece in 100% cotton featuring scallop trim on the neck and puffed sleeves. 
We first saw the style when the Duchess unveiled her Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show last year.
(I added some broderie anglaise shirts to the RepliKate Tops page. They do not have the softly scalloped details Kate’s shirt has, but they would probably work if you are looking for a basic white cotton eyelet top.)
It looks like the Duchess *may* have been wearing her Twisted Circle Drop Earrings (£5) by UK retailer and royal favorite Accessorize. The style is 100% brass and measures about 3/4″ long. Below, you see them as worn on another occasion.
They were first noted in March when Kate wore them to a reception at Ireland’s Museum of Literature in Dublin.
As far as future engagements go, Rebecca English of The Daily Mail reports via Twitter:
Sources also say William & Kate want to try and resume visits in person as lockdown is slowly lifted. ‘We are looking at ways we can do physical engagements in the future in line with Government guidance,’ I’m told. The biggest issues are crowds and pressure on police resources
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In a ‘normal’ year, tomorrow we would all be looking forward to the Queen’s Birthday Parade, also called Trooping the Colour. Below, an image from last year’s celebration, the first time all three Cambridge children took part. 
The event was canceled because of circumstances created by the coronavirus situation. However, it turns out the day *will* be marked, but on a much smaller scale. More from The Telegraph’s Hannah Furness.
The Queen’s official birthday will be celebrated at Windsor Castle with a Royal Salute from the military, replacing Trooping the Colour after it was cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Welsh Guard and massed Bands of the Household Division will lead a small celebration at Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are staying in isolation.
The ‘small, brief’ event will be put on by Welsh Guards members already stationed at Windsor. Royal Central reports, “it’s been confirmed that the event will be shown on BBC One, starting at 10.30 am on Saturday, June 13th. The programme will be presented by Huw Edwards.”
This photo is from the 2018 celebration. 
If I see any links on ways to watch the video I will add them to Facebook and here in the post.
If you haven’t already voted in the ‘Ultimate Favorite 2019 Dress Poll,’ pop over to the previous post and cast your vote by clicking here! 
LINKAGE:
- Learn more about Conscious Youth at the organization’s website here; the group’s Facebook page is here; its Twitter feed is here and Instagram page here.
- Visit the Shout site here; the organization’s Instagram page is here, and Twitter feed here.
- For our look at all of Kate’s Trooping the Color ensembles through 2018, click here.
- Richard Palmer’s story for The Express is here; Hannah Furness’s article for The Telegraph is here; Robert Jobson’s Evening Standard coverage is here; The Guardian’s article is here; a Mail Online piece is here;
- Erin Hill’s People article is here; Hello’s piece by Emily Nash is here; a Town and Country story is here
I like the shirt and ponytail combo i imagine some indigo jeans would work well with this outfit too.
I really appreciate that William is actually on Shout, volunteering. I appreciate that more than I can express. It shows a commitment that goes beyond making pretty speeches and asking vague questions. I knew the Cambridges were genuine, and this is more proof. It reminds me of when Kate quietly shadowed doctors and nurses for a few days to really understand day-to-day operations.
On another note, the pretty MIH top is another example of ideal Zoom wear: light colours for white balance, with just a little something extra. Kate’s hair looks great in a ponytail and shows off the crisp collar.
Did you see the ADORABLE picture Kensington Palace put up today, of William and the kids? Kate always takes such great pictures of her family!
This is a lovely, feminine blouse and the Duchess looks beautiful in it. (I did not enjoy its last outing, with those dreadful brown trousers.) I’ll imagine Kate is wearing a linen skirt in a lovely summer shade on that Zoom chat!
I noticed the Duke & Duchess adjusted their computer screen (or maybe propped it up on top of a couple of books) and the effect is highly improved.
Did not get a chance to encourage you to carry on when you inquired a few posts ago. You have no idea how much I, and obviously others, enjoy your work. When Diana was alive, my friend and I would chip in and buy Majesty Magazine at the local drug store and take turns reading it. I loved learning about the work that not only Diana did, but all the royals, who were covered by that magazine as well. I don’t think people realize how busy they are, all the time.
Anyway, WKW is the 21st century version of Majesty mag for me. Now I get to see all of the Cambridges’ interests and causes, and I feel so proud of William for carrying on his mother’s charitable work and choosing a wife who would do the same. How I worried about them after Diana died! I do feel bizarrely maternal about both sons, probably because I raised 2 sons of similar ages also.
WKW is not solely a fashion website, but also a site that is very informative, educational, historical and so incredibly well written. I’ve been a subscriber for years and would be lost without you! Rest as much as you need to, but please don’t stop.
Thank you for sharing the story about buying Majesty, that’s wonderful! Your compliments about the site are more than appreciated, RF, I am *beyond* flattered you think of it this way. 😊
RF, chiming in to say I loved your comment, and that I also remember reading Majesty magazine in the Diana days. And I agree WKW is our 21st Century version of Majesty magazine.
Thank you, Susan for the beautiful writing and stellar content. This has been a happy, positive escape for so many of us.
The MiH Jeans Mabel shirt may have benefited from the attentions of the palace laundry as it’s looking crisper than was possible while the wearer was engaged in gardening. It’s certainly very pretty, if a little fussy with the frill down the sleeves. It’s a good piece for video, having enough character to stand out while the detail of the eyelet work remains low-key.
And we have swapped fern earrings for hoops, which in lockdown terms perhaps counts as great excitement lol. I have a pair on order — just for larks. Kate’s hair looks great away from her face and make-up is nicely done, enough emphasis for the camera, but not too heavy, and such a fresh, glowing complexion.
It would be great to see the Cambridge couple back on in-person engagements, as and when circumstances permit, and I look forward to it. Very touching too to hear of the mini Trooping ceremony. I look forward to pictures from that as well.
Until you mentioned it ElizaMo, I didn’t even see the frill running down each sleeve on the blouse. So on enlarging the photos I can clearly see in on the model, but the frill is barely noticeable when Kate wears the top with the culottes. I do agree with you, that the frill adds an unnecessary fussy element.
As an almost invisible frill I expect we could turn a blind eye!
I also think Kates make-up looks fresher than before lock-down. I think it might be because her eyeshadow is a lighter colour and the eyeliner is maybe a bit thinner. It really opens up her eyes and makes them look bigger.
It also looks as if she has a light tan and/or a more light-reflective make-up base.
All in all, I think ske looks a bit younger and l lot fresher.
The Cambridges continue to show commitment to duty with these video chats. While we see much less fashion, we are able to observe much more about their personalities. Kate and William are displaying warmth, concern and appreciation for the work that is being done by professionals and volunteers. They come across as happy people with William often injecting humour into the conversations.
Kate’s blouse if very pretty, without being fussy. I hope she has the opportunity to wear in without tucking it in, as the bottom edge is meant to be displayed. There are quite a few outfits with an interesting neckline, that get hidden with Kate’s long thick hair. So it is a bonus to see this shirt with her hair pulled back and the collar detail exposed.
Thank you for a new post.
I like the way Kate has been wearing, I don’t know if low-end clothes is the right term, for these video calls. She really comes across as any “normal” person,and I find this surprisingly nice. Liked the white blouse, it looked very summery and fresh against her tan.
I’m sure that being who she is, she could have sent for anything she wanted from Kensington.
Lovely to hear that William struggles with maths, like many of us 🙂
At a cool £255 I think the blouse might escape the description ‘low end’. But it’s certainly a more relaxed,’ ‘at home’, wardrobe on the videos 😉
Oops! So sorry.
I am one of these women who buy my clothes on sale at high street. So for me a dress at 40 £ is a lot. That’s because I do not work at the moment.
(I’m not very savvy in fashion.:)
I just thought the blouse was cheapish compared to other duchesses clothes.
On another note;
I have a British husband, but when I applied to become a nurse in England, they did not approve my application, because of my lack of fluency in written english.
I failed with 0,5 points, other sections of the test I passed with flying colours.
And this was before the Covid. I’m a bit older, so I thought that it would be good for me to work in the high risk areas, to save the
young rnursing peoples lives.
I do knot know if any of you remember the Thcernobyl – atomic-reactor disaster. But my mother had at that time gone back to Finnair (Finnish ariliner) as a air hostess. There where lots of Finnish engineers in need of evacuating. Finnair asked older pilots and hostesses to volunteer for the evacuation flights, thinking that the young girls might be in a bigger risk.
So my mother volunteered, when they got back to Helsinki Airport, they all had radiation levels above accepted, so they had to go home for 2 weeks.
Remembering that, I thought I could work as a nurse on the front line, saving young nurses lives, but that was not to be.:)
Berenike, your wish to help was very noble, as was your mother’s. Thank for being the type to people who want to help others.
I adore this blouse and all Kate’s “at home” outfits !
Another reader recently said that Kate does not have her jewelry with her and I think that is true!
But what a sweet blouse! I like that her hair is pulled back so we can see the frill at the collar. It’s a fancy casual look- very ladylike and very her.
Lovely blouse. Delicate but still defined. I like the earrings too. I think Kate is trying to wear her low-to-midrange priced jewelry in keeping with the tone of the times. Also, if you look back on her younger years, she always liked fun, casual items. Neither she nor Diana was in particular partial to the heavy expensive pieces, which considering their backgrounds they certainly could have gotten. Diana had one slim gold chain with a D, which was a present from friends. That was when gold chains were all the rage. But I date myself…
I can quite imagine that William and Catherine would really like to physically be able to meet/thank a broad selection of the volunteer charities they have been ‘zooming’ with. It would take several multi-engagement days as they have spoken to people all over the UK but it would be a real boost to all concerned. Good as they are online the Cambridges are so much better in real life…… Something for us all to look forwad to.
I much prefer the way Catherine wore the broderie anglaise shirt in this video, I didn’t quite get why the upstanding collar was turned down like shirt collar in its previous outing. It’s a useful item, dressy enough, casual enough and pretty but not ‘frilly, pretty, pretty’!! And looks good on the call.
Hello Susan,
Thank you for giving us such frequent posts and polls lately. There seems to be a new one every day! WKW gives me much joy, and I know I’m not alone.
I love the Mabel shirt. It is impossible to see if it is tucked in or not as it is worn for the call on Zoom, but certainly if it were mine I would wear it out to show its pretty edge rather than as the Duchess wore it at the Chelsea Flower Show. Having experienced several surprisingly hot English summers, I do think it would be a lovely cool garment, especially in a pure fibre, which is always my preference in the heat here in Melbourne. It is certainly not hot today!
The choice of brass earrings does puzzle me, but I suppose it must be fun to have something new and not too ‘serious’ to wear.
Very best wishes as we enjoy our Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Thank you. I’ve always loved this shirt. What struck me the most has been Kate’s hair. Like most of us, she is probably self styling but a pony tail today and partially up the last few days, shows me how “real” she truly is. My hair has been pulled up (except for in work days) since the pandemic started. Good for her!
I liked this shirt the first time (I’m still not sold on Kate-in-culottes) and I like it as a rewear. Very delicate and pretty- perfect for a summer video call.