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It’s Self Portrait for a School Visit & a Sporty Look for a Regatta

It’s Self Portrait for a School Visit & a Sporty Look for a Regatta

The Duchess wore a design by Self-Portrait for today’s first round of engagements.

She then changed into sportier clothing for a sailing regatta.

We’ll focus first on the Duke and Duchess’s visit to Sybil Strachan Primary School.

This will give you an idea of how heavy the rain was when the couple arrived at the school.

Prince William joked, “We’ve brought the weather, haven’t we?”

The couple attended a special school assembly.

More from The Sun’s story

The school, that started in 1989 and has over 700 students stretching from pre-school to Grade 6 – was closed for nearly two years as a result of COVID-19, along with other schools.

The Duchess delivered remarks at the assembly. 

I hope you didn’t get too wet coming here and apologies for bringing this British weather with us.

The pandemic has taken you away from your classrooms and your friends, and learning from home I’m sure has been very difficult. That is why it is so wonderful that after almost two years being away from each other, you have recently returned to school and been reunited with your teachers and friends again. I can certainly feel the excitement and energy here today in this room.

One of the hardest things that so many of us found about the pandemic was being separated from the people we love. We have rediscovered how important our families are, and just how important our friends are.

The couple also visited with students. 

A quick video. 

The Duke and Duchess were presented with a painting of the Queen to mark her platinum jubilee. 

They also planted a tree in the school’s peace garden in honor of the Jubilee.

Below, the royals as they left the school to head for their next engagement.

The pair went downtown to Parliament Square, where they watched a Junkanoo and did a walkabout.

More about Junkanoo from the Bahamas government page

…its roots can be traced back to West Africa.  The most popular legend states that the name originated from John Canoe, an African tribal chief who demanded the right to celebrate with his people even after being brought to the West Indies in slavery…

Junkanoo themes are visual lessons of The Bahamas -past and present, satirical statements , and notable events.

More from Simon Perry’s People story

As the clouds began to clear, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ventured out for the first walkabout of their Caribbean tour, which followed a school outing and a visit with healthcare workers who have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Duchess was accompanied by Ann-Marie Davis, wife of Prime Minister Philip Davis, whom Kate met yesterday. 

Video of the walkabout from Richard Palmer of The Express

The rain came and went throughout the morning and afternoon.

Despite the weather, there were sizable crowds. 

Back to Simon’s story

Charisma Thompson, 46, who was there with friends, chatted with William during the lively parade in Parliament Square.

“He said, ‘Thank you for your patience and sorry for the weather,’ and we said, ‘It’s not your fault,’ ” Thompson shared. “We told him we love him and Kate and we didn’t mind waiting. He was loving the excitement and you could see it was exciting for him.”

The Duchess and a little girl. 

Another view.

Prime Minister Philip Davis posted on social media

…we showed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the world the pride, culture and hospitality of the Bahamian people. It was a vibrant feeling to see and experience the return of Junkanoo to Bay Street.

There was a quick change of clothing before the next event, the Platinum Jubilee regatta at Montagu Beach.

A video of the couple as they arrived. 

There was a crowd eager to see the royals and watch the race. 

Here you see the couple with Bahamas deputy prime minister Chester Cooper as they speak with fish and conch vendors. 

The Duchess checks out the day’s catch, which Simon Perry reports is a hog snapper. Then they head out to the race. 

You can see how heavy the skies were.

Some background from Simon Perry’s People story

Sloop sailing became a beloved Bahamian pastime in the 1960s. As its popularity was on the rise, Prince William‘s grandfather, Prince Philip, visited the Bahamas in 1959 to watch the King’s Cup Series from the Royal Nassau Sailing Club — the very same spot where William, 39, and Kate, 40, were enjoying one of their last afternoons in the Caribbean. (The Duke of Edinburgh was even named an Honorary Commodore and Honorary Life Member of the Club during his trip more than 60 years ago.)

The Duchess pulled her hair back and donned a hat. 

On the way to their respective sloops.

They transferred to sloops. 

Today’s races were among the first sailing regattas in the Bahamas since the start of the pandemic.

The Duke aboard his sloop.

Another shot of the Duchess. 

A video of the Duchess out on the water. 

From the Daily Mail’s coverage: 

William set sail in an iconic Bahamian sloop named the Susan Chase, whilst Kate boarded a vessel named the Ants Nest II. She also sported a white cap once she was on board with her crew mates that had the boat’s name on in red writing.   

His boat came in about five minutes ahead of four others including one featuring the Duchess of Cambridge, who suffered the ignominy of coming in last with her crew.

Another view of the royals. 

Now for our look at what Kate wore for the daytime engagements, beginning with the school visit.

She wore the Self-Portrait Faux Pearl Embellished Midi Dress ($510).

Constructed of recycled polyester, the dress features gathers, pintucks, and pleating, with a v-neck, sheer puffed sleeves, and a full skirt. The Duchess changed her buttons to a self-covered style.  

Thank you to Middleton Maven for this ID.

The Duchess wore her hair down this morning. 

Accessorizing with earrings by Bahamian jeweler Nadia Irena

They look like the designer’s Maya Earrings ($75) in 14K gold-plated sterling silver.  Ms. Irena launched her brand in 2002,  with “a focus on handmade beaded pieces and has since grown to include metalsmithing, bags, and belts.  Always creating with a strong woman in mind, collections include both decisive and minimal lines or bold statement pieces with fluid organic shapes.” The earrings are now sold out, but I have been corresponding with Ms. Irena and she will let me know what her plans are for making more earrings. I will update here when I find out. UPDATE MAR 26 9pm: I have not heard back from Ms. Irena, but it is possible to order the earrings on her site.  

The Duchess wore the white shoes seen previously that I now think are the Jimmy Choo Romy 85 style.

The mask appears to be the style worn yesterday, the Annabella by Amaia Kids.  

And now for the sailing look. 

It looks like the Duchess was in the Gill Marine Women’s Crew Polo ($59.95). The brand is a longtime manufacturer of technical sailing gear. 

The piece is a blend of 50% cotton and 50% modal with tipped detailing at the collar and cuffs and a 4-button opening at the neckline.  Thank you to Lauren for her speedy ID of the shirt.  We have seen the Duchess wearing the brand before at the King’s Cup in August 2019.

Once out on the water, the Duchess added the Decathlon Tribord Waterproof Sailing Jacket, ($39.95).

The jacket has a high neck, adjustable, zippered pockets, and several other features. Thanks also to Middleton Maven for the ID. We have not identified the shorts.  Many will have recognized the oft-worn Cotu Classic Sneakers ($65) by Superga. 

And finally, it looks like we finally have an ID for the woven belt the Duchess has been wearing. It appears to be the Woven Leather Belt from Scottish retailer Brora.  

The item is currently sold out, but I will check to see if they plan to restock it.  It’s a trifecta for Middleton Maven today as she also identified this item. 

The Duchess initially wore her hair down before pulling it back and tucking it under a hat. 

The Duchess wore her Medium Twist Hoops by Spells of Love (£60, about $80 at today’s exchange rates).

Tonight there is a reception I will cover in a separate post. 

VIDEOS

The Royal Family Channel’s coverage of the school visit. 
 

Here is more than 90 minutes of coverage of the school visit via the Prime Minister’s office. 

 The Royal Family Channel’s coverage of the Junkanoo and walkabout. 

 And coverage of the regatta. 

 

 

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Larissa

Monday 28th of March 2022

Contrary to many of the other outfits on this tour, where I didn't love them until I took enough time to appreciate them, I actually prefer this dress at a distance and less when looking at the details. The cut is perfectly appropriate for the engagements, and I can't even fault the flowy, midi-length skirt for a change. I think the lightness of the fabric and the pastel colour (rather than a print) keep it from veering into the dowdy territory. I'm not a fan of the details on the bust or at the hips, and I think the pearl earrings are the most interesting part of the original design – but I get that Kate might have replaced there was no clash with her earrings. I do shudder at the thought of wearing polyester in what must have been a very humid environment with all that rain!

I'm happy to see another local designer in the jewellery choice and the white pumps have certainly proven themselves worth bringing on this trip, with this being another great colour to pair them with.

The regatta outfit is another winning sporty look in my books. I could only dream to look so good in shorts! Both Kate and William are such good sports to participate in all of these events, especially given how soaking wet they look in the photo of them leaving.

Stacey

Sunday 27th of March 2022

I really liked her shorts. They looked classy, comfortable and long enough to be appropriate, yet short enough to avoid being frumpy. Those white heels sure have been getting a workout!

Freda McT

Sunday 27th of March 2022

Great dress - wrong colour. Green does not work with her skin tones especially in pastel.

BerryRose

Saturday 26th of March 2022

I love the design of Self Portrait dresses but they almost always seem to be made of polyester. Even when it's recycled polyester it's a fabric I avoid unless it for technical reasons (i.e. a rain jacket) and even then I look for other options (i.e. waxed cotton). I love the cut and colour the dress, though I'm surprised the pearl buttons were changed for self-covered ones. I think the pearl buttons look lovely.

I think the last time Kate was wearing shorts (on public engagement of course) was also when she was sailing. I know some commented that they were inappropriate but I thought she looked great. Those photos of her were some of my favourite of all time, they could easily have been in a Ralph Lauren advertising campaign. I think these shorts are the J.Crew 4" chino in Storm Grey. I've been wearing J.Crew short for years, and while the brand is slipping in some areas but their shorts are still great quality.

I love the clip of the Rastafarians protesting in the pouring rain. Honestly good for them. Such a vibe.

Casey

Saturday 26th of March 2022

Hmmm. Today’s outfits all come under the category of “ it’s fine/ nice”. The satin evening gown is lovely -especially the color. $ 24000 for a pair of ( albeit very pretty) shoes? Maybe not the wisest choice for this trip . The couple did their very best under difficult circumstances on this tour. However I’m left with an overall feeling re: the tour of “out of touch with the times “

Laurie

Saturday 26th of March 2022

I checked on the commentary on the shoes....listed as $2495. So, way over my shoe budget (all my shoes??), but not as out of touch as a $24,000 pair might be. I was excited to see what such a pair of shoes would look like when I read the comment, though....

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