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The Duchess Updates Familiar Dress with New Accessories for Garden Party – UPDATED

The Duchess Updates Familiar Dress with New Accessories for Garden Party – UPDATED

The Duchess of Cambridge paired a previously worn dress with new accessories for today’s garden party at Buckingham Palace.

Prince William was officially the host of today’s function on behalf of the Queen.

In this wide shot taken as the national anthem was sung, you also see (from L to R) Princess Beatrice, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex. 

The royals greet guests in a quick video from Rebecca English of The Daily Mail

This was the final party of the season at Buckingham Palace. 
 

There will be another at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh in late June. Here you see Prince William greeting guests at today’s event.

As you can tell from some of the photos, it was cloudy and drizzly at times. Below, the Countess of Wessex noted the rain.

Princess Beatrice.

You can see there was also sunshine in this photo of the Duchess of Gloucester.

And the Duke of Gloucester, the Queen’s cousin.

Another view of the Duke of Cambridge.

Here is a quick video showing the Duchess as she chats with a guest. 

The Duchess looked delighted to see Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg and his wife at today’s party. 

More from The Daily Mail’s story by Rebecca English and Harriet Johnston. 

Mr Goldberg, who was with his wife of 61 years, Shary, was a German-born Jew sent to the ghetto, forced labour camps and eventually Stutthof concentration camp near Gdansk in Poland by the Nazis when he was just 14. His younger brother, Herman, was murdered there.

‘Manfred,’ she beamed, ‘it’s so lovely to see you again. How are you? When I saw your name on the guest list I thought ‘yes!’ I am so happy to see you! How have you been?’

The Duchess as she speaks with Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg. 

The Duke and Duchess first met Mr. Goldberg in July 2017 when they visited Stutthof Concentration Camp in northern Poland. They also met Zigi Shipper, another survivor seen on the right.

Last year, the Duchess spoke with both gentlemen in a call recorded for Holocaust Remembrance Day

Rebecca English shared a lovely photo of the Goldbergs at Buckingham Palace today.

Mr. Goldberg told Rebecca English that he has “come to the firm conclusion that hearing testimony from a survivor is one of the most effective ways of educating people into understanding that silence is all that’s needed for evil to triumph.” 

Here is a wider view of today’s party.

And a closeup as the Duchess greets Josh Reeves, who received a BEM (British Empire Medal) for his service to people with disabilities. 

And now for our look at some of the styles worn today. Princess Beatrice was in a Self-Portrait design, the Check Print Midi Dress (now sold out), with thanks to Laura for the ID. The Countess of Wessex brought back an Emilia Wickstead design previously seen at Ascot and carried a Sophie Hapsburg handbag.

And our review of what Kate wore. She repeated a dress that Kensington Palace said was created by a private dressmaker. 

It showcases a pie crust collar, button-front bodice, set-in waistband, bishop sleeves, and a full flowing skirt. It was first worn for a March 2019 reception marking the fiftieth anniversary of Prince Charles’s investiture as Prince of Wales.

The dress has similarities to a style by Russian designer Ulyana Sergeenko.

But there are also multiple differences, including the cuff length and the number of buttons on the front. The fabric used for the Sergeenko is quite a bit heavier than the material seen in the Duchess’s garment. 

A closer look at the high, ruffled collar, the self-covered buttons with loop fasteners, full sleeve coming to a fitted cuff, and slightly puffed sleeves.

The Duchess was wearing a hat by Philip Treacy, with thanks to Gabi for the speedy ID. 

The chapeau is similar to the Philip Treacy design first seen at the May 2018 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (seen below right), worn again at Trooping the Colour in June 2019 (below left).

The Duchess’s hair was partially up. 

She carried a handbag that looks like a Hobbs design, the brand’s Evesham Clutch ($210).

Made of suede, the piece measures about 4″ x 10″ x 1.5″ wide and comes with a detachable shoulder strap. Thank you to Middleton Maven for this ID. 

The Duchess sported a new pair of suede heels that Heaven suggests is the Jimmy Choo Romy 100 style, and I think she is spot-on with the ID.   

The Duchess wore a new pair of earrings (at least to us) for the party. Now that the post is up, I will look for the earrings

UPDATE: It looks like the Duchess was wearing the Aquamarine Delicate Orb Earrings ($180) by Carousel Jewels, a UK-based company.

The earrings are made of sterling silver and finished with a 22-carat gold plating. The company says that for every order they “plant one tree, and make a monthly donation of revenue to the Sea Shepherd Marine Conservation Group, who work to protect marine life globally. Our packaging is plastic-free, and extracted from FSC® forests, that always replace the wood they cut down.” Many thanks to Sarah-Jane and T. Anne for sharing this info via the WKW Facebook page!

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The Duchess has an engagement earlier in the day before the garden party. She participated in a Zoom call with Sally Hogg, CEO of the Parent-Infant Foundation. I imagine we’ll see a portion of that call and learn more about the organizations involved in the next few weeks. 

VIDEOS

The Royal Family Channel offers about 3 minutes of raw video. 

 

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Larissa

Wednesday 29th of June 2022

I am very late commenting on this, but I felt I had to write just to show my appreciation for the company behind Kate's earrings. I hope she'll continue to showcase more affordable, sustainable brands as William and Charles continue to support causes fighting climate change.

This is a perfectly appropriate look for the occasion, and all of the royal ladies coordinate well. It's not a particularly stand-out dress – Kate has many in a similar style – but it does have a timeless quality about it. I prefer the dress on this occasion to the previous one. And after so many years of various nude and beige shoes, I am liking this recent trend of Kate's to go with a slightly darker shoe; I particularly like the shade of these Jimmy Choos. As for the hat, I feel the flower-under-the-brim look works better with the "flying saucer" style – this wavy version, while more interesting from the non-flower side, does tend to look a bit droopy when looking at the wearer head-on. My favourite look of the day is Sophie's. I love her hat and the fact that she paired a monochrome outfit with a fun bag.

The photos and videos from garden parties are always so fascinating to me. I can imagine what a daunting task it is for the royals to have to mingle for hours among 8,000 people, all of whom want to see and speak to them. Well done to them for being such good sports about it (making so much small talk sounds like my worst nightmare). They always look genuinely interested in the conversations they are having and the small tidbits that are shared are a treat. I'm sure many women can relate to Kate's struggle of having to hold her dress, umbrella, and hat all at once!

Melissa

Tuesday 31st of May 2022

With this outfit, I wonder: am I watching a period drama or this real modern life? Over the past few years, Kate has embraced the prairie/retro/matronly 70s vibe thing. Or maybe she is the muse behind it? Overall, I am supportive and I love fashion that embraces a 'lady like' look with the lack of skin showing and longer lengths.

But, this look takes it a bit too far, IMO. It looks like she is PLAYING duchess in a costume in her own Netflix drama. Someone mentioned earlier, though, perhaps it is fitting because the setting is a very old palace and the men are waltzing about in top hats in tails in the middle of the day. Perhaps the whole thing is play acting. Who else in the world is romping around like this except for the modern British royalty.

The fact that this dress is self designed (though possibly a knock off as shown in the post) contributes to my opinion that no one else is wearing something like this...except in a tv show. The only other dress that I can recall that matches this one in terms of its period look was a long aqua blue dress worn at a Royal Ascot about 4 years ago. But even that looked more modern with the sheer sleeves and other detailing. https://whatkatewore.com/2019/06/18/the-duchess-in-elie-saab-for-royal-ascot/

Again, I adore Kate fashion, but I am over the colors that are the same, but not really. She has hundreds of pairs of shoes, but I am baffled that she had to get another pair that is not even the same color as the dress. And the earrings have a vintage vibe that seems unnecessary with all of the other earrings that she has in this hue.

Lisa

Tuesday 31st of May 2022

When I went to Prom in 1976, I wore a Gunne Sax dress in pale blue that looked a lot like this dress, only longer! It was in style then and i guess now, but even if I were 40 I'm not sure I would love wearing this style as an adult. So Victorian. I guess it's OK for her, but agree with commenters that she is almost too old for some of this girly girly stuff. I'd like to see her look a little more adult and sophisticated. Still, I guess for a British garden party it's not horrible.

Tess

Tuesday 31st of May 2022

LOVE THE HAT. The dress is beautiful and appropriate, just not my taste. In another 10+ years even Kate may not be able to pull off such old fashioned styles, so I say wear it while you can if you like it. Old fashioned styles on a young person are quaint or retro, but on an older person, hmmmm. I also love the earrings but find them a little busy beside the busy collar. I'd love to see this hat, earrings, clutch and shoes with very simple sheath dress in a neutral white, cream or tan so they are clearly the stars. My first thought when I saw the pictures was, lovely dress but so pale she doesn't stand out in the crowd, particularly on an overcast rainy day. She clearly isn't taking a page from HRH's "dress so that people can see you" rule book on this day. I suppose with Kate's height, sky high heels and a hat the adds several more inches, she would tower over everyone else and be easy enough to spot in the crowd. I loved the coral colour of the last garden party look, but prefer a flowy style like this for the event. Loved the colour of Sophie's dress and her purse was terrific and stood out against the simple lines of her dress. I think her hairstyle was excellent. Pinned back so no need to keep adjusting it while her hands were busy with the clutch and umbrella. Also, slight waves are probably sensible if the damp and rain causes it to frizz or curl more. No point in attempting a straight style when rain is on the menu.

anne

Tuesday 31st of May 2022

Been a few comments about how Kate walks on the grass in high heels and does not sink. Most likely has the plastic clear tips over her heels. I use them all the time and just last week attended a wedding (Nightcap Ridge - hinterland, Byron Bay, Australia) and used the protectors for my heels. The ceremony was outside on the grass, but Australia's Eastern Seaboard had torrential rain, so the grass was extremely wet. I noticed a lot of the ladies wore the heel protectors and then took them off to go inside to the reception. They are fully transparent and you can't really see them.

Kate looks amazing for a garden party, very pretty dress and hat suitable for afternoon tea.

admin

Tuesday 31st of May 2022

Hi, Anne. Kate has worn the plastic heel protectors in the past, but I checked at both parties this year and she did not have them on her shoes. My best guess is the old-school "lean forward so you're balancing on the balls of your feet," something I was *never* able to accomplish. (I generally felt like I was about to do a faceplant!)

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