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The Princess in Balmain for Wimbledon Day Two Action UPDATED with NHS 75th Tea Party

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The Princess in Balmain for Wimbledon Day Two Action UPDATED with NHS 75th Tea Party

NOTE: The post was updated at 9 pm with coverage of a tea celebrating the 75th birthday of the NHS (National Health Service) co-hosted by the Prince & Princess of Wales. 

The Princess of Wales chose a minty green and white ensemble for Day Two of this year’s Wimbledon Championships.

A video as the Princess arrived at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. 

Here you see the Princess speaking with former British Number 1 Emma Raducanu, who is not playing this year, and Laura Robson, a Wimbledon Junior Girls champion and former member of Great Britain’s Olympic team.  

Some of you may recall the Princess playing Ms. Raducanu at an engagement in September 2021 after her US Open Win. The event celebrated Great Britain’s US Open Champions. 

More on Ms. Raducanu’s absence from this year’s Wimbledon tournament via a story in The Express. 

Raducanu, who became a household name when reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2021, has been forced to sit out this year’s tournament after undergoing surgery on her wrists and ankle.

Below, the Princess with the new Vice Chair of the All England Club, Debbie Jevans (L), and Ms. Robson (R).

The trio headed to Court 18.

Where they watched the Women’s Singles first-round match between England’s Katie Boulter and Australian Daria Savill.

More from this story in the West Australian. 

The Princess of Wales turned up at Court 18 on Tuesday morning to watch Saville against Katie Boulter, Britain’s No.1 and the stand-in golden girl of British tennis while Emma Raducanu is recuperating from injury.

But the Princess, who is patron of the All England Tennis Club, quickly had her viewing curtailed along with a packed crowd as the rain interrupted proceedings near the end of a tight-fought first set and she had to take cover under a Wimbledon umbrella.

The rain didn’t appear to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm.

Here you see spectators on the hill trying to stay dry under umbrellas.

The rain was intermittent throughout the day; matches were suspended, and then play would resume.

Another view of the Princess as she watched the match.

Then it was time to head over to Centre Court. Below, the Princess and Mirka Federer.

The Princess is being led to her seat by Ian Hewitt, Chairman of the All England Club.

After her arrival, the crowd was ready to welcome a special guest. 

More from Tennis.com’s coverage. 

Before the start of play at Centre Court, an announcer explained that Federer was being honored for “his contributions to tennis — and, particularly, to these very special lawns.”

Federer, who turns 42 on Aug. 8, announced his retirement at the end of last year following a series of knee operations.

The champion as he hears the crowd’s rousing welcome.

More from Tennis.com.

Roger Federer received a standing ovation of 1 1/2 minutes from spectators including Princess Kate as he entered the Royal Box at Centre Court on Tuesday, when he was celebrated during a brief ceremony for his career and his men’s-record eight singles championships at Wimbledon.

The last match of his career was a quarterfinal loss to Hubert Hurkacz at the All England Club in 2021.

And from The Telegraph’s story. 

Fresh from his appearance on stage with Coldplay in Zurich over the weekend, Federer received a rapturous standing ovation and was visibly moved before taking his seat next to the Princess of Wales. 

The crowd watched Shelby Rogers of the US play Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.

Ms. Rybakina (L) defeated Ms. Rogers 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Also taking in the tennis action today were Lady Gabriella Kingston and her father, Prince Michael of Kent.
 
Then it was time for the match between fellow Brits Andy Murray and Ryan Peniston. 

More from The Telegraph’s coverage.

Andy Murray put on a Centre Court show for the Princess of Wales and old foe Roger Federer.

The two-time champion took apart countryman Ryan Peniston with a 6-3 6-0 6-1 victory under the roof to ease into the second round of Wimbledon for the 15th consecutive time.

In his comments after the match, Mr. Murray mentioned Mr. Federer. 

We turn now to our look at what Kate wore for Wimbledon today.

She debuted a piece by a brand she hasn’t worn previously, Balmain. The Princess was in the Two-Tone Crepe Blazer (no longer available), a style showcasing the French fashion house’s signature double-breasted silhouette. The 100% viscose jacket features contrasting white satin lapels and buttons, flap front pockets, a welted chest pocket, princess seams, and a row of five buttons at the cuff.

The blazer is lined in a cotton/viscose blend. Thank you to UFO No More for their speedy ID of the jacket and also to Mya,  Gabi, and Carly. 

The Princess paired the blazer with a pleated midi skirt that remains unidentified, although Middleton Maven suggests it could be this Christopher Kane style. 

Thoughts on the royal ensemble via Bethan Holt in her column for The Telegraph. 

For her first visit to Wimbledon of 2023, on day two, the Princess’s outfit choice seemed to take its cue from the umpires. Famously prim in their white-trimmed navy blazers and white trousers, the Princess echoed the umpire look in a £1,950 mint and cream Balmain jacket, which she wore with a pristine white pleated skirt and pearl earrings by London-based jewellers Shyla.

The Princess’s blazer doesn’t just reference the polished uniformity of umpires; the Balmain design also has a distinctly retro Sloane Ranger look, recalling the jackets that Diana, Princess of Wales would wear on the school run or to daytime engagements, sometimes styling them with jeans or, like Catherine, with long, floaty skirts.

Another look. 

We return to Ms. Holt’s Telegraph piece. 

Mint green is a clever choice of colour that demonstrates how carefully considered the Princess’s clothing is; the shade compliments the darker green seen on Wimbledon’s branding alongside purple, but pops out, making the championships’ most recognisable supporter easy to spot in the crowd.

Balmain referred to the color as pistachio in a social media post about the Princess wearing the brand’s blazer, also referencing the French label’s creative director, Olivier Rousteing.

The Princess accessorized with her Amberley Crossbody Bag by Mulberry. This precise style is no longer available, but an almost identical bag is offered at Mulberry (£795). 

And we saw the Gianvito 105 Pumps ($775) by Gianvito Rossi. 

The Princess repeated a bracelet by Sézane that was first noted in July 2020 at a Sandringham Royal Foundation meeting. The Stéphanie Cuff style ($105) bracelet is gold-plated brass with white howlite beads (a light mineral).

She also wore her Shyla London Chunky Knot Baroque Pearl Style Earrings (£72).

The Princess wore her Wimbledon pin, seen here as worn in a previous year.  

The Daily Mail offers information on the pins in this article.

The green and purple bow is worn by members of the Committee of Management during the Fortnight – the Main Board of the AELTC and representatives of the LTA. It signifies their responsibilities as the Committee governing the tournament.

The Patron has always traditionally been given a Committee bow in recognition of her role, which is why the Princess has chosen to wear it when visiting The Championships.

The colours of dark green and purple were introduced in 1909 as the club’s previous colours, blue, yellow, red and green, were too similar to those of the Royal Marines.

Here is one more image from today’s Wimbledon visit.

We will see you tomorrow when the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay (as the Prince and Princess are titled in Scotland) will take part in events celebrating the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla during Royal Week in Edinburgh. 

Happy Independence Day, and belated Happy Canada Day greetings to all of our friends just across the border!

UPDATE 9 PM SUNDAY, JULY 4:

Tonight we were treated to a video and photos of the Prince and Princess of Wales at a special NHS Big Tea party marking the National Health Service’s 75th Birthday. The service launched July 5th, 1948, “the first universal health system to be available to all, free at the point of delivery” per this NHS background piece. 

 Here is a clip from the video. 

The royals surprised NHS staff and patients from across the UK at the party held at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. They arrived early to help lay the tables, ice cupcakes, add some decorations to a birthday cake, and help out in other ways.

The party was hosted by NHS Charities Together. The Prince and Princess are royal patrons of NHS Charities Together, roles taken on in December 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Their cohost for the event was TV presenter Mel Giedroyc (you may recognize her from the Great British Bake Off).

During the party preps, the threesome debated an age-old question: jam or cream first.

The party was attended by members of the NHS workforce and patients representing some of the achievements of the NHS and NHS charities over the last 75 years. More from this BBC story. 

Prince William and Catherine also spoke to Blanche Hines, a nurse for almost 50 years and part of the Windrush generation, whose daughter and grandson also work in health services.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, told current and ex-NHS staff at the party, at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, “I wanted to come here and say thank you.”

Prince William met Aneira “Nye” Thomas, the first baby born on the NHS. She was named after NHS founder Aneurin Bevan. 

Another view of the Princess.

Returning to the BBC’s coverage. 

The NHS charities focus on the wellbeing of the workforce, including offering psychological support and counselling.

Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Neil Rees said Prince William had “really understood the issues and complexities – particularly with the current challenges we’re facing”.

The Princess wore a familiar design by Alessandra Rich that was worn to Wimbledon on July 5, 2022. 

Initially worn for the Big Jubilee Lunch in early June of last year, and then again at Wimbledon, the azure blue Alessandra Rich Pleated Embellished Silk Crepe de Chine Dress is a midi-length design. It features pleating, gathered sleeves with button cuffs, shoulder pads, a keyhole back, a hidden side zipper, and a self-belt with crystal embellishments. The dress worn by the Duchess has fabric-covered shoulder buttons instead of crystals, and her belt does not have crystals on the buckle. The extended keyhole back has been eliminated. 

The Princess accessorized with her Heavenly London ‘Pearl’ and ‘Diamond’ Earrings ($120) made in rhodium-plated sterling silver with resin pearl drops. The earrings are shown below as worn on another occasion. 

The Times posted the entire 3-minute video on YouTube. 

 

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Karen

Monday 10th of July 2023

I love the balmain blazer but do not like it with the skirt Kate chose to wear with it. I feel the bottom needed to be sleeker and less full. Perhaps a pair of white fitted pants would have looked better.

Welsh admirer

Friday 7th of July 2023

Could the skirt be this? https://shop.purdey.com/products/womens-long-tennis-skirt

Jill

Wednesday 5th of July 2023

Noticed a near Replikate NHS, one of the tea party volunteers- young woman with long dark hair in a similar shade of blue with (smaller) polka dots. In the group photo I was looking for Kate and saw the other person, and for a second thought "Is that her?" She's in the video also.

NickyT

Wednesday 5th of July 2023

I love the fresh green color and the bold white accents. What a great summer combination. I think the too-long white, 80's-office pleated skirt does not go. The jacket is so much, the bottom needs to be sleeker, in my opinion.

SnowEyes

Wednesday 5th of July 2023

As someone who lived through the 80s, I have no desire to go back to its fashion. Given the Princess of Wales' age, I'm curious as to why she is taking so many fashion cues from that era. The boxy shoulders, long waists, and long and low V-necks are coming off as matronly for such a young and vibrant woman. Would have liked this outfit more if Kate had chosen her white heels with the black toes instead of matchy white pumps. The one benefit from the Wimbledon outfit is that it does look reasonably comfortable and airy.

This Alessandra Rich dress isn't a favorite but the shade of blue is perfect for the NHS tea event.

Dawn C

Thursday 13th of July 2023

@SnowEyes, I'm with you. 80s fashion was enough to live through once. The good news is we don't have to wear it! Lol

Vicki Boswell

Thursday 6th of July 2023

@SnowEyes, Agree totally.

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