The Princess in Familiar Pieces for Dadvengers Engagement

The Princess of Wales was in familiar styles today for a meeting of the Dadvengers, a group that “inspires and champions fathers throughout their journey of parenthood.”

The Telegraph has more in this piece by India McTaggart. 

The Princess of Wales has visited a pub in north London to discuss the importance of early childhood with a group of fathers. The Princess, 41, met the Dadvengers community at the Arnos Arms in Arnos Grove, where they discussed parental well-being and building communities of support around fathers.

The Dadvengers group was started by CBeebies presenter Nigel Clarke in 2019 to provide resources for new fathers and support positive mental health for men, primarily online.

The organization has four core pillars. 

Dadvengers notes on its site that “Tackling the issues dads face isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. Men don’t engage with resources in the same way as women. Therefore we believe in tailoring our resources and making them engaging to our audience. We engage dads by building communities through recreational activities, such as our Podcast, Dad Chats, Quizzes, Meet-Ups or Dad Walks.” The group’s name is said to come from Mr. Clarke’s fondness for Marvel’s Avengers. 

Below, you see the Princess with five-year-old Grayson Stevenson and Nigel Clarke. 

A Kensington Palace news release notes, “Dadvengers is predominately an online community which works to support dads on their journey through parenthood. It has a strong focus on mental wellbeing and supports new fathers in a variety of ways including through online training programs, podcasts, and more recently the in-person ‘Dad Walks’. Dad Walks provide a new way for men to meet other fathers in their local community in an informal setting.”

We learn more about Dadvengers in this Daily Mail piece. 

Nigel Clarke, the founder of Dadvengers, said: ‘Fathers have a hugely significant role to play in their children’s lives, right from the start. Even before their baby is born, fathers can get involved and Dadvengers is on a mission to support them to do that in ways that work for them.’

‘We provide them with information and advice to help look after their own wellbeing, while also supporting them to build the nurturing relationships and surroundings we know are so important in the very earliest years of their children’s lives. It’s what Dadvengers is all about.’

More from Danielle Stacey’s Hello piece. 

As the royal joined fathers and their little ones around the table, she said: “I think the thing is raising the importance of family time and the role dads are playing in raising kids. Through what you guys are doing the kids are seeing the importance of socialising and getting together.” 

“It’s not just mum will do X and dad will do Y,” one of the fathers added, to which Kate agreed and said: “It’s shared.”

Today’s engagement was part of the Shaping Us initiative.

After their meeting at the pub, the group took part in a Dad Walk. 

Below, the Princess with  3-year-old Maya Sanmuganathan. 

 We return to the Hello article. 

As the children played in the playground, Kate was seen crouching down to speak with one little girl, who was wearing a floral raincoat and wellington boots.

“I love your stripy tights,” the Princess told the youngster, “I should have worn my stripy tights.”

The Princess posed for a group photo with Nigel Clarke and his family, including 11-month-old Cassius. 

We go back to the Hello article one more time.

Speaking after the visit, Nigel said the fathers were “in shock” to be visited by the princess. He continued: “They were amazed she’s taken the time to come and visit a group like this. We discussed how it’s important to have groups and spaces like this. Dads are worried they’re going to feel awkward, but in a space like this they relax and open up.”

He added: “We discussed how it’s difficult reaching dads, and she asked how we’ve managed it. I’d like walks like this to happen up and down the country. The goal is to normalise seeing dads spending time with their kids.”

Kensington Palace posted a video following today’s engagement. 

Fathers, like any other caregivers, play a vital role in the social and emotional development of a child. Today The Princess of Wales joined @Dadvengers – a community for dads and their children – on a ‘Dad Walk’ on what was a rainy but excellent day!#ShapingUs pic.twitter.com/dwhSA7R3dj

— The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood (@Earlychildhood) November 1, 2023

Now for our look at what Kate wore for her visit with the Dadvengers. Many will have recognized her ‘Edith Jacket’ from the 2020 Barbour x Alexa Chung Collection. The jacket has an oversized silhouette and distinctive gingham checked lining. It also features a corduroy collar, slightly cropped sleeves that hit just above the wrist bone, flap pockets with snap closure, a covered zipper placket with snaps, and an angled front pocket with zipper. It was first noted in a November 2020 Early Years video. 

Here you see the Princess wearing it during a Wales visit this past April.

The Princess brought back the MOTHER Dazzler Mid-Rise Straight-Leg jeans. The style is available at MOTHER ($228), as well as at Tuckernuck ($228), Revolve ($228), Neiman Marcus ($228), and Net-a-Porter ($240).

She also wore her Erdem ‘Lotus’ sweater in 100% cashmere with ribbed detailing at the hem, neckline, and cuffs. The piece was first noted during a 2021 visit to Scotland.

It looked like the Princess was in a new pair of Chelsea-style boots today, the Thea Leather style ($330) in chocolate from Reiss. The 100% leather boots have a rounded toe, elastic at the ankle, and heavy lug sole. Thank you to Middleton Maven for another fab ID. (I added some repliKate possibilities to the Footwear page.)

UPDATE #1 NOV 2: The boots are not the Reiss Thea style. They were worn again on November 2, and I was able to access additional photos that show the differences between the styles. The most glaring style difference is the stitching at the sole of the Thea boots, something the Princess’s boots don’t have.

UPDATE #2: With thanks to UFO No More, the boots look like a style by ba&sh, the brand’s Codalie Chelsea Boot in chocolate brown (€179, about $190 at today’s exchange rates).

The boots are 100% leather in a pull-on design, with a lug sole, and elastic inserted. It is available in black at ba&sh ($460) and at Bloomingdale’s ($460). The Princess has also worn a belt by the brand.  

The Daniella Draper Mini Cupid Hoop Earrings ($270). 

The Princess also wore a poppy today, something we’ve come to expect in the month of November.  

I’ll see you tomorrow! In case you missed it, here is the listing from Kate’s Calendar with info on tomorrow’s engagements.

• Thursday, November 2: “The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay (as the Prince & Princess of Wales are titled in Scotland) will visit Scotland, where they will meet organizations supporting rural communities in Moray and Inverness. Their Royal Highness’ will visit organizations working with young people to support their mental health through improved access to the outdoors as well as through practical learning opportunities.” 

VIDEOS: 

The Royal Family Channel offers more than three minutes of coverage in this video.