Brief News Updates and Your Favorite 2023 Handbags and Shoes Polls UPDATED JAN. 29

UPDATE JANUARY 29: Good news! Kensington Palace released a statement today saying, “The Princess has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress. The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world.”

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I am back with a quick update and then it’s your chance to vote on more of the styles worn by the Princess in 2023.

In terms of an update on the Princess, there is little to report. As expected, and specified by Kensington Palace, there have been no updates on the Princess’s condition. There are photos of Prince William arriving at the London Clinic to visit her, but that is about the extent of any “news.” I think we are in the “no news is good news” zone and expect the next update we receive will be that the Princess has been released to recuperate at home. 

In other royal health news, King Charles’s prostate surgery is this week, and he is expected to be hospitalized for one or two nights for that procedure, followed by bed rest and a lighter schedule for a week or two. If anyone wishes to send correspondence to the King, here is the address: His Majesty The King, Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom.  Many readers know that the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, was diagnosed with breast cancer this summer and underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. This Monday she revealed on social media she has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer. The Duchess noted, “Naturally, another cancer diagnosis has been a shock, but I’m in good spirits and grateful for the many messages of love and support.” (I do not have an address for the Duchess of York.) 

We now make a difficult turn to much lighter fare, a few more polls covering the Princess’s style. Our first poll covers new handbags carried by the Princess in 2023. The first on our list: a new Natasha clutch in ‘Lake’ suede ($440) by go-to designer Emmy London. It was carried for last year’s St.Patrick’s Day ceremony with the Irish Guards. The Natasha is made of suede and comes with a detachable chain, so it can be carried as a crossbody style.

Our second new bag is another Natasha Clutch from Emmy, this one in cobalt blue. The bag measures roughly 5″ x 8″ x 2″deep, and it has a magnetic snap closure on the front.

Next, the Strathberry bag, the Scottish brand’s Multrees Chain Wallet ($425)piece carried for Order of the Garter ceremonies in June. The bag measures roughly 8″ x 4″ and comes with a detachable chain so it can be carried as a crossbody style.

Also in June, the Chanel Classic Wallet on Chain ($3350) seen when the Princess celebrated the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery. The bag is made of lambskin and has a detachable metal chain. It measures about 5″ x 7″ x 1.5″.

When attending Royal Ascot last year, the Princess carried a vintage Hermès clutch, the Rio in rouge leather. The bag measures approximately 9″ x 6″ and features the brand’s signature H logo atop a button snap closure.

I don’t have terrific photos of the next bag, but wanted to include it in the poll. In mid-October, the Princess carried what looked like Chanel’s Mini Flap Bag in black lambskin (£3960) to a Rugby World Cup match in Marseilles, France. Made of lambskin with goldtone hardware, the bag measures 5.3″ × 6.6″ × 3.1″.

At November’s Remembrance Sunday ceremony, the Princess carried Jennifer Chamandi’s Le 8 Gold Buckle bag (£730, about $925 at today’s exchange rates) in black suede. The design is inspired by an envelope shape; it is made in Italy and has a magnetic closure and detachable strap.

Our final entrant in this category is another Strathberry style, this one seen at the early December taping of “Royal Carols: Together at Christmas.” The Mosaic Grain Leather Top-Handle Bag ($555) measures roughly 5″ x 7″ by 3.5″ deep. The handbag has a removable shoulder strap, one interior pocket, and the label’s signature metal bar on the front flap.

And here is the pool. (NOTE: Some users using the Firefox browser are encountering difficulty seeing the poll. Several have shared that they could see it fine when switching to Safari or another browser.) 

 

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Our second poll today covers the Princess’s new shoe styles. Our first style comes from the St. Patrick’s Day engagement seen above, when she debuted a pair of Gianvito Rossi 105 pumps ($795)in a color called “Persian.”

When visiting a Windsor baby bank in April, the Princess wore a new pair of shoes by Boden, the British brand’s Pointed Ballet Flats ($190, sold out).

In May, we saw the Princess sporting the Aquazzura Bow Tie Pumps ($850) at a pre-coronation reception and walkabout. The design showcases a pointed toe, side cutouts, a 4.3″heel, and the distinctive wired bow at the back.

Our next pair of new heels are also from Aquazzura, the label’s Purist 105 Pumps (£500, about $630 at today’s exchange rates) in emerald green. The point-toe style is made in Italy and has a 4″ stiletto heel.

Our next style also debuted at Order of the Garter in June, the Vittorio 105 Slingback Pump ($715, the link is to a pair with a slightly lower heel) by Jennifer Chamandi. The closed-toe slingback style has two straps, a pointed toe, and a four-inch heel. It can be worn with or without the leather strap across the top of the foot.

Just a few days later at Royal Ascot, we saw the Princess in another Jennifer Chamandi style, the Lorenzo 105 (£580, about $730) in red suede. Like the Vittorio shown above, this shoe can be worn with or without the strap across the top of the foot.

At an early July polo match, the Princess debuted the Camilla Elphick Lucia Slingback ($360). The shoes have a patent leather pointed toe, angular 3″ heel, and the brand’s signature crystal buckle.

Our final entrant in this category was worn when the princess was attending Wimbledon in mid-July. She chose a pair of Gianvito Rossi’s Ribbon Slingback 85 Pumps (an identical pair is not available). The heels have a 3.3″ heel, pointed toe, and the signature “GR” ribbon buckle on the strap (inset photo below right). We haven’t been able to locate the exact suede color worn by the Princess, but it’s clearly the brand’s Ribbon Sling design.

NOTE: The Princess wore a new pair of boots by Gianvito Rossi last year, as well as a pair by ba&sh, but I did not include them in this poll of dressier styles. 
NOTE #2: With apologies, I left out the new Emmy Lulu flats worn by the Princess, argh. 😖 

And here is the poll!