The Princess Wears an Emilia Wickstead Dress for Anna Freud Centre Visit

Happy Thanksgiving to all celebrating the holiday in the USA!

The Princess brought back a personal favorite of mine for today’s engagement at the Anna Freud Centre. 

We learn more from The Daily Mail’s coverage by Rebecca English. 

Catherine visited children’s mental health charity, Anna Freud, of which she is patron near King’s Cross this morning in a trip focusing on the ‘vital role of relationships and connection in shaping babies, children and young people’s future life outcomes’. 

A Palace news release notes her visit comes “…as The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood launches a new project with Anna Freud to enhance the skills of health visitors to support early social and emotional development.” 

We learn more about the new initiative from the Royal Foundation. 

The Centre has commissioned Anna Freud to create a workforce development programme, working with The Institute of Health Visiting, to ensure more babies and young children develop the social and emotional foundations they need for a happy, healthy life. The programme will be informed by the Centre’s Shaping Us Framework and grounded in evidence, practitioner insights, and the experiences of parents.

We return to the Daily Mail’s piece. 

The 43-year-old began her visit to the institution’s offices by meeting families who are working with Anna Freud and the Institute of Health Visitors to shape the new scheme.

Speaking to father-of-three, Andrew Apraku, 41 from Croydon, as his eight-month-old son Judah held on to Catherine’s finger, the princess said: ‘Thank you for being here, because it’s so important we hear from fathers right from the get-go.’ Mr Apraku replied: ‘There’s a lot out there for women in this space – for fathers, we’re silent. The work you’re doing is amazing so our issues can be heard.’ 

Turning to Judah who began sucking on her finger and smiling, she said: ‘You’re very smiley.’ 

 Judah was darling. 

The Princess also met with parents and caregivers. 

And she took part in roundtable discussions with teachers, child psychologists, and experts from the Anna Freud Centre, discussing the roles schools play. On the left, you see Professor Peter Fonagy, longtime CEO of the Anna Freud Centre until last year, and an advisor to the Centre for Early Childhood.

We return to Rebecca English’s Daily Mail piece one more time. 

…the princess discussed the role of schools. 

She said: ‘It’s about creating a whole culture and environment in a school, and the idea of flexibility, understanding that each family’s needs are different. Do teachers have the time to build and invest in relationships with children?’

Research collated by the charity indicates that people who are more socially connected – whether with friends, family or their wider community – have fewer mental health problems than those who are less well connected and are physically healthier too.  

Embed from Getty Images
Following today’s engagement, the Princess greeted well-wishers gathered outside. I liked this photo of the Princess greeting a youngster waiting near the Freud Centre.

And now, we look at what Kate wore for today’s engagement. 

She was in a dress by Emilia Wickstead, a version of the brand’s Miley Dress ($1280, originally $1815, now sold out) in textured georgette. Made in Portugal, the midi-length dress features a fitted silhouette with a point collar, darting at the waist, a set-in waistband, a hidden back zipper, and zippers at the sleeve hems, in 97% polyester with 3% elastane. Initially, the dress was thought to be a bespoke version of the designer’s “Miles” design with added sleeves, seen below right, but it most closely resembles the “Miley” shown below left, a piece I believe is from the A/W 2025 collection.

The Princess first wore the style in December 2022, during a visit to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University in Boston.  

With thanks to Marta on the Facebook page for pointing this out, the belt worn today is wider than the belt worn in 2022. 

Here you get a closer look at the print.

Thoughts on today’s look come via this Telegraph article. 

Timeless and professional, the dress is yet another example of Catherine’s on-point sartorial choices. It does, however, mark something of a shift from the sharp tailored pieces she has been favouring for daytime outings of late.

“It has always felt like dresses are the Princess’s natural style comfort zone, but like so many women she has been experimenting with the fashion shift towards trousers and tailoring this year,” says Bethan Holt, the Telegraph’s fashion director and author of The Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style.

“By pulling this Emilia Wickstead look out of her wardrobe, I think she is deftly combining the tailoring trend with her enduring predilection for dresses – it’s a frock with structured, masculine elements like the collar and fabric so it doesn’t feel like a complete style overhaul,” says Holt.

“Whether this is the end of her suits streak remains to be seen, but as she gains confidence in her new way of working post-cancer this could be a sign of Catherine relaxing a bit and not feeling the need for the suit of armour power which a suit conveys,” says Holt.

The Princess carried a new handbag by DeMellier London today, a brand she has carried before. It is the Small Hudson style (usually $525; on sale for $420, 20% off with promo code BF20; US customers note the price includes tariffs and duties) in Mocha Suede and Mocha Smooth leather. The bag has top handles, or it can be carried with a detachable crossbody strap. Thank you to Carly at Kate Middleton Style and Middleton Maven for identifying the bag.

She brought back the Hugo Boss ‘Staple’ Heels in the anthracite color way, made of embossed calfskin with a pointed toe and heel measuring about 3.5″ in height.

And she wore her sapphire and diamond earrings. 

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Here is a very quick overview of a few of the jewelry and accessory offerings in the Blck Friday/Cyber Monday sales underway. If I have time, I will put together a more comprehensive list of Sales and Savings Opportunities this weekend. And if you see any great deals, please send an email to me: Susan @ What Kate Wore.com (Type without the spaces.)

• Annoushka is offering 20% off most merchandise, including the Princess’s Eclipse Eternity Ring (usually $2500, the discount brings the price to $2000). (As best I can tell, the Princess’s Baroque Pearl Drops do not appear to be on sale.) 
• Missoma is offering “up to 40% off” merchandise, with the Princess’s Mini Pyramid Charm Pink Rhodochrosite Earrings marked down to $123 from $154, and the Zenyu Chandelier Earrings on sale for $187, 20% off the regular price of $234. 

• At Monica Vinader, the jeweler’s Siren Green Onyx Earrings worn by the Princess are 30% off (discounted to $133, usually $190). However, they are just $120 at Farfetch and also $133 at Nordstrom. Her Nura Pearl Necklace is also 30% off, now $129.50 for the two pieces (the pearl pendant and the necklace) instead of $185 for the two items.

• Orelia Jewelry is taking 25% off everything with promo code BF2025. This includes the Chain Huggie Hoops Earrings (now $26.25, usually $35). 

• Kiki McDonnough is taking 15% off items with the promo code THANKFUL, and the discount is applied automatically in the shopping cart; I did not need to enter it. This brings the Green Amethyst Cushion Detachable Drops to £1020 from £1200 (roughly $1350 at today’s exchange rates), and the Grace White Topaz and Diamond Studs down to £828 (about $1096) from £975. 

• Bobbi Brown, the makeup the Princess wore for her wedding (as confirmed in a new book), is offering 30% off sitewide.

• Emmy London, an enormous favorite of the Princess, is discounting everything by 20%. This includes the Josie Block Heel pumps, the Rebecca High Heels, and the Natasha Clutch. The sale also includes free delivery to the US for orders totaling $300 or more.

• Scottish accessories brand Strathberry is offering a 25% sitewide discount. This includes the Princess’s Multrees Chain Wallet (normally $445, it is $334 with the discount) in the Vanilla/Diamond colorway, carried to Order of the Garter events this year, and the Mosaic Top Handled Bag (usually $555, on sale for $416), carried to the Carol Concert at Westminster Abbey.

• As you may have noticed in reading about today’s handbag above, DeMellier London is discounting merchandise 20% with promo code BF20. The Princess’s Nano Montreal in Deep Toffee is discounted from $450 to $360 in the sale.