Mar. 8, 2012 08:13 AM
USA Today
It promises to be a fashion-y day today for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, in her second solo appearance with grandmother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II, in the English town of Leicester where among other things they will watch a fashion show.
Accompanied by Prince Philip, the queen's husband, the trio arrived at the St. Pancras train station in London at 11:30 am local time, and already it was clear the former Kate Middleton knows the rule of royal engagements: Never outshine the queen.
The monarch was dressed in her usual cashmere coat and matching hat but today, instead of pastel, she was in intense fuschia (the Brits call it cerise for some reason) trimmed with black, by her favorite designer, Angela Kelly. You couldn't miss Her Majesty.
But Duchess Kate opted for a lower-key three-piece suit in green teal with a peplum flare and a tightly-belted waist, topped with a black beret-like hat. The Daily Mail reported Kate's 1940's-style outfit is by L.K. Bennett, the popular British High Street chain where she has shopped before. The store's website calls it the "Jude Jacket" and sells it for about $460 although it's on sale for about $230.
According to the palace schedule released in advance, the royals were headed to DeMontfort University in Leicester where they are to watch dance performances by students celebrating the city's diversity, and the queen and Catherine, as she is now known, are to see a fashion show by students.
Even better, the duchess gets a new pair of shoes: Six fashion students at De Montfort were asked to design a shoe for her and she will pick her favorite today.
Philip often does his own thing during engagements; he will visit the Square Mile project, De Montfort's program to help improve the life and surroundings of the local community. The queen will unveil a commemorative plaque in the city's Magazine Square, and they all will attend a service at Leicester Cathedral, meet with religious leaders, and then stop at the Clock Tower in the city center to receive gifts of the city.
The Leicester trip is the start of the queen's Diamond Jubilee tour (celebrating her 60 years on the throne this year) of Britain. Soon to be 86 (Philip is 90), the royal couple are sticking to the British Isles for their engagements, while her family visits Commonwealth countries around the globe. Prince Harry has been in the Caribbean for the past week, for instance.
It also was the second engagement in a week in which the queen and the duchess appeared together, without Kate's husband Prince William, who is on duty in the Falkland Islands for several more weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment