Duchess Kate wears a muted Catherine Walker coat to Tyne Cot in Belgium

Passchendaele 100 Tyne Cot

Here are photos of the Duchess of Cambridge today in Belgium. Prince William and Kate are on a two-day visit to Belgium, with most of their appearances centered on commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele. On Sunday, William and Kate marked the occasion at the Menin Gate. Today, William, Kate, Prince Charles, Prime Minister Theresa May and Belgium’s King and Queen all marked the centenary at the Commonwealth War Graves Commisions’ Tyne Cot Cemetery.

For her second day in Belgium, marking another somber occasion, Kate chose a more muted tone, thank God. Kate wore this off-white coatdress by Catherine Walker. The coatdress has some kind of beige/taupe leaf applique at the bottom which I actually sort of like. I mean, the whole thing looks very matronly and stuffy, but that’s what she should be aiming for at this kind of ceremony. This is not a moment for a “LOOK AT ME” ensemble. Her Jane Taylor hat is sort of too small and the grey and pink colors don’t really go, but whatever. Kate always has a problem with colors and trying to “match” and coordinate colors. This is fine, and that’s my verdict. I do have to wonder though… does she not own any simple navy, black or grey two-piece suits?

Passchendaele 100 Tyne Cot

Memorial service at the Commonwealth War Graves Commissions Tyne Cot Cemetery

Memorial service at the Commonwealth War Graves Commissions Tyne Cot Cemetery

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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60 Responses to “Duchess Kate wears a muted Catherine Walker coat to Tyne Cot in Belgium”

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  1. PIa says:

    Honestly, it’s not that bad….I mean give her a break on this one??

    • Imqrious2 says:

      I think it looks lovely, though more of a very pale gray (at least on my iPad), and the appliqué a bit darker gray. The hat/shoes clutch definitely don’t match well; I think she was trying to match the shade of he appliqué, on closer inspection, but it looks “off” on my screen.

      Anyway, lovely and appropriate, and yay, hair still tied back!

    • Hazel says:

      But this fake pearl brooch is worse than the other fake pearl brooch.

  2. minx says:

    Hmm..I actually like the fit and cut of this one. Very nice. The shoes, though…and the hat, no.

    • Megan says:

      One again, I love the coat dress, but someone needs to “accidentally” sit on that hat to take it out of commission.

    • Royalsparkle says:

      Looked very much older at the wreath laying.
      All the ladies held breaths with flasher waity, stooping to lay a wreath at the grave. waity love cant help stooping the kids- open legs front on to the paps.

  3. dodgy says:

    Catherine Walker is stealing a living. Her stuff is so stuffy and ugly. But it seems to appeal to a certain type of woman though…

    • notasugarhere says:

      Catherine Walker passed away in 2010. It is her widower who has continued the business, using her decades-old designs and patterns. Equally weird that Diana put Walker on the map and Kate Middleton wears it.

      Plenty of other UK designers and fashion houses out there, why use one that was so closely associated with Diana? Also weird that Carole dumped her original designer and wore a Diana-would-have-worn-this mother-of-the-bride outfit from “Catherine Walker” to their wedding.

  4. Nic919 says:

    Why is there a heart over the crotch in this dress ? That is just so bizarre.

  5. Shelley says:

    That’s one ugly outfit. The pics on Daily mail are worse. I finally realize that her clothes look like stuff in cheap strip malls that are kept in plastic wrapping.

  6. Abbess Tansy says:

    The dress isn’t bad but that hat looks like a jellyfish on her head.

  7. Shelley says:

    Phillpe for the way.

  8. India Andrews says:

    Looks like a coat dress Kate wore on the Oz tour. Kate didn’t need another copy of it given how many appropriate coat dresses and suits she already has hanging in her closet.

    • anna says:

      really. she could have worn yesterday’s coatdress, what’s the difference. her wardrobe is the sartorial equivalent of a sad clown noise.

  9. HK9 says:

    I think the coat is really pretty. While I hate the shoes (I’ll always hate her shoes) I think overall the look is nice.

  10. Mar says:

    I like this look

  11. Nicole says:

    I actually like this one too. But she needs better hats and facinators (I have no idea what these are called sorry).

    • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

      Fascinators!

      I usually hate fascinators with a passion but I kind of like this one.

      • Hellen says:

        Hi Ladies
        The hat is called a ‘Hatinator’, as it is a cross between a Hat and a Fascinator. Strange but true.x

  12. Maria says:

    She has one like it in light blue . Ok, I guess.

  13. Louise says:

    It would have looked better on Carole.

  14. Heather says:

    She looks very nice! It will be interesting to see what happens as the Queen starts stepping back. I truly wonder whether we will see more of Charles / Camilla vs. the boys. I wonder if there is really a struggle for the crown, as some people are whispering. I thought Charles’s whining over the special the boys did for Diana was truly sad. Charles, it wasn’t about YOU, it’s about their mother. As much as he would like to wipe Diana from the memories of everyone, it is not going to happen. And they cannot re-write history.

    • Apple says:

      No matter what charles do diana would always overshadowed him. Charles can never erase diana from history, i lived in america people only care about William and harry because diana.

    • Royalsparkle says:

      It was about POW – Whiny is trying to embarass and distespect his father POW.

      I havent even click…on any part – . but this speaks more about Di how much she really was at fault as well. Publishing private details about the marrage is all whiny the middletons – which is sad…

      Whiny willnot need to let Di rest in peace!

  15. littlemissnaughty says:

    I think it looks quite lovely and actually event-appropriate. But then from the neck up … it’s just unflattering what’s happening there.

    ETA: Damn, our foreign minister has really lost weight. Almost didn’t recognize him from the side. Also, I just went over to the DM (don’t judge) and the pics of Teresa May curtsying …. eh. That’s a disturbing image. The woman is awful but it seems so wrong for her to basically bow down to Catherine.

    • Nic919 says:

      There shouldn’t be curtseying or bowing to anyone. At most, it should be reserved only for the actual head of state. Will and Kate aren’t worthy of bowing or curtseying and the PM shouldn’t have to do it to these two numpties who have no idea what they are doing. You can hate Theresa May or her politics, but at least she has to do actual work as the PM.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        Yeah, I was thinking the only one who would possibly be “worthy” of it would be QEII. Although I’m pretty much against the entire idea of the curtsy.

      • Royalsparkle says:

        Amen!

  16. Destroy Humans says:

    Please, stop. Kate is so extremely banal in every way. Why 2 posts in 1 day? Are we still a colony?

  17. Jemimaleopard says:

    Looks like a mouldy shower curtain. Why does it have a heart shaped pattern around her crotch?? The hat is awful – again – and her hair is really bad. Is that the best Amanda Cook-Tucker can come up with?! And I’m sure she has at least 2 other coats/coat dresses in that style.

  18. Adele Dazeem says:

    Why does she keep getting the same outfits made in slightly different colors?? Doesn’t she have this identical dress in pale blue? If you’re going to stick with a cut, you need to change up the color/pattern/palette a bit.

    • Becks says:

      Yes Adele! That was my thought upon seeing this coat as well. It’s fine and certainly appropriate for the occasion, although the hat doesn’t match (and the gray shoes from yesterday seem like they would have gone better.) But she has almost the exact same dress in a pale blue. It’s not the kind of outfit you need in multiple colors.

  19. KBeth says:

    She looks fine, as usual nothing special.

  20. Lainey says:

    The coat has a love heart over her privates- which was about the only alteration she made on the original piece. And that is all there is to say.

  21. Joannie says:

    She looks lovely as usual. I like the outfit on her.

  22. Mer says:

    “Mother of the bride” or “Mother of the groom” circa 1990s. Tragic.

  23. manta says:

    It’s often mentioned by commenters how women from other royal families do so much better than her when it comes to clothes, shoes, posture. Well, it doesn’t quite hit me looking at Queen Mathilde here: lacy, embroidered, not ironed beige dress, nude shoes, basically everything Kate does on a regular basis.
    She totally fits.

  24. TuxCat5 says:

    Kate’s coat-dress is listed on the Catherine Walker website as a “Mother of the Bride/Groom” outfit. Ridiculous for this occasion.

  25. Cerys says:

    Boring but appropriate for the occasion. However she has plenty of similar outfits that she could have used rather than get yet another new one that will probably never see daylight again.

  26. The Hench says:

    Can’t remember if I’ve commented on a Kate thread before but decided to type this out and then I can just copy and paste it for all other threads on her outfits.

    “A coatdress, you say? Just like one she already has? In a colour that she already has? No lace today then? Oh dear God, the shoes! The shoes!”

    Right. That should cover it until the end of the decade.

    (In the spirit of fairness her make up looks good here – fresh and a light touch – and the hair is smart and appropriate.)

  27. Fiorucci says:

    Don’t love It though thr colour works. I prefer when she’s (to the chagrin of some) dresses too young or too retro. This is what my aunt would get at the mall pretty much

  28. Rae says:

    I’m just wanting her to wear something different. Fresh, modern, silhouettes.

    I just want to burn all of her coat dresses.

  29. Heidi says:

    I just don’t get it. On the one hand, she gets Botox and insists on being pencil thin. On the other hand, her make-up, hair and clothes make her look 15 years older than she actually is. Does she want to appear more royal this way? Does she never look at photos of Mary, Victoria or Mette-Marit? Or is it because she has never had to dress for a job in the real world?

    Someone give her a free InStyle subscription already.

    • Royalsparkle says:

      +100

      Agree totslly. A carol contradiction. Maybe tbe new PS ( why Kannot needs a p/Secretay!!! – except to waste Taxpayers Duchy funds) will be tasked to get her a proper royal styist/make up.

    • msthang says:

      Heidi, she just needs a really good dresser and make-up artist, probably the under statement of the year!

  30. CrystalBall says:

    The sad bun drooping in its hair net. Take the shame.

  31. FingerBinger says:

    It’s a coat.

  32. msthang says:

    Chuck looked frumpy here, where was Cammie?

  33. Scarlett says:

    Coatdress brings her crotch into prominence with the positioning of the decorative lace, how apt…