In the Duchess of Cambridge’s fairy tale, I think she’s obsessed with buttons. She must accumulate all the buttons in all the land. Buttons make her whole. The whole world is a button hole and Kate has just the button to make everything right. She screams “more buttons!” into her mirror, mirror on the wall. Anyway, these are photos of Kate visiting the Great Ormond Street Hospital to launch “the latest phase in the institution’s ambitious redevelopment project.” This event is pretty much a garden-variety royal event, in case you were wondering. This is what Will and Kate have been avoiding for years – the endless parade of hospital openings and building unveilings and school redevelopment launches. This is the bread-and-butter of royal work.
Kate wore a new coat to this event, because I guess the million other coats in her wardrobe just wouldn’t do! Buttons and coats, and coats with tons of big buttons. This coat is by Boden, which I’m led to believe is a mid-range mass-market label popular with middle-class moms in Britain. This coat costs £220, which actually sounds affordable by Kate’s standards. Check out the big plastic buttons! I’m fine with them, actually – while the color bugs me, I would have liked this a lot if not for the ruffled pockets and ruffled cuffs. My God! Those ruffles took a decent coat and made it into something really twee.
Kate spoke as well! And she memorized her little speech. This was a lot better than anything we have ever seen from her.
It's been wonderful to meet so many families and young people. I've been so inspired by their bravery and courage at such a difficult time. – HRH
Congratulations to @GreatOrmondSt on your new building! pic.twitter.com/zvHEoDtIkr
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 17, 2018
The Daily Mail said that it was really cold this morning in London and that Kate seemed to be going bare-legged. I guess Meghan’s stunning Burberry trousers didn’t affect Kate at all – Kate would NEVER cover her legs in such peasant-y things. It’s either skirts or jeggings for Kate. Also: she blended her wiglet a little bit better today but it’s still noticeable.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Her voice/accent give me heebie jeebies…and I live in England surrounded by posh twats all day every day. Its WEIRD! Like she doesn’t open her mith all the way or something…trying to emulate BBC newsreaders from 40 years ago?
The accent sounds forced, but I’m over it if she’s gonna continue to speak well. It’s such a great improvement over what we’ve seen. She seemed relaxed and genuinely appreciative. She didn’t have to look down, so no hair touching. Thumbs up for sure.
YUp. Hair is shorter, less fidgeting with it, dress is staying down, I love the color of the coat, can’t see the ruffles in my phone, but that’s a minor quibble.
And she is out 2 days in a row. So i am going to shut up.
I think it’s much earlier than that, but mixed in with Diana’s pitch and intonation.
The problem is that she was probably given elocution lessons by some dinosaur in Buckingham Palace…but I think she would’ve been better served maintaining the same accent her sister has. She’d be more comfortable.
I mean, William and Harry do not speak like their father, so…
Firstly, Buckingham Palace didn’t give her elocution lessons. It’s never been recommended to anyone, and it would be surprising if such a recommendation was made.
Secondly, posh accents are not necessarily desirable in the UK anymore. Regional accents are better and even the royals, with few exceptions, have toned down their posh accents.
This is all on Kate. We know she took elocution lessons from one Anthony Gordon Lennox to prepare for her wedding, but like the overdone hair, make up and clothing duchess makeover, she went overboard on the accent.
I get quite annoyed when people automatically blame the Palace for things Kate struggles to do – she’s an adult not a child, someone who is perfectly capable of making her own decisions. Decision like speaking they way she does – she choose to speak like that, no one made her.
Vanity Fair had an article before their engagement saying she was instructed to work on her voice. There are even pap videos from that time of her changing accent. This was in the making for quite some time.
Yes, she changed her accent and voice, and there are videos and biographers using her former classmates as source material to prove it, but this was all on Kate, not the Palace.
Her accent is posher than the Queen’s own accent. Definitely miles posher than her own husband’s accent. Why would the palace require her to speak posh better than The Queen or William?
And btw, Vanity Fair is full of lies and misinformation where the royal family is concerned, and i say that as a VF fan and subscriber since 1992.
Normal, everyday British people take elocution lessons to change their accents. Accents are a HUGE deal across the board. As an American living in London I find it bizarre but we have our own quirks so what can I say? Anyway, I have absolutely no doubt that there was incredible pressure for Kate to speak a certain way.
That accent is too much. It grates on my nerves because I can hear the effort in it. Ivanka does that with her overdone Upper E accent, and it similarly grates. Fake Southern accents do it too. Even the aristocrats my father worked with didn’t sound like that nor did any others I have known, and it seems so unnecessary.
Pippa is well spoken without doing this.
Ugh
No one presently living speaks like Kate. Kate’s previous accent was perfectly fine. Probably the most famous example of someone whose voice changed significantly due to elocution lessons was Margaret Thatcher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRQwLrpX61M She changed the pitch and modulation, but the accent stayed more or less the same. That’s what people here generally do. They don’t start speaking like Diana Mosley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzkbouKG830
@Tina…..thanks for the Diana Moseley video clip, absolutely fascinating!
Ok, I’ve seen the video. Major improvement as per notes-free 45 secs little little speech. Haven’t really listened to what she’d said as I was mesmerized by the hands gestures and expansions. Thirteen or 14 at least, plus two other attempts. In less than a minute. But not touching hair. Not once! Hurray!
Were all the posh ones twats?
The only problem I have with Kate is her fake accent. She needs to drop it. Her family speak normally and so do William and Harry. I am adamant that she took elocution lessons while waiting to marry William and she failed to master a posh accent and instead sounds as though she is carefully trying to remember how to enunciate very word.
Wow. Hold your horses.
I actually like her styling here.
Coat is a little bit too buttoned up (literally) and I am not mad about the frilly sleeves but the colour is nice and warm which suits a sunner winter’s day in London and I quite like the brown shoes/clasp and nude dress combo.
I don’t like the shade of orange in general, but she looks great here!
I love this coat and I think she looks the best she’s looked for a while here. But then, I am British and a mum and I’m in my thirties, so I am programmed to love this brand! 😂
Love the frills, love the colour, love the length. However, couldn’t afford to spend 200 quid on it sadly.
Parfect, as Duchess Kate herself would pronounce the word.
She looks good.
I wouldn’t wear that shade with my coloring, but on her it looks great. This is a win IMO.
Agree 100%
Yes, the color is lovely on her and in terms of styling she looks just right for the event.
I’m ok with the color too, but… idk…. Maybe the cut of the coat? The pocket flaps? Something looks odd. But with the bar set so low still it’s fine. Just like MM Will now get praise for wearing a coat that hasn’t swallowed her whole.
Agree. Was trying to figure out why she looked softer/prettier and I think it’s the few extra pounds and the less severe eyeliner on the waterline. She looks great here – just imagine if she switched to a sandy shadow palette with cocoa liner and mascara!
The color suits her. I agree with this. I don’t love the sleeves, but the color is nice.
Love the color–it looks great on her!
I like the length and color of the coat but am surprised it was a new purchase bc it doesn’t appear to fit well with her growing baby bump and is probably not maternity wear. I assumed it was a coat she already owned and attempted to keep wearing even though she is currently pregnant, and that’s why it didn’t seem to fit well. I also do not like the frilly sleeves or pockets. Those were such unnecessary details.
I like this look too. The orange is warm and the brown accents are nice.
Yes, that speech was better for her. Hmmm She does seems to be stepping up her game lately…not to get too conspiracy theorist.
It seems like she’s getting her act together. The timing is questionable after all the newlywed/pregnancy/maternity leave excuse-making, but maybe she is finally going to at least try to do the job.
I wonder if she always knew she was going to have three children and knew she would not be working very much during her pregnancies, and maternity leaves, so she just set aside the first 7 or so years of her marriage for not working. She knew she would continue to get pregnant and then want to take maternity leave, so instead of ever getting really stuck in and then having to withdrawal, she just never got stuck in. Now that she’s on baby #3, her intended last child, she’s beginning to step it up a bit more.
@Amy
I doubt that. I don’t think it is some grand plan.
Whatever if it is though I hope she keeps it up.
But if she would just open her mouth a bit when she speaks – she is so difficult to understand – she does a mumbly, swift speaking style that makes it sound like she can’t wait it get it all over with.
+1
I can’t understand her. I think her rate of speech varies wildly. Fast, slow, fast and inarticulate, pause, slow… crazy!
I don’t understand what Kate says and I am English.
Imo the improvements coincide with the appointment of Catherine Quinn as her new private secretary.
I think Kate looks good here. I don’t get the constant criticism about her preference for skirts over trousers.
I think she looks good, and don’t understand why preferring a dress over trousers is so bad either.
I was delighted that she managed to memorise her speech, then depressed when I realised that after 7 years that’s how low the bar has been set.
Yay! She read my Boden suggestion here last week that someone laughed at! :-). Lol. Affordable, classic, but maybe not eough buttons, but a way to be more relatable and less cash-splashy. Her jeggings and endless striped tops already looked Boden-y to me. They have the color she needs.And lots of kids wear and some menswear too.
Boden is a major mum and young office worker brand, in every UK office I visit the 20-something account and marketing people always have the catalogue on their desk or on screen at lunch hour. And they do a big business in the US, too.
Quite popular with the late 40s worker too – both me and my colleague love their stuff, though we have slightly different tastes so have not yet turned up in the same outfit 🙂
I’m with you. I think Boden has great colors and some cute cuts. I’ve worn their stuff for years. It’s totally in her wheel house and priced right. She should stick with them.
Yes, they do sell in the US. I bought some summer dresses from them online and they were very good quality. You have to follow their sizing chart in ordering though, my size number with them was larger than my US size number.
They have great shoe sales. Have purchased a bunch of quirky cute very reduced price shoes from them online in US.
The ruffly cuffs are barely noticeable — neither are the buttons, honestly; I quite like the color and cut of the coat.
Boden is a pretty awesome brand, and they have a US site (bodenusa.com)
One of my co-workers does pretty much all of her shopping on bodenusa.com. I’ve gotten a few dresses and some cool pairs of shoes. It is affordable in the Ann Taylor range.
Completely agree on all fronts. I’m a boden fan myself!
I noticed the cuffs first. I thought she was wearing another lace dress.
@LadyD
I just bought the grapefruit yogurt we discussed last week. Will try it later.
It’s so good. I usually slice a banana into it, but it’s phenomenal on its own too.
I like this color on her
If it wasn’t for the ruffles, I would totally wear this coat for work with camel pants.
That would be lovely!! Now I want an orange coat and a pair of camel pants. I haven’t had a pair of camel pants in years!! I love them!!! Camel coats, too!!
And a pink coat, and a navy one too!
I’m always befuddled as to why she never removes her coat indoors, I’d be boiling hot!
The mystery to me is, why the wiglet? So unnecessary.
She tailors her coats so tightly they are more like a dress. She probably just has a sleeveless sheath dress underneath which would be inappropriate for January
MostlyMegan, I agree with this 100%. The Queen does something similar.
I don’t understand that either.
I would bet that she runs cold. She is very thin, seems to really have not body fat when not pregnant, just like my sister, who is also very cold all of the time.
I like the coat on her. IMO the ruffles are a cute touch and kind of sweet with her small baby bump.
This coat, open with black pants and a white top/blouse would actually look really great. I’m not a fan of the way she wears coats and I hate orange but at least she’s changing it up? Also, I know people like to make fun of Boden but I love their clothes. I don’t wear them top to toe but they have great options for more casual office wear.
I’m in the US so I didn’t know people make fun of their clothes but I too like most of them. I especially love the children’s line.
It’s not so much that people make fun of Boden clothes, but more the people who wear them. It’s a stereotype, the middle-class, Boden-wearing, shopping at Waitrose kind of mum.
I really like the coat and did not even notice the ruffles until I read the comments. Nice bright color which pairs nice with the tan dress underneath.
I can forgive the BUTTONS (capitalized for emphasis) on this one.
Aren’t Harry and Meghan scheduled to visit Wales today? Sounds like a cowinkidink.
I think they have one tomorrow, as does William. I’ve read where William is supposed to be scheduled alone, but Kate may decide to go, too.
She actually has two engagements today. This one and she’s going to visit a primary school in the afternoon. She also had unannounced engagement last Jan 6 – attending a conference at Anna Freud National Centre. Only few photos were posted on the afnccf page.
And, aren’t their engagements and schedules made prior to the event? So i highly doubt she just suddenly decided to go do work today just because the other two are scheduled to work today too. I’m just glad she’s actually working as much as she can before her maternity leaves comes up.
I also don’t like the color of the coat but she looks great in it.
Blow my mind away, please. Is it January? Still January? Kate’s working? Not on holiday? Is it a parallel reality or universe? Is it true?
Consistently working, doing more than one engagement a day and there are still 17 more engagements to come for this month/early next month from their foreign tour of Sweden and Norway. She’s on a roll!.
Oh … yeeeees … but.. the children. Her children. Their children. OMG. How about the children. Workin’ parents’ children.
Joke aside, what’s the value of foreign tours. They have to show numbers for the effort and money spent by their hosts. Just get a “working” holiday abroad with some alone time and chime into three days the # of events back home made within three months. Nice and coy way to make themselves look good. Please include private lunches with royal sparklings to increase numbers.
Two days in a row.
Heaven’s to Betsy! Two days in a row! Where are my smelling salts!
😉
Could be three days in a row if she decides to join William at his engagement in Wales tomorrow. It’s been reported that she might. You’re going to need some stronger smelling salts if she does!.
How many coats does this person need? Such waste…
I was gonna post the same thing! Forty, fifty not counting the coat dresses? Lord Almighty, it’s like she’s got a coat (or shopping) addiction, but there’s not a one of them that I’d even bother to try on in the store.
My house wouldn’t be big enough for her coat collection.
@Maria, I bet she’s had to convert a room in KP just for storage. But, TBH, if she had a better sense of style, I probably wouldn’t even be counting. 😉
Olenna, I don’t mind her sense of style, but she has so many coats that are a variation on the same theme. For example her white coats. Tons of them, she recycles a bit but imo not enough. Last week she wore a navy coat that I could have sworn we’d seen before, but no, it was a new one.
Maria, it’s hard for me to tell some of the coats apart, too. So, 40 or 50 in her closet is probably just me overestimating. She does have a handful of coats, including a couple of Reiss, that I do like, though. Nevertheless, the majority are just too close in style–too boring or too busy (buttons with flaps and pleats, and now ruffles)–for my tastes. She has the height and build to wear edgier styles (slim cuts, tasteful zippers) or basic, tailored chesterfields and trenches that would look great with trousers (vice skirts or dresses hidden under the coats). I don’t really have an issue with costs if the money is well spent. Oh, well, she isn’t going to change but, FWIW, that’s my 2 cents.
So – you’re shocked to find out that rich royals have lots of clothes? How many coats do you think dear little Meg will have acquired by the time she’s been married to Prince Harry for six years and done how many engagements? As it is, Meg has worn a different coat for each of the four times she’s been seen since the engagement. And not cheap ones, either.
People marry rich for this. And that includes Ms. Markle. Why hold Kate to a different standard?
@seesit
I personally would like to see her recycle clothing more. And two of Meghan’s coats were previously worn by her. The navy one and the one she wore last week.
Mind you she is not a royal yet…so we shall see.
I thought it wasn’t a contest and besides, why bring Meghan into it? We will see in 6 years.
The lady has a lot of samey looking coats. If she were pulling out new and different looks and loved coats, it would seem different. But none of them are that distinct from the other.
Not Princess Anne. She wears her coats for 30 years. Even Camilla does repeats.
Am I the only one who doesn’t get what the big deal with the buttons is? It’s either that, or a zipper, or a belt. Total non-issue for me. That being said, I just want to see moar of Meghan’s style! Not a diss on Kate, but I already know what her style is.
All (three) of my coats have buttons too 😂I’m also not a giant fan of tailored “work” pants on my body shape and I would always pick a skirt or dress for work.. so I guess while not loving Kate’s fashion I’m with her on that!
Yeah, I don’t get the button issue either. I can see where it might be too much when she has gold buttons on the front and also up the sleeves.
No you’re not alone. Maybe because I’ve left Paris more than 15 years ago for a tropical island, and haven’t owned fall/winter clothes since then, I’m not really up to winter fashion.
But back in the day I had many coats and all had buttons. Only a belt is annoyoing and you basically end up tucking the upper part to keep warm. Zippers were for jackets.
My trenchcoats had buttons, my cardigans had buttons. Maybe one or two sailor coats with tassels (but I suspect those would upset people too).
I understand the annoyance when she has multiple rows of them but other than that.
But again I chose to live on a place where one layer of clothes is enough to leave the house, so my expertise is very low.
Its ridiculous – who on earth has ever heard of a button backlash lol. It’s only a big deal because it’s Kate. Just like wearing hair pieces is only a ever a problem when Kate wears them.
That said, I agree with you. I want to see more of Meghan. Kate always looks fine to me. Totally uninspiring but not at all offensive. I hope Meghan is a bit more…punchy? Like the Queen Letizia of Spain, maybe.
The referrals to her ‘wiglet’ is starting to become tired aren’t they? If she does, if she doesn’t .. who cares? So many ‘regular’ people wear hairpieces or extensions or wigs. She’s someone who is photographed gazillions of times in one outing. I’d want to look my best, as well.
Have you noticed the millenials nowadays with their spider lashes? Some of my son’s school staff have them, and it looks so ridiculous . And the overdrawn brows?? But if it makes them feel better. … What is the big deal of a little wiglet. LOL
The wiglet is a running joke since she used the Palace to deny it.
Call the woman anything you want. Lazy, waity, dolittle, and other extremely sexist and misogynist rude words and she’ll ignore it, but don’t you dare to call out her wiglet.
That is a step too far and deserving of govt resources to deny. Within hours of the first article appearing calling it out.
Her glossy hair is all her own. Signed The Palace.
ETA: i think i speak for everyone on wiglet watch when i say that no one thinks it’s wrong or that she shouldn’t use hairpieces. Considering how widely hair pieces are used, i don’t know a woman on this earth who would judge her negatively for it.
The ribbing is in good fun in light of the the official denial.
@LAK is it just a good ribbing? The “keen” and the buttons and the winglets are incessant. No other woman written about has the same catchphrases attached to her. It is so catty
But Lak, royal reps are paid with government resources regardless of what they say – or don’t say – on record. In this case, they were asked about a weird line on Kate’s scalp and they said “It’s a scar.” And let’s be real – rightly or wrongly, Kate is negatively judged for pretty much everything – including wearing weave – you can see it in this thread. It may be in good fun for all involved, but it often scathing and almost never reads as light hearted to me. YMMV, though!
vavavoom, i am so anti spider lashes! It’s just too much for daytime wear. Even after dark it looks excessive to me.
The palace denial was comedy gold but I don’t think it’s logical to expect newcomers to understand the innocent hilarity that was vintage CB wiglet watch. The truth is that there have been a lot of catty remarks made by those other than the original watcher crew. I will forgive Kate any level of wiglet ridiculousness because after George was born she did several engagements with substantial amounts of grey new growth showing. It made her seem vulnerable and quite human at the time. At the end of the day, however, I say to each her own. Meghan wears extensions so why not Kate? No big deal.
It is in good fun because it caused such hoopla and over the top speculation. She wears a wiglet, but the denial was silly.
Complaints about Kate began to have an edge when she refused to work, and she can turn it all around. It seems so far maybe she is trying.
It didn’t happen overnight. She had loads of goodwill.
Her fans bend backward to make excuses for her when there is no way she didn’t need to step up her schedule.
We don’t do enough about Willy because of all three young royals he is the one who bears the responsibility for their issues the most. I would say at least half of her failures I lay at his feet.
@magnoliarose
I get the work ethic. 100% they don’t do enough and it’s problematic. That said, every single article about Kate is written this way. One, they mention the word keen nonstop, or they are over the top about buttons and wiglets. It is really strange to me to do it SO incessantly. They are poorly written articles with high school mean girl undertones.
@D Train
May I ask, no snark, which articles you are referring to re the wiglets? Because on this site, it’s all been done in good fun. At least that’s the way I see it.
@maria it’s hard to find an article that doesn’t mention wiglets. I find it hard to believe that these articles are written in good sport. Again, I’m not a Kate apologist (her work ethic needs stepping up, specifically) but the odd fixation on those specific words(buttons, Lee, wiglet) is so very strange and mean girl to me.
Lobbit: the issue isn’t the govt employees. The issue is that the denial was silly and even sillier to use official resources to deny it.
Enough Already: I take your point regarding wiglet watch, but i also think newcomers don’t realise that the 3 things are vintage Kate and KP. They’d resent the usage of ‘poor Jason’, ‘normal bill’, ‘Katie Keen’, ‘moderately wealthy James’ in every article as well because they don’t get the joke and not getting the joke insist it is mean spirited no matter how often it is explained that it is not.
@LAK so basically this site is just a group of “online friends” who can’t give it a rest? I get mentioning these terms once or twice, but so you really find it to be a funny ”inside joke” when it is so incessant?
LAK
Very true! I would suggest they go through the archives for reference but there seems to be no way to suggest this without sounding priggish lol. It comes across as dictatorial and dismissive but I feel it would provide important backstory. That and it would be a peek into a rare, delightful window of time here on the royal threads. never
Oh gosh I think I cut off my last sentence by mistake. Was just going to say never underestimate the power of a good giggle!
Thank you!! She wears zippered coats, but those aren’t as common. Coats have buttons. I find the hatred for buttons bizarre, like criticizing someone for wearing shirts with sleeves. I don’t understand what she is supposed to wear…..
I’d like it better in a different in a different color and I don’t love ruffles, but I didn’t notice the ruffles. Most of my coats have buttons, and a few have zippers, because that’s what keeps the coat closed
Wow! I’m really impressed. She’s been working a lot. The cynical part of me says it’s because she’s gonna take 3 months off. Though maybe she’s turning a new leaf!
When I have a baby i’m on maternity leave one month before and nine months after and then my husband gets two months!
Where do you live, and how soon can I move there?? Ugh, maternity leave here is a disgrace.
Wow, she is doing pretty good lately with her styling. I really am liking her hair this length and I hope she sticks with it for a while. She has nice hair, but the long locks that she’s had since college needed a break. As for the coat, I kinda love it. The color is warm and flattering on her, and I really love the little ruffle on the sleeves. The only part I don’t care for is the ruffle on the pockets–it’s just a touch too much. But overall, she looks great!
Also, I am not really convinced she is wearing a wiglet here…
She has really thick hair, I’m not convinced either. 🙂
I love her coats! She really seems to have taken the Queen’s style and made it her own.
It is a small one you can see the change if you look closely. But all the joking aside, I don’t blame her. She is being photographed, and it gives all the angles a pretty full look without having a dreaded flat head side that looks very odd in photographs. It keeps her from doing that thing women do where they pull all their hair over their shoulders to frame their face totally forgetting how they look from the side and from behind. Wiglets keep that from happening.
It is smart styling in my opinion. I like them especially with this length which suits her.
Kate has been looking good. I like the coat on her. Nice fit and color.
The “young royals” all actually working with no vacations yet? This is good let’s see how long it lasts.
Looks like it was one of Kate’s New Year’s resolutions to become better at public events.
She looks great! I love that coat, especially the ruffles. I really like the color of the shoes with the coat and am glad she didn’t ruin the look with those nude pumps she thinks go with everything.
“Ahh…now THAT’S some good button.” Kate to her closet of buttons.
This made me laugh way too hard. 😀
Is this two days in a row?! Kate is a busy bee these days!
I actually really like this entire look! I’m not into the ruffles either but they’re not super noticeable. Good color pairings too!
I generally have no trouble with British accents but I can’t understand most of what she says. She swallows her words. Listening to her speak is so annoying. The coat is kind of twee and I’m not a fan of that color on such a large scale. It’s like she’s trying to dress like the queen. 🙄
You took the words right out of my mouth. I could not understand her. She also rushes her speech because she is nervous. A good speech has some pauses. She still needs lots of work in that department.
I thought the coat looked tight-not meant for a pregnant woman. Plus I find it so odd that someone is inside and does not take off their coat. It seems rude.
I can’t understand Kate and I am English, she needs to drop her fake accent and start speaking normally.
She needed the extra push from a new girl joining the family. 😉 Now she has to work because there is someone to compare her too.
She looks lovely! As someone who was also terrified of public speaking, I really respect the strides she’s made. Maybe there is a Royal Toastmasters Club? I know my peasant-y club made all the difference for me. I feel like this site is so eager to rip her (and others) apart and the negativity strikes me in especially high relief this AM. Maybe I’m just in a particularly good mood because of 2 bonus days off due to snow! We never get that where I live!
Actually, I think Boden is the level of Kate Middleton’s style, tbh. No matter how high end her stuff is, on her she just makes it look like Boden, tbh.
yes, and actually here in the states you can go to any Target and buy stuff that looks just like boden, lol. It’s not a very tough look to achieve…
I don’t know where your Target is-but mine doesn’t have Boden-looking stuff.
@Cynical neither does mine…😕
She should stick with it then because she does seem to be their model for their styles and cuts. The price shouldn’t matter as much as how it suits someone. She can sprinkle in some luxury if she chooses.
@CyncicalAnn….”I don’t know where your Target is-but mine doesn’t have Boden-looking stuff.”…….loooool!!!
I buy mini boden for my daughter…she’s six, she would look adorable in this coat. On a grown woman??? Oy.
She barely looks pregnant; she carries magnificently.
I don’t get the button hate. Coats have buttons so…
I never would have thought orange would suit Kate so well. It’s a lovely shade and it really suits her. Lovey sunny (but COLD) day in London today, she certainly picked the right colour. She looks wonderful.
I don’t mind the buttons so much, but wish she would STAHP with the flipping flaps already! Gah!
I like Boden.
We’ve been saying for years that if Kate were to just do a few engagements per week consistently she’d improve her public speaking skills. And, look! She’s doing it now. She looks like she’s enjoying herself, too, so that’s all great.
It’s good timing, too. She’ll leave an impression of hard-working future queen Kate in people’s minds when she takes off for maternity leave next year so that Meghan will need to do twice as much twice as well for anything like equal respect. I know it’s how the monarchy survives, but it is kind of depressing to think about.
XanaxBot 3000 here to steal your coat beep boop buttons
I like the color on her, but this coat does NOT fit her properly.
The styling is boring as usual.
Good that she didn’t touch her hair, this must be a first. Now if she can just get those hand movements under control, and open her mouth when she speaks, she could do a pretty good short speech.
I like the color of the coat on her. Are her shoes brown or black? In some photos they look brown, almost matching her hair, in others they look black. The faux pocket flaps and the ruffle at the sleeves are too much.
I’m glad she’s stepping up for these few months before the baby is born, with both kids in school she really has no excuse. She does seem to be more secure and at ease now. I wonder if helping Meghan (assuming she’s helping Meghan) has given her more confidence in her royal role.
I cannot believe that she kept her coat on, again. Woman, take it off and give these people the illusion that you want to be there.
I love orange so I have no issues with the color but the ruffles are bit too cutesy. And the hair does look “slightly” less helmet like than usual.
If extremely experienced actors can get stage fright then perhaps she can too.
Two days in a row!! I thought she looked good again today. It’s a nice coat and I don’t think the buttons and ruffles are bad. My only criticism would be that the dress under the coat was too short but as she kept her coat on then it doesn’t really matter. The DM had some nice pictures of the visit.
That’s an outstanding color on her! Bravo.
SHE looks gorgeous! She might even be slowly inspiring me to get her hair cut!!!!!
I remember feeling cold when I visited London. Then I moved to Finland and cold got a new meaning. I think she is fine with bare legs.
Did Kate really go out with bare legs? I find that hard to believe especially in January and Kate doesn’t have a habit going bare legged.
What do we reckon?
A) Someone at the palace gave Will and Kate a proper kick up the backside about their abysmal numbers
B) They’re planning a long maternity leave and want some sort of work now they can point at to justify it
C) The stepping up of engagements happening just as a new face arrives on the scene ain’t entirely a coincidence
Whatever it is, keep it up for goodness’ sake!
or D) They officially became full-time Royals back in September 2017 and the whole point of that is to work a lot more regularly than they did when they weren’t considered full time working Royals.
When weren’t they full time royals?
No snark but I hadn’t heard that.
Kate has (in theory) always been a full time working royal. William (again in theory) only became a full time working royal when he left his air ambulance job, formally in August 2017. Now, William did fewer engagements in 2017 than in 2016, so that whole “full time royal” thing hasn’t exactly taken off yet, but that is the theory.
That falls under A) 😉 They didn’t announce they were going full time under their own steam.
She has the “actress” to compete with poor girl don’t envy her
I honestly don’t get the constant harping on her because of her love for buttons. So what? She likes buttons. We ALL have our style quirks. I know I do. My love for mid-calf boots and silver barrettes and crystal and stone jewelry will go down as a legendary TheMummy style. I love them and I refuse to give them up. It’s a daily thing and I don’t care. So she loves buttons. Who cares? I think there is plenty of legitimate criticism to heap on her. No need to harp on her buttons.
Her private style preferences are private. But she lives her private style preferences on a public job paid for by the taxpayer. And her love for buttons does sometimes get in the way of her being perceived as a professional royal.
Wow you’re scraping the barrel there. There is really nothing wrong with buttons. The majority of coats have buttons on them. I say that as someone who has only loved a few things that Kate has worn.
Yeah, having buttons on her coats is not making her look unprofessional. You are definitely reaching with that.
Lol, seriously?
Question to everyone: all the sudden, when I click on a picture to get a closer look, or to zoom in…..the picture never zooms. Just goes off center and then I can only see, for example, the top left corner of the pic! I know I couldn’t zoom on Getty Images in the past but these aren’t Getty?! I’m so bummed. I only use my iPhone. Am I doing something wrong?!?! Help! I love to zoom in for details!!!!!
Kate still speaks too fast and she doesn’t really do good emphasis’ / modulation.
I guess it is very stressful if you have to watch out for your posh accent all the time so emphasis and modulation go down the drain. She speaks too fast because she wants it to be over quickly and she doesn’t really want to be there. She doesn’t want to be there because she doesn’t want to do her royal duties. She just isn’t practiced enough to pretend she liked it. You know when you get a job you learn to pretend that you like to do it. That is part of the deal. Kate still hasn’t learned that. Instead of gifting people with her presence or instead of bringing some enthusiasm as a present to those who pay her to do it — you notice that Kate just does it because she has to.
I bet that Kate’s dream job is to be “lady who lunches” and “home maker with no out-of-the-house duties nor interests except shopping”. Bland as dishwater.
I like Boden, but not this coat. Mini ruffles, orange, giant plastic buttons are not for me, but if Kate likes all that, fine. I’m impressed at her short talk. Clearly memorized, so not extemporaneous, but no notes & no hint of nervousness, so good for her. She may want to work a bit on her hand gestures, but overall, well done.
I have quite a few Boden clothes in my closet – especially dresses. I like the brand’s styling and they have very good sales online. I like that Kate is wearing something relatable.
Wait a minute…where’s her engagement ring?
Someone mentioned in another thread that she was honoring the hospital policy of wearing minimal jewelry.
I think u all missed Meghans new british accent lmao.
Watch the video of the event she attended with harry to a radio station.
That’s already been discussed; some say she had one and some say she didn’t. Most people didn’t notice or care and have moved on, but you can check the MM thread from last week (?) if you’re still interested.