Duchess Kate in Orla Kiely at the National Portrait Gallery: Victorian cosplay?

Catherine Duchess of Cambridge at National Portrait

I honestly don’t think we’ve seen the Duchess of Cambridge this much ever, in the history of her duchess-ing. Before Meghan Markle’s arrival on the scene, Kate could go weeks, sometimes months, without being seen or photographed. Then Prince Harry announces his engagement and suddenly it was like Kate finally learned The True Meaning of Keen. That’s what the Lifetime bio-pic will be called, when they devote a bio-pic to this stage of Kate’s life: The True Meaning of Keen.

These are photos of Kate at the National Portrait Gallery in London on Wednesday evening. This is Kate’s version of pulling a double-shift: she did the Royal Foundation event with William, Harry and Meghan during the day, then changed clothes for this exhibit opening. Kate did some work behind the scenes on this exhibit, Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography. She wrote (“wrote”?) the foreword to the gallery’s exhibition catalogue, which we previously discussed. I had an AHA moment when I read part of Kate’s foreword, about the era she most identifies with, and how she sees her role. Kate is a Victorian. Not a cool, hipster Victorian obsessed with Jules Verne. She really sees herself and her role as a throwback to the Victorian Age.

For this event, Kate wore a Victorian-cosplay dress from Orla Kiely, a designer she has worn before but not in a while. It would be one thing if this was just an ironically ugly-printed dress which was cut well and flattering to Kate’s third trimester bump. In fact, I was prepared to make some excuses about how the fabric is so ugly that it actually seems sort of cute in a weird way. But then I got a good look at the “V” design down the chest of this dress and the same black ribbon detailing on the cuffs and high neck. OMFG, you guys. It’s like Kate is TRYING to find the ugliest floral dresses at this point. Also, to the Keen Defenders: I thought Kate wasn’t allowed to wear black dresses, huh???

Catherine Duchess of Cambridge at National Portrait Gallery

Catherine Duchess of Cambridge at National Portrait

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge braves the snowy weather at The National Portrait Gallery

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, WENN.

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120 Responses to “Duchess Kate in Orla Kiely at the National Portrait Gallery: Victorian cosplay?”

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  1. Alix says:

    Black print dresses are clearly okay, even if they’re ugly.

  2. Beta says:

    The way she looks at the camera all of a sudden

    • MostlyMegan says:

      Yes! There was an entire thing about how she studiously, expertly avoided making eye contact with the camera (just like Di, but Kate was more successful at it). All of a sudden Meghan comes on the scene, smiling for the cameras and connecting with the public in a way that Kate never seemed to achieve and hey presto: Kate’s looking at the cameras now.

      • Imqrious2 says:

        That was more of William’s paranoia with the press: don’t give them th “money shot”. I think now with Meghan on scene, press friendly, we’re seeing the competitive side of Kate coming out,William be damned lol

        I also think she’s just a damned sight happier than ever now, with the family of three kids that she’s always wanted.

    • Krill says:

      The way she actually goes to work all of a sudden. Either this magical pregnancy has given her a personality transplant or this is the Meghan effect. Gotta step up your game when the new kid on the block comes in revving at the gates. Will and Kate are scared stiff about how bad their timesheets will look side by side to the new couples.

      • RoyalSparkle says:

        +1000
        @Krill and thread

        Duch middleton so insincere, fake/phony and useless (except b…. )

      • Domino says:

        I am especially surprised because I thought KP said she had hyperemesis gravidarum.

        Is it typical for that to make you more outgoing and look healthier during your pregnancy? More like the opposite right? Because it takes such a toll on the body.

      • ABC says:

        Let’s not forget guys that she is about to disappear for anything up to a year if not longer. Yes the work rate is awesome (for Kate) but it’s not going to continue. And I’m glad because there are only so many ugly dresses I can bear. I do think she is trolling us now with her outfits and buttons. Nobody has such bad fashion taste, nobody.

      • wood dragon says:

        Yeah, I have noticed that too: she is really putting herself out there these days.

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        @domino,
        HE has a variable course. Most often it does not last the entire pregnancy. For an unlucky small percentage it can.

        Pregnancy is different for everyone. My pregnancy with my first was very different from my subsequent twin pregnancy. She’s at least a month from her due date, looks to me as though she’s feeling pretty good.

      • Seraphina says:

        Krill, THANK YOU! Exactly!!! All of sudden she CAN work and pull a double.

      • Msthang says:

        Krill, its the Meghan effect for sure, I think she is truly terrified of being upstaged and of course Carole is like saying go, go, go, you first, always you first and I of course am inches behind you, the real voice behind the throne!

      • FLORC says:

        Domino
        KP did say she had HG for her last 2 pregnancies. I’m not sure they did this time. I think they only stated Kate had morning sickness and would clear her schedule and not add back any cancelled events if she felt well.
        The engagement happened and suddenly she was everywhere.

        Only George appeared to give her a rough time in the early trimester which is not uncommon. In the early weeks of Charlotte Kate was seen eating out with William. On her feet shopping for hours often. And working out. There’s nothing visible to suggest this 3rs pregnancy is giving any issues. She’s gaining fine. She’s having another unremarkable and healthy pregnancy. KP has also often sent out incorrect and sloppy information.

    • Beluga says:

      Nah, she’s been staring into the camera for years. One journalist just did some cherry picking of photos and wrote an article about it.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Years ago, royal reporter James Whittaker said that Kate Middleton knows where the cameras are and plays to them – as much or more than Diana.

      • nic919 says:

        On Twitter there is a video clip of Kate at the Tour de France and she stops and freezes her movements to pose for a photo whereas Will and Harry are watching the race and moving their heads like the rest of the crowd. It looks so odd.

      • SlightlyAnonny says:

        @nic. Do you have a link to that? I saw a gif of that once on tumblr and my mind was boggled. It was almost robotic. Then I never saw it again.

      • Beluga says:

        @SlightlyAnonny Skip to 1:00 https://media.gettyimages.com/videos/tour-de-france-begins-in-yorkshire-royal-at-finish-line-in-harrogate-video-id700089400

        And the photo that goes with it https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DUDtjcVX0AAqq_T.jpg

        (Credit to those who found these on twitter, but I’ll err on the side of caution and not link individuals’ accounts)

      • whatever says:

        I watch that clip back a few times and couldn’t see what she did wrong…maybe its because I’m guilty of sometimes having long gasping pauses where I’m thinking “OMFG what just happened!!’ when something un-freaking-believe has just taken place. I know I’m not the only one.

        You can see in the video the peloton came from the direction she was looking in a few seconds later but there was also something going on in the other direction that we couldn’t see. So there was nothing unusual about her not moving her head at the time pace as William and Harry there was action all around.

      • SlightlyAnonny says:

        @Beluga. Thank you! It is just as creepy as I remember.

        @Whatever. I think the creepiness is in the reaction of the people around her. No one else is looking at whatever “shocked” her for 3 seconds.

      • FLORC says:

        Nota
        I miss Whittaker! He was an insider. His sources were trusted. And his wording balanced common sense and the narrative pushed to benefit the monarchy. Huge journalistic loss in full.

        You’re right too. Kate has looked straight into lenses or avoided them slightly for ages. She’s hyper aware.

        P.s. that dress is horrid.

    • Msthang says:

      Me thinks they told Sparkles not to stare at the camera,she is not doing it even remotely the way she was, Chutney was doing it the right way, you look your host directly in the eye, and pretend their is no camera. The royals are very particular about this!!

  3. Runcmc says:

    Are you seriously telling me she’s wearing a dress and no tights out in the SNOW? Where is the argument that she always keeps her coat on because she’s cold? She’s been in “coatdresses” all through this pregnancy and this is the dress she chooses to parade outside in the frigid winter?

    • justme says:

      What makes you think she is not wearing tights? I think she is probably wearing nude tights. She usually does.

      • Runcmc says:

        I don’t think she is but sure, let’s say she’s wearing ultra-sheer nude tights. This makes her…warm? Compensates for the lack of a coat?

    • Clare says:

      It was SO cold in London yesterday. SO SO COLD. I had on thick tights yesterday and was uncomfortably cold outdoors, despite also having on knee high boots and a down jacket.

      The nude ‘tights’ she wears are the very sheer not-warm kind. Which is totally her choice, obvs. It was not sheer tights and no coat weather last night, that’s all. But the whole ‘Kate is cold’ narrative does not add up.

    • LizB says:

      She’s wearing nude stockings.

    • LAK says:

      She’s wearing tights. The skin of her legs is very different and strangely smooth in comparison with the skin of her hands and face. That difference is the tights.

    • Lahdidahbaby says:

      I just always think that if your clothes don’t fit the weather, they look off somehow. The dress is nice, but it would look more season-appropriate with a coat worn open over it, and yes, maybe some tights. I mean, FFS, it was snowing!

    • Ellaus says:

      Despite what the Daily Mail said, she was wearing nude stockings (you can ser it in the whitish shine her legs have in the pictures). And yes, incredible, 2 (!!!!!!) events the same day!!!
      The dress is so fricking ugly… The erdem dresses were horrible, but this.. It has put he bar at a new height.

      On the other hand, she looks so damn fine! And it is great to see her showing interest in something…

      • minx says:

        I like the cut of the dress, the length, and she looks comfortable. HATE the print. It’s not Victorian, it’s 60s pop art flowers.

    • KiddV says:

      Pregnancy heat. I bet the snow felt good.

      That is one ugly dress. It fits her well, and it looks like it moves well while she’s walking, but the print and black velvet trim is horrible. And again, that 70’s ruffle at the bottom. Why are designers suddenly doing that again? The only time an out fit should have that ruffle is if you’re also carrying a macramé beaded purse. And wearing a headband.

      • Hazel says:

        Apparently we’re going to be forced to relive the fashion of the ‘70s, an era best left in the past.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Sadly it looks like she’s taking fashion inspiration from Mette-Marit of Norway.

      • Fire&Blood says:

        @Nota I got – and appreciated – your reference. Love Mette-Marit but her clothes.. not so much.

  4. Becks says:

    So I actually didn’t mind this dress – floral patterns, meh, she loves them like she loves buttons – but then someone mentioned how it was a nod to Victorian style (I hadn’t noticed the velvet trim etc at first) and then I thought….omg. She literally cannot help herself with the theme dressing. It’s so tiresome at this point.

    I do find it amusing that people who are usually pretty pro Kate are really puzzled by her lack of a coat here. It’s snowing Kate. If you run so cold that you have to keep your coat on for entire indoor engagements, you probably want to wear one in the snow, lol. (I like when she doesn’t wear a coat, but some people are really bothered by this, ha.)

    Also I’m interested by the reports that she “curated” part of the exhibit. Do you think they showed her two different options and she picked one? Or was she more involved than that?

    • LadyMTL says:

      I like the print, but I generally don’t mind florals. That said, ITA about the velvet trim. Take off the ugly V down the front, and the velvet around the neck, and I would buy this dress. Also: yay for no buttons!

      That said, I am puzzled by the lack of a coat but the only thing I could think of was that maybe she had one on in the car and then took it off so that everyone could see her “on theme” dress?

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        But the ruffled cuffs!!! Arrgh. She does look good, though… engaged and happy.

        When I was pregnant with my twins, I could barely stand an open coat throughout a mid-state Maine winter. Maybe she is somewhat overheated at this point.

    • gingersnaps says:

      I agree, I find her behaviour quite odd. It was freezing yesterday and it still is today. I live in Yorkshire but I can still imagine that London was experiencing the same kind of weather considering as it snowed there as well. Although it is par for the course for her, she tends to have these kind of blips eg, wearing bright colours for a somber event etc.

    • Hazel says:

      Yeah, I don’t think her ‘curation’ was a matter of viewing hundreds of photos, then finding the best representation of the exhibit’s theme (if that’s even what curation is). I think the experts did the work, then she or someone in her office wrote the handful of captions on those few photos they’re calling the curator’s pathway or whatever.

      • OriginalLala says:

        I’m a curator at a history/anthropology museum, and I really hope they are not claiming that she curated the exhibition – curating isn’t choosing a few pretty artifacts that look good together! I had to get a freaking PhD in my field to become a curator at my country’s national museum. Curating a show is several years of intense work involving research, interpretation, design etc.

      • Becks says:

        Original La La – they are. Well, kind of. She “curated a patron’s trail” -I don’t entirely know what that means (that’s a quote from Twitter) and I think that’s getting translated as “helped curate the exhibition.”

      • Lady D says:

        I knew a curator once, and I’ll never forget listening to the amount of education she required to as I saw it, hang a few pictures. Opened my eyes. (mouth was already there)

  5. Clare says:

    Had she worn black to the BAFTA’s would her outfit have got as much attention as the green dress? Would there have been editorials and blog posts and rants and essays about why she didn’t wear black, the meaning of her jewelry and suffragette green? She has worn black plenty (plenty!) of times in the past. She is either a) is dumb enough to equate MeToo with a political movement rather than basic human rights or b) wanted the extra attention, which she got.

    • Bridget says:

      It was obviously a total misfire.

      • xena says:

        Well, she likes to be the centre of the attention, she seems to feel uncomfortable if she’s not.

      • graymatters says:

        Now that you say that, I remember that before her wedding the talk was that she and Pippa were very competitive. I guess Kate “won” back then, but now that Meghan’s on the scene, Kate has another sister (-in-law) to contend with and the subject is… work.

        That print wouldn’t be so bad if the background color were different — a deep green or cream, perhaps — and on wallpaper in a room where few people ever go.

  6. manda says:

    oh goodness, this is just hideous. I really don’t like her style. She could look really good and sophisticated, and instead I feel like she dresses like one of my middle school teachers. Dowdy. Flouncy. Ruffly. Lacey. She needs stuff with more structure and a bit of edge. And yes, enough of the buttons.

    And, while I’m at it, meghan needs to get her pants hemmed

    • Olenna says:

      Agree, the dress is just dowdy (g*d, that ruffles!). If someone told me it came from the 1970 Minnie Pearl Fall/Winter collection, I wouldn’t be surprised. And, yes, Meghan needs to hem her pants/trousers. Both ladies need good, dedicated tailors on their payroll.

      • manda says:

        omg yes! trousers, not pants! I always forget “pants” is “underwear” in GB

  7. Iknowwhatboyslike says:

    Yes! I haven’t seen Kate this much since her Waity days. And she’s pregnant. I can’t get over how much she’s hustling during her pregnancy. I wonder if this means she will take a lot of time off after the pregnancy? As for the dress, I wouldn’t pick the dress for myself, but it seems this is the style she’s most comfortable in while pregnant. Do you, Duchess.

    • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

      She is NEVER this visible at this time of year or at this stage of her previous pregnancies. This is a result of 2 things; Meghan and Catherine Quinn (her new private secretary). There is a new girl on the royal block and Katie Keen wants to make sure no one forgets about her.

      • Clare says:

        Digital, I agree. I think its Catherine Quinn – she is a fantastic woman (a badass, one might say) and I think she is whipping these dummies into shape. Good for her.

      • Cynical Ann says:

        I still think the Duke of Edinburgh (forcing their hand) by retiring also contributed greatly to both she and William finally stepping it up. He’s been out and about every single day-I follow their official account, and Chris Jackson (Getty photographer of the Royals) on IG.

      • magnoliarose says:

        I am glad to see you around Cynical Ann.
        The Duke retiring makes sense to add to the mix. I hadn’t thought of that. It might be there is no choice in the matter at this point in that case.

      • Cynical Ann says:

        @waving at you, magnoliarose!

      • justBitchy says:

        This! Plus dress is dreadful and pregnancy is good in respect that her skin looks great but it emphasizes her relatively short legs

    • notasugarhere says:

      Soon she’ll disappear until the birth. After that we’ll see her at May wedding, Trooping the Colour, candid pap shots just accidentally catching them at Balmoral (nudge nudge wink wink), maybe at Eugenie’s wedding, Christmas. Pretty much disappearing until March of next year.

      • Adele Dazeem says:

        Will she attend Eugenie’s wedding? They don’t get along correct? I wonder if she’ll use an excuse to bow out as she has at many of William’s friends’ weddings.

      • Cynical Ann says:

        @adele-there is no way she’s missing a family wedding with the Queen present.

  8. Becks says:

    And she is definitely “keen” all of a sudden. Good for her. It only took 7 years. I wonder if she will return to this pace (or increase it even more) in the fall (I’m assuming she’ll resume full time duties in the fall.)

  9. LizB says:

    I like it! She finally looks like a live, human being, woman lol

    Confused as to why she’ll spend a whole visit buttoned up in a coat inside, and then the day it snows, is outside without even a scarf or anything. Huh. Oh, well. I guess pregnancy hormones.

    • Ollie says:

      If the event is held in the evening/after 6:00pm the semi-formal guidelines lean more toward the formal than if it were during the day. Coat dresses are for the day, not an evening event!
      You can wear a long evening coat or cape or no coat (no problem when you only have like 5 steps from your car).

      • Where did these rules come from coz i’ve never seen the Princess Royale in a coat dress. Why people create fake rules to excuse DoC i will never understand.

        I must have terrible taste because i really like this dress, however i dislike the fact that she’s worn some form of black dress in all her personal engagements since she supposedly couldn’t wear black during the BAFTAs.

        She obviously is pro sexual assault. Lol JK

    • Msthang says:

      LizB, I have always thought she kept her coat on because she was ready to leave before she got there!

  10. HK9 says:

    I love the shape of the dress but I hate the pattern. I really wanted to like all of it but alas it didn’t happen. Sigh…and the nude shoes have crept back in. I thought she’d put those away for a while??

  11. Masamf says:

    If I hadn’t read how, unlike Meghan who “courts” the cameras, Dutchess Kate never ever looks at the camera, is be damned. Kate is looking straight in the camera!!!
    Anyways, I don’t likemist of Kate’s outfits, this is just like her Arden’s, just meh!

  12. magnoliarose says:

    When I saw the title, I thought maybe she was doing a coatdress with boots or I don’t know something else. I didn’t expect this. It is hideous, and I hate it.
    She looks like a pastor’s wife on her way to give a coffee talk to young women about being virtuous or the power of needlepoint. Or bringing back the temperance movement.
    If the dress had been simple without the detail and she had worn a kicky jacket, I would have shrugged and said Ok its Kate and its fine she’s working. But this dress is an eyesore.

    On a positive note she is showing up and looking keen and happy to be there. She looks healthy and aware of the optics.

    • Maria says:

      That pretty well summarizes how I see the dress. I’ll give her credit for stepping up.

    • Hazel says:

      And it’s viscose!! To me, that just adds insult to injury. It’s an ugly late-60s/early-70s granny dress, costs a good chunk of change, AND it’s made of cheap fabric. Then again, that was the first big polyester era.

      • magnoliarose says:

        Noooo. Viscose is illegal or should be.
        Why would she choose such a terrible fabric?
        I didn’t know that part, and now it makes it even worse.

  13. Beluga says:

    She’s pregnant and wearing stilettos into the snow! I went arse over tit in wellies yesterday thanks to a small patch of ice and I don’t even have a baby to worry about. Common sense, thy name is not Kate.

    Also, she basically never goes without a coat. She has wardrobes stuffed full of coats. She keeps on her coats inside. If ever there were a time for a thick coat with extra shiny buttons, it’s when it’s below freezing and snowing. Where’s her coat?!

  14. Amelie says:

    Ugly dress but I have noticed Kate always seems to really enjoy her engagements at the National Portrait Gallery. Makes sense, she majored in Art History. So she is passionate about sports and art/photography. Of course we can argue she is making an effort to look more engaged since Meghan has been the scene but I also wonder if she just feels more relaxed that the spotlight is not on her. But she loves the Victorian era and art and helped “curate” this exhibit (whatever that means) so I think it would make sense for her to look happy at being somewhat involved in an art exhibit.

  15. LW says:

    From the front it’s not good, from the side I kind of like the cut/shape of the dress!

  16. Lala says:

    Eh…I work in fashion retail p/t…and they’re pushing flowered prints this spring/summer and I’ve ALWAYS been partial to that print…so I LOVE the dress…I even like the velvet details..that print is similar to a few things I have in my closet…and I rock the HECK OUT OF THEM! I have rarely seen her in a silhouette that was more flattering…that’s for sure…it ALL works for her…and she feels good in it…you can tell…hence the “no coat” look…

    • MellyMel says:

      “Florals for spring? Groundbreaking.” Haha sorry I had to do it. But yeah I really like floral prints on black. I do like the dress, especially the silhouette, but I’m not crazy about the V design on her chest. And she looks like she’s comfortable so that’s a plus. I wish she would have chosen a different shoe tho…

  17. Chrissy says:

    She looks great. I keep saying it but she looks so happy…like from the inside. I am into it. I like the dress. Honestly dressing yourself while that pregnant sucks and she is doing well. I feel like she is showing more this time around. Due date likely beginning of April.

    • Msthang says:

      Chutney, because 3 little ones, mean her husband can’t bolt or he will look like a cad, just my own personal take, so she is happy yappy for now!!

  18. Ankhel says:

    Kate working TWICE in a day? And not even on vacati… diplomacy tour abroad?

    Fetch my smelling salts, loosen my corsets.

    • magnoliarose says:

      If you need to gain your strength might I suggest some Victorian pork jelly? Apparently it was all the rage in 1860.

  19. blueb says:

    When I was pregnant, I was always hot, which may explain the no coat thing. Your body is make another person – it’s an oven! She also most likely didn’t have that far to walk. The dress is nice, it’s a different look for her and she looks happy and healthy. What is with all the mean girl comments?!? So much for female empowerment…

    • notasugarhere says:

      She has 6-8 custom maternity coats she’s worn in the last month, including a coat she wore in the car to the Foundation forum yesterday. That is what seems odd. She has been wearing so many brand new, expensive, custom maternity coats recently – but at night when it is snowing, she doesn’t wear one.

      • blueb says:

        And?

      • KiddV says:

        Maybe she took it off and forgot where she put it. Pregnancy brain is real. 😉

      • notasugarhere says:

        Pointing out that in the last four weeks, she’s worn 6-8 custom maternity coats. When the weather was nicer. When she also had or didn’t have pregnancy temperature fluctuations. Including earlier yesterday. Now out at night in the cold and snow, no coat. So to many appears puzzling, and a deliberate choice that she wanted to highlight yet another new outfit not a coat.

      • whatever says:

        @notasugarhere

        Your last post is really confusing to understand but I will say she re-wore the navy blue Hobbs coat she first debut in January when in the car before or after the Royal Forum event. That coat, in particular, isn’t that expensive, nor is it brand new or custom made. The dress, shoes and clutch were also repeats.

      • notasugarhere says:

        blueb is saying KM is pregnant and must be experiencing temperature regulation issues. An excuse for not wearing a coat in the middle of a snowstorm.

        I’m pointing out that she’s worn 6-8 new expensive coats in the last four weeks. During much milder weather. The idea that she didn’t wear a coat last night because of internal temperature issues appears unlikely. More likely she wanted to show off another new $700 dress and didn’t want a coat getting in the way.

      • whatever says:

        There is nothing to say you don’t have a point. But she seems like the type of person that likes to wear coats that are the same length or slightly longer than the dress she is wearing underneath. That’s just the style she prefers. I don’t think I have ever seen her wearing a shorter coat over a longer dress at a public appearance. Does she even have a coat that she could fit into at this stage of the pregnancy that is the same length as the dress she is wearing? I don’t recall seeing one but I could be mistaken.

      • notasugarhere says:

        She has worn coats that are both longer and shorter than the dress she wears underneath, so that wouldn’t appear to be the issue.

    • blueb says:

      @KiddV – never thought of that! I wonder what else she’s lost??

    • nic919 says:

      She also wore a coat indoors recently, while William took his off but on a snowy and cold day in London she doesn’t wear anything. It isn’t mean girl to point out how odd that is.

    • Fire&Blood says:

      Like how Kate could have supported the #MeToo movement by wearing a black dress… like the one she’s wearing to this event?

      Women as a whole do need to be empowered but I refuse to mindlessly applaud individuals when they are found wanting.

  20. huckle says:

    I love the retro vibe of her outfits lately. Super cute!

  21. ZHIA says:

    She looks very beautiful here, so happy.

  22. Reece says:

    1. Weird floral prints are a thing atm. But. That dress looks like the material I just bought to make curtains. Except for the gawdawful black trim.
    Edit: Nope, looked it up, that’s the one I left in the store not the one I bought.
    2. It’s SNOWING and she’s NOT wearing a coat? I know some women (well my friend was, but we live in California) can be uber heated when they’re pregnant but in the snow???

  23. Anastasia says:

    Well, I guess this proves she CAN work a lot, and even while really pregnant!

    Hmmmm….

  24. Levin says:

    I know it’s not true, but that granny dress, plus no coat in the snow would be a total A+ troll.

    I also don’t remotely buy into the idea that Meghan has enough influence to determine how often senior royals work. This family has got to have a better strategy than the wife of the person who is sixth in line to the throne, right? Because people as a whole aren’t really pro-monarchy, and I can’t blame them.

    • nic919 says:

      Kate is building up her numbers for a long break. She isn’t going to do anything because of Meghan at this point.

  25. Scram says:

    I’ve liked this brand for awhile, but I swear Kate always picks the mumsiest pieces when she wears them. Or maybe it’s how they look on her. The styling… Anyway, I don’t hate the dress on its own, but her it’s not great since she gives off a dated impression anyway.

    Can’t get over how nicely she carries while pregnant and how quickly she bounces. If I ever planned on having kids I’d be jealous.

  26. Feeshalori says:

    Is that a bobble-head bobby in the last photo?

  27. Cynical Ann says:

    I actually like it. I hate the shoes though-Sophie wore a similar pair last week when she and Kate did their fashion thing together and shudder.

  28. Speil says:

    MM has no influence on the Royals and the UK and won’t ever have. I am wondering just how she will be able to adjust to this family, since they are the complete opposite of what she likes and personally believes in. What does a biracial woman from the US who has left-wing views have in common with wealthy, conservative white people in the UK? I also am not buying Harrys new persona either. I noticed she even was trying to promote herself yesterday when it was supposed to be about mental health and she started talking about herself non-stop. It was very… calculating I gotta say.
    She won’t liked being told what to do or what her place in the family really is. Even Prince Philip has the decency not to draw attention to himself despite being the Queen’s husband. I can’t see Meghan taking the back seat, she wants to be the star of this family.

    • Msthang says:

      Me thinks she wants to be the second coming of Diana, there is just one problem thus far, I am sure you won’t believe this but Trump is more popular than she is, to me that is flat out hilarious!

      • Tina says:

        That’s rubbish. Meghan’s approval rating is at 49%, which is admittedly not high (still higher than Charles or Camilla) but Trump’s is 18%. (YouGov polls).

      • notasugarhere says:

        That approval rating was done before they announced their engagement, when many people asked didn’t know who she was.

    • Tina says:

      “Conservative” in the UK = US Democrat. Even for royals.

  29. Claire says:

    I think she looks really pretty. The dress is cute!

  30. vava says:

    Kate looks so much more youthful with some weight on her. I suspect this will be fleeting, however. When will celebrities stop starving themselves? I hope Kate stops that this time around, she looked haggard after marriage to William, and also after she dieted to oblivion after the birth of the two children. Sad for her if she does that again.

    The dress is not my style at all. It reminds me of a dress I had long ago, and it’s really not a style that should be repeated. With Kate I’m always trying to figure out how to salvage a look, and I think this dress would be best served by being worn under A COAT, with tights, and some edgy block heel booties. But of course, that will never happen. We won’t see this thing again.

  31. Carolind says:

    Could it be she didn’t have a coat on because it was EVENING . Do they wear conventional coats after 6? It is not etiquette to wear hats after 6pm, hence the reason they don’t wear one to the Chelsea Flowet show. Could this be the same? Did she not attend an evening engagement to a gallery, in winter, at the start of her pregnancy with George and not wear a coat to that either?

  32. Scarlett says:

    As I look at her prominent veneers I’m reminded of a genuine question that someone may be able to answer . Are you able to floss with veneered teeth?

  33. Starlight says:

    Kate can just sit back and watch MM and Harry take over the show with their plans for worldwide Ambassadors