I joked last week that with the sudden flurry of appearances and events for the Duchess of Cambridge, perhaps Lifetime would make a new movie about her. I suggested the title The True Meaning of Keen. But now I have to suggest a gaudier Lifetime title… Buttons & Lace: The Truer Meaning of Keen. Kate stepped out for the second day in a row this week to visit one of her patronages, Place2Be. Kate’s keenness in the wake of Meghan Markle’s entrance into the royal fold continues to beg the question: where was all this keenness in the previous seven years?
For today’s event, Keen Kate repeated a lace maternity look from Seraphine, one of her go-to labels for maternitywear. Kate wore this dress recently, during her Sweden-Norway tour (she wore this in Norway). I understand the repeat – it’s a stretchy dress which fits her bump anywhere from 5 months pregnant to 8 months pregnant. It’s also a classic example of Kate’s style – high-necked, ruffled, lacy, and rather dated. But hey, at least she repeated *something* from her extravagant wardrobe during that tour. You can read more about Kate’s visit to Place2Be here.
Meanwhile, The Sun reports that it’s quite possible that Kate will give birth on St. George’s Day in Britain. St. George is the patron saint of England, and St. George’s Day is April 23rd. I agree that she’s probably due around then – I don’t think Kate would be doing so many appearances right now if she was due on April 1st. I think she’s due in the later half of April. I’ve always believed that Prince George was late (as first babies usually are) and that Charlotte was a few days early. Who knows though. Most British betters still believe Kate is pregnant with a girl and that’s my feeling as well. I don’t think they’ll name her Victoria. My baby-naming mojo says Alice or Margaret.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
i wonder what makes people here think lace and or modesty is dated……
I like both and I wear lace in both work and casual clothes at times. However, there’s a way to do both that is elegant and stylish without this kind of frou frou frumpiness that Kate often goes for. She’s a beautiful woman and I wish I could style her. I could put her in things she likes but without aging her up with her style, without the too pretty doily look, without the frumpiness. Ah well…
Omg same. Just wanna take her shopping. With her figure, she could pull off so many styles, mature yet girly and close to what she obviously likes, but not looking like some grandma child….
“Grandma child” is one of the funniest phrases ever uttered Milla.
Modesty?
Made me LOL too, littlemissnaughty
Ditto.
Just an extra point: people like Princess Mary of Denmark, Queen Letizia of Spain and Queen Rania of Jordan all regularly wear lace and they all dress modestly and yet they look elegant, fresh and stylish. It can most definitely be done and done well.
I like how Letizia does a twist on lace. What looks like lace far away is sometimes beading in a lace-like pattern.
Kate doesn’t know how to do accents in moderation. Too much lace, too many buttons, too matchy-matchy on the accessories. Her look is always “too” something.
I don’t know.
I kind of wish the waist was even around instead of angled.
If her bump’s in the way, what’s she supposed to do? That’s kinda what happens. I think she looks nice.
Modest as in her royal blue jeggings? The ones that she wears with the sky high wedgies.
Lace. Who is wrapping themselves up in what amounts to bridal lace like she does? A lace shirt here, a little bit of lace there, ok, but she has head to toe lace dresses in all colors. It’s not the 80s anymore. And if she is trying to do throw-back then she needs to do it better.
Kate has been keen these last several months. However, my question is this: how long is a typical event or visit for any of them?
Oh man I agree Halliego. That and repeating an outfit.
Modesty is probably one of my least favorite words because of how often it’s tied to a woman’s appearance and not her character. Instead women were limited to being told that their appearance was a major factor of their character. I’m all for that being a dated concept.
Anyway, it’s irrelevant to a discussion about Kate because she’s not part of that definition of a performance of modesty through clothes. Also, people who live in mansions and wear tens of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry are probably not modest whether or not they wear dresses with sleeves or sometimes wear a low hemline.
Modest and dated are two different things. You can dress modestly without looking 19 years older or like you stepped out of a Victorian painting. Also Kate isn’t a modest dresser. Her dressea are almost always two inches too short for her frame and there was that time when she never weighted her skirts so they were always flying up. That isn’t modest.
Signed, a Muslim woman who grew up around a fashionable – MODEST- woman. And is one herself.
Are we really still patting ourselves on the back for dressing modestly in 2018?
I agree, it’s not modest to wear a lace top with a beige lining!
And count me in saying I think it’s perfectly fine to praise modesty in the 21st century.
She looks great. I don’t think it’s MM who’s responsible for this new keenness. I think it’s more likely that Chuck put his foot down in the wake of Philip’s retirement and his mother’s obviously advanced age. I mean he and Camilla can’t hold down the fort alone.
This. ^^ This was always the plan and I do think both the Queen and Charles are responsible for the escalation (just as they were fine with them not doing much for five years). They’ve been saying for awhile that they would move to London when George started school and become full time royals. No one believed them because they’ve lied so much. Also I think MM got the same speech. She’s emphasized multiple times that she understands it’s a job. She’s had one before so she’s probably more familiar with what that means but I think all four of them are getting their marching orders from higher up.
Lol
I’ve said all along that it was Prince Philip who forced their hand by retiring. I think he figured they’d start stepping up years ago, and he’d be able to scale back. When it was clear that wasn’t going to happen, he had to make the unprecedented step of officially retiring. Then they had zero choice.
Philip all but publicly asked to retire in his 90th birthday interview. W&K’s response was to run away to Anmer and play the helicopter co-pilot and homemaker game. Harry was still in the Army most of that time.
I would like to add to what Nota said. When the Cambridges got married HM was already a senior, she was 85+ years old and he prince the Duke of Edinburgh was 91 year old. The Cambridges were aware at that time that their senior grandparents were depending on them to work so that they can scale back in their old age. But the Cambridges did nothing to ease their grandparents not their father’s PoW workload. There’s no way I can be convinced that suddenly, once MM joins the family, the Cambridges got an epiphany or got their hands twisted. I’m not buying it. Keen is feeling the pressure because Meghan has proven that she is a hard worker, so both Cambridges are considering the fact that if they don’t step up their game while Harry and his wife consistently show that they are working while the Cambridges continue to slacker off, there might never be a monarchy for them Cambs to lord it over!
I also think she’s more active because she knows she’s about to go on maternity leave and wants to get her numbers up in advance.
Not a fan of Alice and not convinced that Willnot/Kannot are in a rush to honor the late Princess Margaret (though Rose would be a nice nod in that direction). I’d be on board with another of the Georgian-era names: Caroline, Sophia, Amelia, Augusta…
Willnot/Kannot! AMAZING.
She looks great, can’t believe she’s due next month. I literally looked like a whale at eight months pregnant.
Me too. Where are the cankles and the flushed face and the flop sweat I was covered in?? Lol.
This is a legit quesrion concerning the royals,is their work just to attend events and their charities? Ofcourse they have assistants but do they have to do any administration work,research, write up reports with recommendations for their charities,do they have physical office/desks where they sit their royal behinds and Do Work?
I wonder about the length of their visits and the depth of content. Perhaps the depth is pre-visit, which makes sense, but the length is surely more than 15 minutes here or there (I’m hoping).
They attend meetings.
Meeting. Photos.
End of it all they are seen as caring about their country and a cause gets awareness with name drop press.
There was said to be a huge issue early on with Kate’s patronages. She would ignore or cancel last minute ruining a day of work lost and money wasted in prep to go shopping or vacation.
Now she’s working so… yay.
Lobbit: the simple answer to your question is No.
All the work is done by the assistants. If the royal is interested, they read the notes and learn about the issue at their own convenience. They may even request certain details included in their (future) speeches. And in rare cases follow up on their point of interest.
If not, it goes no further than an acknowledgement of their presence at an engagement / meeting or photo op and or reading the crib notes prior to the engagement.
And as William famously told one charity as he was greeting them, he doesn’t read the crib notes!!!
Depends on the Royal just how much work they put in, but on the whole the day-to-day running of charities (except very small ones) is always done by employed staff, who are ultimately line-managed by a Chief Executive, who reports to a trustee board.
I work for The Prince’s Trust, where Charles is President. Typical things he does includes :
* attending trustee board to hold the Senior Management to account and ultimately set the aim, mission, and strategy of the Trust
* attend meeting with senior management regarding the development of the Trust and the Prince’s Charities (e.g. launching Prince’s Trust International in new countries)
* travelling around the country to open Trust Centres and attend significant events – these are vital to keep donations coming in to continue the work of the Trust, and Charles definitely does his prep work. Colleagues have confirmed he’s always punctual, has read all the relevant research and prep and performs above and beyond what’s needed.
* patronage of high profile events like The Prince’s Trust Awards which were yesterday at the London Palladium. Again Charles was an utter professional, on stage alongside Ant and Dec to recognise young people who’ve been supported by the Trust programmes and selected as national winners for all they have achieved. HRH’s patronage helps draw the celebs, which in turn draws press, and helps us gain more funding for the Trust to help more young people. Yesterday was the first event I’ve worked with HRH (I’ve only been working at the Trust a few months) and he utterly won me over by being simply brilliant with the young people and so engaged with their journeys, plus hitting every mark for what was needed.
* Hosting private events such as the dinner for Prince’s Trust International senior attendees and major donors that happened the night before the Awards – yes the staff will have done the prep (don’t think Charles was putting the roast on) but these kind of smaller events can be quite hard going – for example it’s knackering having 50 people that you must remember all the details about because the Trust is relying on them feeling special enough to continue high level donations. I have about 30 corporate accounts and to know and adjust your approach and remember all the facts about each of them can utterly wear me out when I have to handle a high volume event with them.
I don’t know about the younger royals but The Queen, Philip, Charles, Camilla and Anne in particular are spoke about very highly in terms of doing their prep work and related follow up – yes they will have staff to pull together the research and suggest actions but it’s on them ultimately to secure the engagement we as staff are relying on them to deliver.
Sophie too.
Agreed LAK, Sophie is quietly industrious and often gets overlooked, something I’m irritated at myself for doing above.
I’d love to take a Master Class from Charles on how to support a non-profit AND how to work a room. That man has serious skills.
Sophie has become a quiet, steady workhorse who is dedicated and prepped for her work. I hope Charles won’t off her and Edward from the lineup, especially regarding the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme.
What is she wearing? Seriously. This is daytime Kate, how about a smart blouse and trousers, or even a print dress. DAYTIME! She looks like she got lost going home the night before and had to turn up in her party wear. How can anyone with the resources she has get it so wrong time after time after time. If I turned up to the office looking like that they would laugh me out the door.
I hated maternity pants, other than jeans. They never fit well, the band is awkward and can create weird lines. I can see why Kate avoids them and sticks to dresses too, I would too in her position.
Same, I never wore pants when I was pregnant, maybe leggings here and there. I felt so bulky with the material between my legs.
Same. The panels on traditional maternity pants are pretty generous…and for someone not quite at that whale point (or for people like Kate, who never quite get there anyway), they tend to fall off, you have to constantly tug at them to pull them up, and they can create an unflattering stomach line right in the middle of the baby belly, the focal point.
Granted, she could probably get them especially made for her so she wouldn’t look like the above description…
Not to mention she’s never been the queen of pants to begin with…
She looks gorgeous.
Exactly; she never gets it quite right in choosing event appropriate clothing. She desperately needs a real stylist. Even pregnant woman can look stylish & trendy. She looks so matronly.
I agree Michelle. Kate looks like she got lost on her way home from a cocktail party.
I’m sorry, but Kate is roughly 6 weeks away from giving birth to her third child in less than 5 years and she looks like that… my God that woman was built to be pregnant! I wish I could carry my kebab baby half as well.
Well it does help that she barely works
Plus she has a very long torso. I would think that helps.
Agree with Honey. Katie is not only tall, but has a long torso that helps distribute the baby weight lengthwise. Her actual height is debatable, but when sitting next to William, they are nearly shoulder to shoulder.
Lol, agree. She carries babies like a champ. I actually think she looks her best while pregnant.
Why is it a big deal that she is’ working’ towards the end of her pregnancy? Most women work till like the week before they give birth (unless there are medical complications obvs), in order to maximize their mat leave with the baby. Is it a big deal because she is historically lazy?
Your last question is also the answer to said question.
LAK. You are too funny.
Awww…My mum’s name was Alice Margaret, and while she always hated her middle name I always liked the combination (her mother’s name was also Alice). My mum passed away last year, so I would love it if Kate named their baby Alice Margaret.
Eh. She looks great here and she’s working so I won’t start reaching for anything negative to say.
The lace isn’t really my taste but she looks nice. My usual complaint–stand up straight!
I think her keenness stems from her knowing after the baby is born, she’ll be taking it easy for a long period of time. The birth is happening just as Meghan is about to shine as a royal bride and doing all sorts of royal “firsts” which will have the media putting Meghan everywhere all the time. Meghan especially seems to be genuinely keen on getting to work right away, so Kate doesn’t want to look like a lazy royal in comparison to her new sister-in-law.
Yep, it’s either lace or buttons. That said, she looks great though.
I can’t remember how I felt about this dress in Norway lol but I like it here. sure its more lace and velvet trim etc but I like the color on her and it looks relatively comfortable. She’s worn way worse even in the past two weeks, lol.
Wondering if after they have this baby, that they will try for one more and make it 4? I like Margaret or Caroline much more than Alice.
Charlotte comes from the same root at Carole. I’ve always though their daughter was named after Carole, just as Pippa has Charlotte as a middle name as a nod to Carole. Naming another daughter Caroline would be repetitive to me.
Thank you! I almost said this but I’ve said it in other places before so I didn’t want to sound like a broken record player. But yes, Caroline and Charlotte are basically the same name because they come from basically the same root.
I will never believe Chopper wanted this one, not after that nasty row in Poland, I think he told her to get rid of it!!
Msthang, your comment is wrong on so many levels. I would wish nothing like this scenario on my worst enemy. William may be an ass sometimes to her, but I cannot imagine he wouldn’t cherish every child he helped create.
I’m not saying she needs a low neckline, but with her bump and boobs, that high neckline is making her look scrunched! Honestly, the extra weight looks good on her in my opinion so I’m not even trying to criticize her size. It’s more a styling thing at this point.
I’m not a big fan of lace but I think the dress looks nice on her. It’s weird looking from the side because of the line but from the front it’s decent. Keen Kate doesn’t bother me, she had big shoes to fill from Diana and she was never going to live up to that.
I’m just here to say I think she’s having a boy.
Yes if sperm sorting not involved at all, Kate would be having boy number three right now. William was disappointed the first time around but if William wants a second daughter then April 2018 brings a girl.
Why do you think William was disappointed with a boy as kid #1?
Please let me know your reckoning that this would be a third son. Very, very interesting post. You could surely make a fortune.
William made it clear during a walkabout in Grimsby, UK, he wanted a Girl when Kate pregnant with George, or perhaps Kate alone let it slip? Yes, Kate let it out.
He’s also shown to be more protective of their daughter’s privacy than their son’s. They complain about a whole lot, but the photos of their daughter get attacked and yanked while they end up allowing some pap shots of their son to stay online.
Yes, notasugarhere, agree with your statement and Kate’s trip to Grimsby was solo during year 2013. She let it slip then, around that period of time that William wanted a girl. I believe it when W&K stated they don’t know the gender of baby number three.
Yes, had to look that up re- year 2013 Grimby, UK visit. Kate probably wanted a girl too. But in any event George is happy and healthy, though he seems very shy and intimated by horses and being in public. He’s more like Charles, but then Charles toughened up with age. But not to the same extent as his sister Anne.
Not a fan of this dress.
Maybe Kate will now get a royal order since she has been working a lot this year.
Oh, that’s true. Maybe she will. It may depend on how soon she goes back to doing engagements. If she essentially takes the next 6 -7 months off, she may have to wait until next year.
@Natalie S, I hope this isn’t another case of her bringing up her numbers and then go back to being lazy again. Also, I truly wonder what The Queen thinks of her work ethic? If she gets a royal order I guess that’s great. Wouldn’t matter anyways.
When and if she ever receives it, it will be the latest of any royal wife in recent memory.
There is always an issue with the fit of her clothes. Waist is usually a tad too high, proportions are usually too small. I think she needs tall sized clothing rather than trying to wear regular women’s clothing. Or she could wear custom.
That’s a cocktail dress at best. She has other daywear maternity clothes, so WHY wear this?
I also agree she must be due in late April so good on her for actually showing up before April is here. We all know we won’t see her at least 6 months in.
There is already a Margaret fairly close, Princess Margaret’s granddaughter Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones. Not sure they’d repeat.
It isn’t like they’d be naming a daughter after Princess Margaret. William couldn’t be bothered to leave his skiing vacation with the Middletons to attend the 10th anniversary service for the passing of Queen Mum and Princess Margaret.
Hmmm. Then again, maybe Princess Margaret and her love of Mustique might get her a nod. Or as a nod to Scotland and St Andrews in some way.
It will be interested to see if William is more attentive in public to Charlotte once Kate is busy with Baby Cambridge 3.0.
He’s not attentive to his wife or kids right now so why would he be more so to Charlotte after Kate has their 3rd kid? I really like her but he seems like such a jerk. Not my business or place to say, but I will anyway…3 kids is enough so they need to stop now. I can’t imagine having kids at all with the world’s current state of scariness.
He never treated her well and probably doesn’t behind the scenes.
Please share how you know he doesn’t treat his wife and family well.
I think she looks beautiful.
I think William is attentive to George when out and about and always has been. I have actually never seen a pic of him being attentive to Charlotte though.
Plenty of evidence leaked into the public while they were dating and watching video of the Cambridges helps too. Kate has an expressive face.
I think the fullness that comes with pregnancy looks great on her compared to the gaunt look that she usually rocks. She looks happier and rosier and softer and prettier than she looked before .Maybe it’s because she has eaten.Strict dieting can make anyone look pained.
I bet she loved having a bust that was her gripe being flat chested. It’s a boy according to some mystic megs on you tube. Mind you a lot of them are saying Harry will scarper before the big day. As for the dress I think it’s too tight on the top and it wasn’t that warm in London she must have been cold. So many royal events before her due day she didn’t do this many before the other two.
Probably wrong but I think she will have the baby by mid-April. Her due day must have been taken into consideration when Harry’s wedding was planned if only for the fact George and Charlotte will be playing major roles. If she was due at the end of April and went past it into May I really don’t see how she could be at the wedding with all the formalities that are involved.
She and William were off the radar the whole of August so we don’t know when the morning sickness started. There are rumours she was hospitalised overnight/for a few hours before the pregnancy was announced. It was mentioned this was possibly to a hospital in Aberdeen when she and William were at Balmoral end of August. She was reported as looking ghastly on the way to Church at Balmoral.
The first time we’re to believe she was so deathly ill? She drove herself past two hospitals to get to the one where Tanna was waiting. William was then alerted and left the hunting trip he was on to scurry to her side. Middleton PR 1, William’s PR 0. They announced Dec 2nd, baby was born May 22.
Second pregnancy, they were attending to renovations at Anmer end of August, early September. Went out for dinner at a pub, photographed with him drinking red wine and her drinking white. They get on a train, arrive in London, William fusses over the dog while she carries two heavy bags. A couple days later on September 8 she canceled an event and they announced they were expecting again. William did the engagement then immediately left her for 4-5 days to go hunting in Scotland. Charlotte was born May 2.
Reported as looking “ghastly”? You can find the photos online from 21 August 2017 and to me she doesn’t look “ghastly”. They announced September 4th with the usual cancellation of pretty much everything on her schedule.
Capable of driving herself long distances. Capable of being driven long distances. Capable of getting on long-haul flights and going on vacations. All in early stages of pregnancies.
Diana attended the Falkland’s war memorial very soon after giving birth to William. And she didn’t seem to mind.