These are some photos from Will and Kate’s stop in the Solomon Islands over the weekend. The teal and black graphic-print dress is by Scottish designer Jonathan Saunders. The pink batik-print dress was actually an unplanned costume change for Kate – the government had left the dress for her in her hotel room, and apparently she loved it, so she wore it to the planned dinner rather than the English dress she had prepared. You can read more about Kate’s fashions here.

Anyway, I really wasn’t trying to create a commenter war yesterday when discussing the PR and legal moves Prince William was making in Boob-and-Crumpet-gate. For the record, I never said Will and Kate should “get over it” or that they didn’t have a right to seek legal action against the French magazine, Closer, and the paparazzo who took the photos of Kate’s boobs. My point was that I didn’t care for the way William and the palace were handling this situation overall, and that instead of coming across like a protective husband, William seemed more like a petulant, intemperate dauphin, demanding his enemies (real and imagined) face harsh repercussions for displeasing him. Feel free to disagree with me, but I would appreciate it if, in this and future stories, we could all avoid claiming that what happened to William and Kate was “like rape.” It wasn’t “like rape.” You know what’s “like rape”? Rape.

By the way, I think the courtiers around William agree with me regarding William overplaying his hand. Notice the difference in tone with this People Mag story below. The Today Show also noted that there were rumors that not everyone in the royal family agreed with the way William was handling the situation.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s legal team has filed charges against Closer, a French magazine that was the first to publish photographs of the couple outside a secluded villa in Provence, including shots of Kate sunbathing topless.

“We can confirm that a criminal complaint has been made to the French Prosecution Department today,” a spokesperson for Clarence House said on Monday. “The complaint concerns the taking of photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge whilst on holiday and the publication of those photographs in breach of their privacy.”

Attorneys for the royal couple, who are currently on a goodwill tour of Asia tied to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, “will appear in court today in Paris seeking an injunction against Closer magazine using more pictures and to prevent further publication of the photographs in France. It will lead to a longer court case where damages will be sought.”

The lawyers will request the issue be removed from newsstands, the photos be removed from the publication’s online site and further reprint be prohibited. They will also ask the judge to ban further sale. A decision on issuing the injunction is expected on Tuesday, according to someone involved in the case.

The invasion of privacy evidenced in the photos is being compared by the royal household to the incessant paparazzi pursuit that plagued William’s mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a 1997 car crash in Paris.

While no British outlet has published the photos, on Saturday images appeared in the Irish Daily Star. In addition, on Monday, Chi, a glossy Italian gossip magazine owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Mondadori group (which also publishes Closer in France), published a 26-page photo spread of the couple, including the topless shots.

After their initial outrage, there is now a sense that the couple’s “anger has subsided,” a royal source told PEOPLE as William and Kate toured a rain forest this weekend.

“They are not actors. They are as upbeat and as pleased to be on this tour as you can see they are,” the royal source said. “They had a wonderful time in Malaysia, particularly Sabah, which was magical in terms of what they could see and learn about a subject they are interested in.

The source added: “The Royal family motto is to stay calm and carry on.”

[From People]

If I’ve been following the story correctly (and I think I have), the “criminal complaint” that William’s lawyers have filed against the paparazzo and Closer will boil down to an argument for or against the “expectation of privacy”. Did Will and Kate have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the backyard of a private estate? I can’t answer that. I would imagine that the argument that the paparazzo will make will be a technical one – like, where was she standing when she took the photos, was it a public road, could the royal couple be seen in plain view from publicly accessible areas? Also, the female photographer claims that she shot some of the photos used in Closer and Chi, but that she wasn’t the one who took the topless photos. So I don’t even know.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Prince William and Duchess Kate were in Borneo, and are now in the Solomon Islands. We don’t have the photos… yet. I’m sure we’ll get some of them tomorrow or in the next few days. It doesn’t really matter at this point because Will and Kate’s Epic Asian Tour (which will end on Tuesday or Wednesday, I believe) has been completely overshadowed by Duchess Boob-gate, or The Boob and Crumpet Scandal Of 2012. As we heard on Friday, William and the Palace are really going to go after the paparazzo who snapped the photos and the publications using the photos. The list is growing too – The Irish Daily Star has now published the photos, and the Italian magazine Chi is planning an even larger pictorial. The editor of Chi claims that “not even a call from the Queen” would stop him from publishing some of the 200 PHOTOS they have of Will and Kate frolicking in France.

As for the continuing legal maneuvers, it seems that the royal family’s lawyers will seek an injunction against Chi magazine AND Closer magazine, the original French mag that published the photos (Closer’s editor claims to have lots more). Closer and Chi are owned by the same company, which is owned by Silvio Berlusconi. The royal family will also be seeking damages, which is a bit rich in my opinion. But not as rich as this – William is said to be telling aides that he wants the photographer put in jail. For real.

Prince William has vowed to see the people responsible for taking topless pictures of his wife Kate Middleton put behind bars. The heir to the throne has even told his confidantes that he is willing to give evidence in court to help seek justice for the future Queen.

Britain’s Sunday Mirror reports that William will not just pursue Closer magazine in the French civil courts but will also pursue criminal action.

“I want them jailed,” William told pals, even as the Italian magazine Chi prepares publication of a 26-page special on Sunday showing more intimate pictures of Kate.

The royal couple is currently in the middle of a nine-day Far East tour to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

“They will take any action they can within the law to seek redress,” William’s spokesman said. “They’ve been clear that they will not allow this to intrude on their enjoyment of the tour, or more importantly their work on behalf of the Queen.

“The couple always felt very strongly about privacy and harassment. It’s part of a very long-standing and heartfelt position by the Duke and Prince Harry, given their past, to do everything they can to protect themselves.”

[From Radar]

You know what? ENOUGH. Enough to William and enough to Kate. The commenter reaction to this story has been mixed, and I have been paying attention, trying to gauge my own reaction and aiming to give William and Kate the benefit of the doubt. But really… I think William and Kate and the royal family have been overreacting to this whole thing from the start. First they overreacted in their initial statements, comparing Kate’s boob photos to the death of Princess Diana. I’m sorry, but it’s not the same on any level. Next, they’re going to court and seeking all of these legal actions and they want damages? For boob photos that we’ve now established were taken on yet another of Will and Kate’s endless holidays? For photos that might have been taken on a public road, out in the open, while Will and Kate cavorted openly? And now William – in what I can only imagine is a royal hissy fit of epic proportions – is telling people he wants the paparazzo in jail? All of this is a good example of how to sour the public’s goodwill – by overreacting and demanding special treatment at all times.

And of course this is all becoming a larger discussion about who gets special treatment and the place of modern royalty in the world and whether any of us really have a free press. The editor of the Irish Daily Star, Mike O’Kane, said upon publishing the photos: “The Duchess would be no different to any other celeb pics we would get in, for example Rihanna or Lady Gaga. She’s not the future queen of Ireland so really the only place this is causing fury seems to be in the UK, and they are very very tasteful pictures.” Do you see that? Equating a duchess to random celebrities? That’s very distasteful to the British people, apparently. And once again, I feel like a gauche, First-Amendment-adoring American for wondering just how and why there is all of this (literal) breast-beating.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

First things first: fashion! Fashion before boobs, always. These are photos of Duchess Kate and Prince William at a reception in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday. Kate is wearing a Temperley Fall 2012 dress – on the runway, this dress was black with gold lace. Kate loves lace, I think – she seems to enjoy lots and lots of lace overlays, lace sleeves, lace insets, lace, lace, lace. Most of the time, I tend to think it makes her look like a giant, walking doily… but I kind of like this dress. It’s pretty and feminine and a little bit girly, but it’s not cloyingly sweet like something Taylor Swift would wear.

Now, onto the scandal! We need a name for it… like… The Epic Boob & Crumpet Scandal of 2012. Or “Duchess Boob-gate,” which has a particularly nice ring to it. Anyway… when these photos were taken, William and Kate already knew about the boob photos in the French magazine, Closer. Prince William is said to be royally pissed (“pissed” in the American vernacular, meaning “to be very angry,” as opposed to “drunk off his ass” in British parlance) at the French mag, and Will wants to use this controversy as a way to limit the press’s access to he and Kate even further. And of course, the Right Honorable Royal Barristers have been summoned. And they wasted no time in actually suing Closer. The Palace confirmed on Friday that “legal proceedings for breach of privacy have been commenced today in France” and the lawsuit claims that the magazine breached Will and Kate’s “right to privacy” while vacationing at a private estate in France.

Meanwhile, the editor of Closer is defending her decision to publish the photos. Editor-in-chief Laurence Pieau said, “These photos are not in the least shocking. They show a young woman sunbathing topless, like the millions of women you see on beaches. It is a young couple that has just been married. They are in love. They are beautiful. She is the princess of the 21st century.” She says the outrage over the photos are “disproportionate”… which I kind of agree with her on that. But! Late Friday/early Saturday, Closer did pull the images off of their website, releasing another statement: “Following comments received after the publication of photos of Kate and William in Closer magazine France, we would like to make the following clarifications: This is the French edition of Closer and not the English edition. The photos we chose are by no means degrading. They show a young couple on vacation, beautiful, in love, living a normal life. The article reports that the couple recently vacationed in the south of France.”

Oh, and there are more photos too! Pieau teased: “I won’t hide the fact that there are more intimate pictures that exist that we haven’t published and will not publish. These are images full of joy, not degrading.” Well well well. That’s interesting, isn’t it? Now my interest is certainly piqued. If there are photos of William going to town on Kate’s duchess biscuits, I DEMAND to see the photos. I might get my wish – there are reports this morning that an Italian tabloid, Chi, has bought the photos as well, and plans to publish them. And FINALLY, people are beginning to raise questions about the security that surrounds the young royals – coming on the heels of the Prince Harry stuff, the fact that a paparazzo was even able to get this close to William and Kate speaks to (what I think is) the main issue: the royal protection officers are bad at their jobs. It’s amateur hour over there.

PS… Her hair!! It’s finally pulled back! And she even put some really pretty pearl stuff in the bun.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

These are photos from the second country of Duchess Kate and Prince William’s Epic Asian Tour – they are now in Malaysia. These pics are from last night’s state dinner and from today’s tour stops, including a mosque in Kuala Lumpur. For the state dinner, Kate wore a custom Alexander McQueen gown that looks less “Malaysian” and more Bollywood to my jaded eyes. Doesn’t think look like something you would wear to a state dinner in India? The material even looks like a reworked sari. Then for today’s full day in Kuala Lumpur, Kate wore a white silk chiffon Beulah London dress, once again a dress with a full skirt and lots of buttons. The dress seems rather dated to me – like, it’s something a 40-something woman would have worn to her quickie wedding at City Hall. In 1985. Kate also had a lovely head scarf which she wore for the trip to the mosque, but she did not wear outside of the mosque. You can read more about Kate’s styles and activities here, at What Kate Wore.

Meanwhile, there’s a huge scandal brewing. It seems that Duchess Kate was photographed topless on her last vacation with Prince William! Kate and Will were recently staying at a nice chateau in France, and Kate went sunbathing topless on the balcony (and the grounds) of this PRIVATE estate. Some paparazzo got photos of the sunbathing and topless swimming, and now the French magazine Closer has published the “very sensual” images (that’s how they’re described). Coming on the heels of Prince Harry’s butt crack scandal, this is rough news for the royal family, but the royal family and their people are really going HARD against the French magazine. From the BBC:

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are hugely saddened over the “grotesque and unjustifiable invasion of privacy” by a magazine which published topless photos of Kate, a royal spokesman says. French publication Closer printed the pictures of the duchess, taken during their private holiday in France. The royals are now considering legal action over the case.

The BBC’s Nicholas Witchell said that they could act against the magazine, the photographer or both. He added: “They are incredulous that any magazine would have felt they had a justification in publishing these pictures. They could go to law or seek a remedy through the French court – that is a big step to take but that is clearly what is being considered now. I have rarely heard quite such a level of publicly expressed anger that I have heard today reflecting William’s feelings. He is absolutely determined to protect the privacy of his wife, he has always been very protective of her and that anger has mounted during the day.”

The photos are blurry and taken with a long lens, the BBC’s Paris bureau says. There are four pages of photos of the couple, with Kate topless in several. On the magazine’s website, it says the pictures are of the couple “like you have never seen them before. Gone are the fixed smiles and the demure dresses. On holiday Kate forgets everything.”

The Duke and Duchess, who were staying at the French chateau of the Queen’s nephew, Lord Linley, “have been hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner”, a spokesman for Clarence House, the Prince of Wales’s office, said.

“The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to the Duke and Duchess for being so. Their Royal Highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house. It is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs, let alone publish them. Officials acting on behalf of their Royal Highnesses are consulting with lawyers to consider what options may be available to the Duke and Duchess.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The view from Downing Street is that they are entitled to their privacy.”

The royal couple were told about the magazine’s plan to publish the photos during breakfast in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on their tour of South East Asia. They have now left the city and travelled to Sabah in north Borneo, where they are due to visit a rainforest.

It has emerged that British newspapers were offered photographs last week but turned them down. BBC News reported that Lloyd Embley, editor of Mirror and Sunday Mirror, said they were offered a set of pictures of the duchess in her bikini a week ago but, as with the pictures of Prince Harry, they took the decision not to publish them. In both cases they believed it would be a clear breach of the editors’ code of practice involving breach of privacy.

BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said royal officials “believe a “red line” has been crossed. The couple cannot believe someone would take such photos and publish them.

“The publication of the photographs will be a bitter blow to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William witnessed the complex relationship his mother, Diana, had with the media. He believes the actions of the paparazzi in Paris contributed to her death. He wants to shield his wife from the worst excesses of reporters and photographers in full flight.”

[From BBC]

Obviously, this IS a terrible breach of privacy, and once again (like Harry), a breach of security. Did none of William and Kate’s security guards notice the paparazzo hanging out of a tree, snapping photos? I realize the pics were probably taken from a distance, but even so… how about a perimeter check, you know? As for everyone claiming that this is just like Diana, etc… it feels like it’s too early to use the Diana card, but maybe they’re just trying to nip (ha) this in the bud before every paparazzo feels like it’s Open Season on the duchess.

As for the possibility that Kate will be “shamed” for cavorting topless with her husband while on vacation on a private estate… please don’t. It’s fine. If you want to shame her for anything, it should be that she’s simply “on vacation” for half of any given year. Don’t even bother with the topless thing.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

These are even more photos from William and Kate’s Singapore leg of their Grand Asian Tour. These pics are from the “last day” in Singapore, which was… today? Right? Singapore is ahead of us, so these events took place during the day in Singapore. First, Will and Kate visited the Kranji War Memorial, and Kate wore Jenny Packham once again. The Packham is the pale blue dress with a pleated skirt, some sort of fussy embroidery on the top, and buttons! Kate loves her buttons. I actually like this dress, especially for the appearance to a war memorial – it’s sober and respectful, classy and quietly feminine. I’m glad she didn’t do a bold print here.

Last night, Kate did another costume change for an evening reception hosted by the High Commissioner in Singapore. This was a bold printed dress by Erdem, another designer Kate has worn before (notably during her last tour, last year). Another pleated skirt, another appearance with her hair down. I would really like it if Kate made the somewhat old-fashioned delineation between daytime hairstyles and evening hairstyles, between daytime makeup and evening makeup. This is one of her biggest style problems, in my book – her makeup in consistently too heavy and overdone for daytime appearances and her hair in consistently too undone and unpolished for evening appearances.

Also – Kate is drinking water with the toast, so obviously she’s pregnant, right? In which case William must be pregnant too, since he’s toasting with water as well. Could it be that Will and Kate simply don’t want to get hammered and have to battle a hangover in the middle of their tour? Us Weekly had another theory – both Will and Kate are currently taking preventative malaria medication, which should not be mixed with alcohol. Also – after this evening reception, Will and Kate took a break! Of course. They had a date night “private dinner” back at their hotel.

Next stop: Malaysia! Will and Kate are already there. And Kate has given her second public speech!! She gave her first public speech earlier this year, and… well… she’s not going to set the world on fire with her oratory skills. What I’m looking for is consistent improvement, and an ability to give a speech without fiddling with her hair constantly. Here’s her speech:

There is some improvement. She didn’t seem as deathly scared this time, and her voice doesn’t seem as strangled this time – she’s obviously being overly-prepped with elocution lessons in an attempt to give her a posh accent. But she needs to work on memorizing more of her speeches so she won’t have to check the written text four times per sentence. I would suggest this – instead of overly-prepping her with tips about her accent, her handlers need to build her confidence and encourage her to get comfortable with script. And if you think I’m being too harsh… Kate is 30 years old. Enough.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Ah, so many photos of The DoC! The Duchess of Cambridge had two more costume changes in Singapore since we last saw her. For her first day in Singapore, Kate wore a kimono-like Jenny Packham and an unconventionally-patterned Prabal Gurung for the State Dinner. The first set of photos I bring you are from Kate and William’s trip (today?) to the Rolls Royce engine plant in Seletar. Rolls Royce is a British-owned company (sort of) and the Singapore plant is considered a “major investment”. Will and Kate toured the plant and Kate got to pretend to “work”! It was all very amazing and new to Kate.

For this event, Kate wore a Alexander McQueen broderie anglaise suit. It’s a two-piece outfit – some sort of jacket and skirt combo that reads as a one-piece in some photos. I like it – it seems appropriate and smart, a very clean and elegant look. You know what I hate though? I hate the duchess paired this smart outfit with the same GD Stuart Weitzman wedges that she’s been wearing for months! There weren’t that cute to begin with! The wedges are just… not a very elegant look. I hope to hell they’re comfortable, because that’s the only excuse for wearing them so often. Even though I’m bored to tears with Kate’s nude LK Bennett pumps, those would have been a better choice with this McQueen.

Another costume change… this one for a tour of the Queenstown Community, which is basically a neighborhood made to resemble a little English village, from what I gather. Kate wore a breezy dress by Asian designer Raoul, costing £485. I don’t hate the dress, I just don’t think it’s the best thing she’s ever worn. The color and pattern don’t do anything for her. And for the love of God, why not try a chignon or a classy ponytail for some of these super-humid events?!

Will and Kate met with lots of kids, and one “plucky” youngster asked William how big of a family he would like, to which William replied “Two” without hesitation. So, there you have it. William wants an heir and a spare and no more.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

After I wrote about Duchess Kate’s Prabal Gurung cocktail dress yesterday, we finally got the photos of Kate’s earlier look in Singapore. For the earlier “day” look – while Kate and William were being officially greeted by the president, plus a trip to Singapore’s Botanical Garden – Kate wore this Jenny Packham dress. Let’s discuss it! I don’t care for the Packham at all. Surprisingly enough, it’s not the color, although I would love to see Kate move away from her beloved beiges, pale pinks, creams and everything vanilla. If I’m being anal retentive about it, I guess I would call this a “pale beige-rose” color – it reads as pale pink in some light, and beige/cream in other light.

Anyway, my biggest problem is that this feels like a kimono-like robe. The material, the collar, the wide satin belt, the flowery print… I would love this if it was actually a robe. I would totally buy this robe and wear it after I got out of the shower. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good dress for the kick-off of The Epic Asian Tour. I understand that Kate probably wanted to wear something that seemed “Asian influenced,” style-wise, but don’t wear a dress that looks like it was made from surplus kimono material. Just my take.

Oh, and her hair’s back. Yay? I prefer her hair back almost always, but that’s just because I’m kind of sick of her sausage curls and her constant hair-touching when she does wear her hair down. When she pulls it back, she plays with it less. And that’s always a good thing.

By the way, I hope you’re prepared for lots and lots of new Kate photos through this week and into next week. This is all part of Kate and William’s massively hyped “Asian Tour” which is so unbelievably epic, it lasts a whole eight days. So I’m going to try not to go overboard while discussing Kate and Will when we do get new photos. I know some people just adore everything they do, and some people just hate everything they do. Keep the peace, y’all!

PS… I love their “seriously, I am looking serious and making a serious face while looking at these very important flowers” expressions. One of the orchids was named after William’s mother, so I guess they feel like, “We cannot smile while looking at a flower named after poor Diana.”

Photos courtesy of WENN.

For whatever reason, we don’t have access to the first photos of Duchess Kate and Prince William in Singapore – you can see some of them at What Kate Wore and LaineyGossip. For the first appearance, Kate wore a beige-y, floral-patterned, three-quarter-sleeved Jenny Packham dress with a knee-length, full skirt which looked okay on her. She also wore her hair half-way back. So that she could wear her hair down for the evening appearance, probably. Because if it’s one think Kate loves, it’s wearing her hair down in a typically “daytime” style for an evening event.

So these are photos from Kate and Will’s arrival at the State Dinner hosted by the president of Singapore. Kate’s dress is Prabal Gurung, and I would definitely consider this outside of her normal style comfort zone. I don’t have any memory of Kate ever wearing Gurung before, so this might be a first. As for the dress… am I alone in thinking that a State Dinner might have demanded a full-length gown rather than a cocktail dress? That being said, I do like the dress just because it’s a different look than we’ve ever seen on her. I’m not crazy about the Rorschach pattern, but it’s interesting and I love the purple.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

There are few things that I love more than hearing that Prince William and Duchess Kate have gone on yet another vacation. I actually have to give them some credit – they haven’t really gone on a proper holiday in MONTHS. Considering they spent nine years of their (off-and-on) courtship vacationing an average of 10 times a year, and considering how much “down time” and “vacation time” they’ve had already in their first year and a half of marriage, it is notable when they do NOT go on vacation for a while. They had a really busy summer, what with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee activities and with all of the Olympic and Paralympic events (they were goodwill ambassadors for the Games). So it makes sense that they figured out a way to slip in a quick vacation before they’re set to leave for their epic Asian tour of Epicness (which lasts eight whole days).

This is the romantic French hideaway where William and Kate have been soaking up the sunshine ahead of their forthcoming tour of South East Asia.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge escaped to the idyllic Chateau d’Autet, a historic hunting lodge nestled in Provence’s picturesque Luberon region.

Owned by the Queen’s nephew, Viscount Linley, the 19th century hunting lodge is set in 640 acres of woodland and boasts unspoilt views of fields carpeted with lavender.

The royal couple enjoyed total privacy at Viscount Linley’s holiday home, close to the medieval village of Viens, which is equipped with a heated swimming pool and a tennis court, the Sunday Express reported.

Prince William and his wife are due to fly to Singapore on Tuesday, before travelling on to Malaysia – where Kate is expected to make a speech – the Solomon Islands, and the island of Tuvalu in the Pacific.

The secluded Chateau d’Autet was purchased by Lord Linley and his wife Serena in 1999, after the couple were introduced to the area by Peter Mayle, the author of the bestselling A Year in Provence.

The couple dedicated themselves to lovingly restoring the sprawling chateau, which comprises four properties and can accommodate up to 17 guests.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will no doubt have appreciated the chance to unwind at the French beauty spot, following a whirlwind few weeks in London amid the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

[From The Mail]

That actually sounds like my kind of vacation – just hanging out in the country, getting some sleep, eating and maybe going for the occasional swim. Sometimes their vacations sound like so much work, what with all of the sports and skiing and such. Sometimes it feels like they’ve really made a stronger commitment to having lots of vacations than doing lots work, but… I don’t know. Maybe that’s changing. They got a lot of criticism earlier this year when it seemed like they were on holiday for about a month, and since then, it really has seemed like they were actively trying to look like they were putting in more public work. Still, I think it’s interesting how much time William gets off from his military work – not only is getting time off for his royal duties, but he also gets an extensive vacation package. It would be fascinating to see how many days a year he’s actually on base in Wales.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Here are some new photos of Prince William and Duchess Kate at the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics last night. Lots of royals were in attendance at the event – The Queen came down from Scotland, Prince Edward, Princess Anne, and Edward’s wife Sophie. Also seen in these photos, Will and Kate were seen seated close Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha.

As for what Kate was wearing… it’s a frock made by a Danish label called “DAY Birger et Mikkelsen”. It’s basically a brocade, single-breasted coat dress that is years and years old. It’s a significant repeat – Kate wore it publicly for the first time in 2006, to a wedding, and then she wore it again last year at Zara Phillips wedding too. Kate accessorized with her favorite nude LK Bennett heels and a Wilbur & Gussie clutch. You can read more about Kate’s look here, at What Kate Wore. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of this coatdress, especially when you consider that it’s been sitting in her closet for six years, and she’s already worn it to two weddings. I know Kate is “thrifty” now (cough, cough), but this is kind of a budget look to repeat.

In other royal news, this week’s tabloids are still trying to make this royal baby thing happen already:

It’s baby making time! With the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee out of the way, William and Kate have a plan. Read on! Kate Middleton has finally settled into her role as a princess and she’s ready to produce an heir for her loving and understanding husband, Prince William. Will she and William finally have the time to make a baby?

“William and Kate are putting all their effort into having a baby,” a member of the royal couple’s social circle told Life & Style magazine. “They would love to be expecting by the end of the year.” Royal duties delayed the couple’s efforts to start a family sooner. The royal family didn’t want anything to overshadow the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee or the London Olympic games.”

Now that their obligations to wave and smile are over, for the time being, the couple have hunkered down in their Wales beach cottage — alone and out of the public eye.

“She just wants to hide away in Wales — out of the glare and the spotlight — and get on with producing the future king or queen of England,” the insider said. Here’s hoping we hear little feet pattering across the palace floors soon

[From Hollywood Life]

Well, babymaking is just going to have to wait, because Kate has pretty much let it be known that she will not gestate and make public appearances at the same time. Kate and William are headed for a week-long tour of Asia starting on September 11th, and then after that, I’m sure they’ll settle in for a nice long vacation, then maybe some baby-making, and then don’t expect to see a lot of Kate.

Will and Kate are also attending some events today at the Paralympics – you can see some nice photos of them at The Mail. Kate and Will take turns looking bored, but at one point, Kate laughs at something Will said. She’s also sitting beside Lady Louisa Windsor, daughter of Prince Edward.

Photos courtesy of WENN.