These are new photos from a medal ceremony in England yesterday, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appeared. Kate wore this rather lovely and appropriate navy coat dress (and there seems to be a skirt or a sheath underneath it), with a militaristic vibe that suited the occasion – she was handing out medals to members of the Irish Guards who served in Afghanistan. I’m sure I’m wrong about this, but I think Kate is wearing a gold shamrock pin to signify her allegiance to the Irish Guards, who in Queen Victoria’s time were actually Irish…? And because the Queen and Prince William both hold ranks with the Irish Guards. Anyway, I like Kate’s fascinator here.
The Duchess of Cambridge displayed her compassionate side during Prince William’s first event as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Irish Guards on Saturday.
Dressed in an elegant navy blue coat dress with matching heels, Kate spent about an hour privately meeting the families of three Irish guardsmen killed in Afghanistan. She also wore a fascinator and a gold shamrock brooch similar to the insignia worn by the Irish Guards – previously owned by Princess Anne and the Queen Mother. Her visit was twice as long as the originally scheduled 30 minutes.
Kate was very pleased to be undertaking the role for a cause “so close to her husband’s heart,” said a royal aide. The duchess later presented Afghanistan campaign medals to 60 men from the First Battalion Irish Guards at Victoria Barracks in the shadow of Windsor Castle.
Personalized Attention
The royal couple, who are about to embark on their North American tour, made sure to have a conversation with each soldier they met.Kate spent extra time with double-amputee Lance Corporal Scott Harrington, 26, who lost both legs in a Taliban IED explosion. William mirrored this concern while presenting a medal to Guardsman Lamin Manneh, 34, a triple-amputee from Ghana who suffered his injuries from another IED on New Years Eve.
Their efforts were duly noted. Irish Guard Nadine Gwendu, 25, one of the few female members of the regiment to serve in Afghanistan, tells PEOPLE, “When I found out that I had been selected to meet them I was so happy as Prince William is so handsome. But even though I didn’t get to meet him, I did get to meet Catherine, which is just as great.”
“When we were in Afghanistan I really wanted to go to the wedding, but obviously we didn’t get an invite,” Gwendu continues. “So for me this is like going to the wedding and she even shook my hand. The Irish Guards is like a close-knit family, so to have William and Kate join the family is brilliant. I can now say that Kate is a member of my family – even though she is married to my prince!”
“She is very pleasant and funny – and a lot taller than me!” adds Guardsman Carl Dodds, 23. “To switch the TV on for the royal wedding and see him stood there in his Irish Guards uniform in all its glory, was a very special moment.”
The Prince Shows His Appreciation
The feeling was mutual for William.“It was with wonder that as Catherine and I rode through the Centre Gate of Buckingham Palace, there you were,” he said of the Guards role at the royal wedding.
“I am proud to be your Colonel. I am humbled by the thought of the sacrifices that you and your families have made and the losses that you suffered, all in the service of our country.”
[From People]
Well, that’s good for Kate that she’s already doing so many public events. I don’t know why the Palace made such a big deal about how she wasn’t going to take anything on right away, after being married. Kate’s done very well at everything she’s been thrown. Sidenote: If you’d like to read a nice piece about the history of the Irish Guards, go here.
By the way, a few days ago the Palace released another formal portrait of Kate and Will – people are making a big deal about how Kate “recycled” another dress (from a pre-engagement event), but I think the photo was actually taken a few months ago, when Kate wore the suit for the first time.
Photos courtesy of WENN & Fame.
Well, she certainly seems to be handling royal duties with aplomb. And with a pair of amazing legs.
Almost two dimensional. Literally and figuratively.
Meh. She really has a boring sense of style IMO; however if she’s wearing what makes her happy…..
I really love that navy dress. If the buttons were silver and not gold I think I’d want to buy it. It’s a great silhouette for any body type. Nice shoes, too. Classic, elegant, simple. Very nice overall. I could do without the hatlett though.
I wish I knew what now the Queen thinks of Cate.
I think she looks exceptionally smart. The fit and her figure are perfect. Striking. Perhaps it’s the military theme that brings out the crispness. She looks lovely, as does William in his frilly fronted jacket…perhaps some Irish ladies could tell us about his frills.
best outfit i’ve seen her in since she lost all her curves and became a stick figure.
I really like her style but she’s just so boring and that aspect of her goes beyond her clothing. She has a boring personality and it shows. You don’t have to be smoking hot to exude sexiness or charisma or charm. It comes from within. I think she’s done a good job showing up to events and being cordial. She has great hair and, as I said previously, I like her style. But there isn’t anything interesting about her. She’s not passionate about anything in particular. She never really had a long-term job that focused on an important issue while she was dating William. It shows that she is a simple woman who has spent her life doing little else than vacationing, dieting, and interning in fashion and party accessories. Maybe once she is comfortable in her role and isn’t too scared to rock the boat, she will find a cause she is interested in and that passion will show in her eyes. But right now she’s just Duchess Kate, nicely put together stick figure.
She really is lovely. Well put together. Didn’t realize she was so tall.
She seems to be doing a great job–connecting with the people. Good for her. But the dress, while smart, makes her look alarmingly thin. I wonder if William or her family is concerned?
i am really shocked at her weight loss. at each picture she looks skinnier and skinnier. that girl is going to break down in front of our eyes. seriously, where is the fun in going to events and so on if you cannot eat anything? just asking.
kibbles – I didn’t want to say what bothered me about these photos, and seemingly all Kate photos since she’s become a duchess, but here it is: she is rarely seen engaging with people. Whenever she’s photographed at one of these royal events, she’s too busy posing, looking away from whoever she’s talking to, always focused on where the camera is.
She looks great. Fantastic legs!
I want to spend all day dressed like a princess and smiling at children! What a life.
as boring as she is!!
Classy is not boring!!! This is a woman that handles herself with pure class. Her clothes are classy and beautiful.
Lovely.
SMART, very classic and does the “elegant royal” job…………
This is my favorite of her looks, besides her wedding dress. She just can’t dress bad, I love it. Its so refreshing from the women of hollywood, where the crazier the outfit , the better. And to remark to the commenter saying she doesn’t exude sexiness….she isn’t supposed to. Its like the first lady here….is she supposed to be sexy? Not that you know of (like, in public, she most be conservative and lovely, not wearing plunging necklines and short shirts. But we don’t know what they are like in private)
Love it!!!
She looks beautiful. Navy is a great color for her.
she needs to loosen up and smoke a blunt
I think this is my favorite outfit on her yet. She looks beautiful!! Just please stop with the eyeliner!!!
Meh. Her personality is – seemingly – quite dull, but her clothes are not, in my opinion. They are understated but beautiful. I think she’ll be a first rate duchess- princess-queen bc the role is primarily about being consistently dull in personality (don’t rock the boat!), but understated and beautiful in appearance. She’s nailing it.
Not meh at all. Love the outfit and the shoes. Hate the hat, but I’m just not into hats anyway.
the shoes are also recycled. is she wearing stockings, shave legs? thats a nice stocking if it is, not shiny. I cant see it properly. they are toned. I love the outfit and shes tall!
kibbles- I think you’re being a bit harsh. I am assuming that none of us have ever met the Duchess or certainly spent enough time up close to really know anything about her. Most of the opinions generated on this blog are based on inane articles written by people who also haven’t met her and our reaction to what she wears to some event. From what I’ve read, she’s not made a mistake yet with the British public. That’s pretty impressive!
She has taken on a role much like that of an actress where she is expected to perpetually dress and perform for what is hopefully an appreciative lifelong audience. As long as she provides her audience with what they want, she and the Royals will be around. She doesn’t get to ‘rock the boat’ very much because she will wisely try to always strike some sort of balance and please as many peoples as she can. She also has to have an amazing amount of staying power. She will be smiling and waving for the rest of her life! Does this sound like a job for an extremely smart or well educated modern woman?
The late Princes of Wales considered herself to be ‘as thick as a plank’ and she still managed to charm an entire world and do some good with the opportunities presented to her.
First, Kaiser, bless you for knowing what they’re supposed to be called, the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge.
Her outfit, while not fascinating, is perfectly appropriate and flattering, which is what she’s going for here. But I loooooove William’s dress uniform. Black frills!
Now, will someone please get the Duchess a burger, stat?
If she consistently wears heels that high for events where she’s standing the whole time, she’s gonna end up with bunions & hammer toes!!
Screams BA flight attendant.
I love the coat! But the girl needs to gain weight!
The fourth picture is great. All the men are looking at her peripherally.
I do think that she’s far too thin. When are women going to learn that only women find these skinny bodies appealing. Men like a little meat on the bones.
For those of you out there screaming boring about her outfits, remember this is the future queen of England. You expect her to wear plunging necklines and butt & biscuit grazing hemlines to events like this?
She looks lovely.
I really like this coat, she looks very nice. And love the shoes!
kibbles- I agree with you 100%. Well said. She is a boring and completely uninteresting stick person.
Oh- and it’s Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Not Queen of England.
JulieM@ Not by the time she gets there….
What’s the hate for her lol…
She is just doing her job and style wise I think she is not boring. She knows what suits her and it shows. What exactly does boring mean anyway? How interesting do you want her to be? She has been dealing with her affairs as a royalty rather gracefully and appropriately I think. As for sexiness, I didn’t even think it was necessary? At the end of the day, she is just another girl, future queen or no future queen.
Yes, she got thin, but seriously, give girls a bit of breathing space. Sometimes we gain a few pounds too many and sometimes we lose a few too many. She doesn’t look ill and that should be what is important.
Why am I bored by Waity? Oh, right, I know why. The word ‘vapid’ comes to mind. She has no personality and worse, no character. She’s also a stick insect. I guess that’s her greatest achievement beyond climbing Mount Wills. A role model for the ages.
@Kaiser, #12. Yeah, I so agree! She’s playing a role, playing dress up. She loves the stage. The people are her adoring audience. It’s all about her.
So if she wears an outfit twice, it’s tacky and “oh my god, we’ve already seen it”, and if she wears each outfit once, then she’s a brainless spendthrift.
To be in the clutches of the eternal tsk-tsking of the tabloids would suck.
Very pretty, elegant, understated. Thumbs up.
I adore her shoes!
She looks great, but I want Will’s coat!
They look so lovely together.
She looks so slender and elegant in this coat. She’s really starting to get the hang of what works for her.
I like her style. LOVED her wedding dress, and like this one very much.
However, why are we reading about her?
What is her job? to be a model for nice outfits?
It’s like England has “Paid celebrities”. They are not famous for being good at something or doing something meaningful.
They get paid to be celebrities and do nothing but pose sometimes.
Odd.
Just odd.
She looks beautiful. I love her hat and the shoes are pretty cute. She has a tendency to wear grandma heels but these are n
ot. (commenting using a phone can be tricky)
I’m laughing at that publicity shot of William & Kate. The palace airbrushed Kate’s disgusting raccoon eye-make up to make it appear lighter than she actually wears it! I guess whoever is in charge of the Royal Photoshop knows how tacky the black raccoon eyes are.
I like this suit. I think Kate is pregnant. Her face is fuller, and her chest looks bigger. I wouldn’t expect an announcement though until well into her 4th month since a pregnancy will up the publicity for the couple and William seems prone to shy away from all press.
Where is Harry? I miss that Sexy Ginger Prince.
I love everything she is wearing except for the fascinator… 🙂
Why is it in all the photos of her doing events and meeting people, Kate is still making sure that her engagement ring will be seen?
We’ve all seen it, no need to keep showing it off. Sheesh.
She is kind of limp wristed (notice how it always hangs or if she is holding something…like her bouquet…it’s like she can barely hold it up?) and is always playing with her hair, so she definitely does have some nerves or anxiety about being out in public and the attention.
I think her style is getting better and better.
She’s an arrogant snob just like her husband. She’s as tacky as the Kardashian skanks.
So mature and grown up now, aren’t they? What a charming couple to head the royal family. Beautiful, elegant, classy.
Love the shoes and great legs!
I didn’t like the outfit, least of all the hat. It was like she was trying too hard with the military style and all. The shamrock brooch would have been enough, but trying to reincarnate Michael Jackson was tacky.
Wait a tick, didn’t Princess Diana also have an military-style outfit like this in cream? That’s kinda freaky how Catherine seems to be imitating Diana in some ways and that ring doesn’t help any. If Catherine colours her hair blonde we will know why William married her.:o
@Nia I agree with you about the hair playing thing. Catherine needs to stop with that hair fidgeting stuff along with waving her ring hand in everyone’s face.
And the “official picture” for the Canadian trip they start on Thursday is a recycled picture from their pre-wedding stuff. So the dress is not being worn for a second picture. Oh, I also found a list of the people accompanying William and Catherine on their trip to Canada, and there’s not one woman in the group. No one will quietly tell Catherine to “STOP WITH THE EFFING BLACK EYELINER!”
Love
Kaiser I agree with everything you said about Katie who no longer can be called Waity. With every picture of her I feel its the same hair the same smile but different clothes(like I’ve seen it before). It’s like she’s been practicing in the mirror on that smile and keeps smiling inanely whenever in public. I hope she didn’t smile and toss her hair like that when she met grieving family members of the soldiers. She’s pretty lucky that Prince William didn’t do a George Clooney on her, it would be very hard for her to date anyone else after that. She was always known as Prince William’s girlfriend and now she is known as his wife nothing less nothing more.
Regarding her boobs I think she is wearing chicken fillets or padded bra. (I only say that because she wouldn’t want to deal with morning sickness when she is touring America) And I think she is wearing some kind of makeup on her legs that Hollywood celebs wear to make their legs look flawless without stockings.
Kate and William have just taken their seats on Centre Court at Wimbledon. They’ve come to watch Murray. She looks lovely, dressed in white, very appropriate.
Feeling very patriotic today:)
i love her style so so beautiful
Actually, MEH goes to every outlet that keeps publishing this stupid drivel about Waity Kate. Even the DM readers are sick of it all. Wait… what about Pippa? Haven’t seen her beautiful face/ curvy derriere on this page for a while. Is she ill or something?
love her simplicity i love the cap
Kaiser wrote, “Whenever she’s photographed at one of these royal events, she’s too busy posing, looking away from whoever she’s talking to, always focused on where the camera is.”
In nearly all of these photos, she is NOT looking directly at the camera. She is either looking at another person, looking ahead, or looking into the crowd.
I had the same thoughts as the first commenter when I saw these photos in an online UK newspaper. The Duchess of Cambridge looks very comfortable in a role that she had years to prepare for. Others may find her style boring, but I like most of the outfits she has worn publicly.
JulieM – description worthy of a film critic.
The soldier smirks in the background are priceless.
PS she’l still Waity Katie, she’s just waitin’ on the baby bump now….
very cute. color, hat, everything.