Here are some photos from Queen Elizabeth’s annual birthday parade, also known as Trooping the Colour. All of the senior royals came out, and Prince William and the Princess Royal (Princess Anne) were on horseback. Camilla (the Duchess of Cornwall) wore a lovely sea-green suit and Duchess Kate wore a floral-print coatdress by Catherine Walker – to see the full look, go here. Her satellite-dish hat is by Lock & Co. I like the coatdress – I’m glad she wore something new and not a repeat, and it looks like something a young mother would choose, which makes sense. The hat on the other hand… nope.
This was Duchess Kate’s first public appearance – her first official event – since giving birth and debuting Princess Charlotte. Charlotte did not make an appearance, but Prince George is now big enough to do the balcony appearance with his parents. He didn’t ride in the carriage with Kate, Camilla and Harry though – he waited with Maria-the-Nanny at Buckingham Palace and some photographers got some really adorable photos of George sticking his tongue out and laughing at the parade. For the balcony appearance. George stayed in his dad’s arms and Kate was sort of pushed to the side a little bit. George’s hair has really come in – he’s SO blonde and he looks so much like William when Will was his age. Thankfully, I don’t think George punched anybody, although I do think the Queen gave him a dirty look at one point on the balcony. I wonder how loud he was?
Surprisingly, Prince Andrew and his daughters were in attendance too. The York princesses didn’t look too happy about it and Andrew was definitely shoved to the back for the balcony wave.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
What exactly is that on Kate’s head? A feathered diaphragm?
Perfect!
That is one ugly hat!
I agree – whole outfit is bad
George looks nothing like Silly Billy – except for hair color – look at side by side pics.He is a carbon copy of Kate’s dad
Oh no, but no! Lol!
That is exactly what it looks like. That, or a bedpan.
Apparently, the Queen is sponge worthy.
+1
Kate’s hat is ridic! Her dress looks like it was made from a sofa — makes her look too matronly.
George is cute as a button, however and the Queen looks elegant as ever.
Why no good pic of Handsome Harry??? He looks dashing in his dress ups!
Wait, doesn’t the sofa dress of the century go to Kim K? Though, on her, it wasn’t just your average sofa. It was a giant blended four piece sectional.
*whispers* I liked KK’s dress much better. The colors were FAB on her, but the pattern was atrocious!
Which makes the fungus growing atop it all the more dubious.
Kate is glowing, I want her coat and George is adorable.
Ya whatever Kate is doing, she looks amazing – like 10 years younger – she looks more like she did back in 2006 or something. I like the lighter hair colour too.
I think it’s the few extra pounds. She looks beautiful!
Agree. Kate looks great.
Just wait a few weeks and she’s back to her old weight. I agree though, she looks much better with a few “extra” pounds.
Yes, this is the best she’s looked (only my opinion) in awhile. A couple of extra pounds are good on her. I can only say that her facial expression and body language are just screaming “relieved” to me. Maybe she really believes in that “heir and spare” crap and now thinks she never has to fulfill any requirements anymore.
CB missed posted the best pic of George:
http://www.gofugyourself.com/royally-played-trooping-the-colour-2015-06-2015/trooping-the-colour-9
I commented earlier on Kate’s look today. I think it’s a 1850s retro look given the collar and buttons and the pattern of the fabric. Looks Quaker.
The hat is really a miss, though I rarely like any of her hats.
HA! Being a Quaker, I can assure you the print would not have flown back in the 1800s when we wore “plain dress.” Or buttons that big. But thanks for the shout-out — I’m tickled to see the word “Quaker” on CB!
Yeah, I’m a Quaker too since I’m a blood descendant of Jesse Lloyd UEL. I may even go as far back as a descendant of a passenger on the Mayflower but it got too murky for researchers to provide confirmation. Am I a practising Quaker? No, just my ancestral roots.
+1
Guess you missed the big ‘oats’ discussion, hehe..considering the antics of a lot of celebs covered here, you should be glad the term doesn’t show up.
Kate actually looks really beautiful here.
George is adorable
Kate looks beautiful. Looks like she got some highlights. George is cute too.
Pictures need more Harry!
A lot more Harry.
When I saw the picture of Harry, my heart did such a lurch… I have a photo at one of the big family gatherings we used to have, and there, right at the side, is my darling brother, pulling that exact same face. I never noticed until now how alike Harry is to my beautiful, and much-missed (black-haired) brother. He died of a massive heart attack, aged 37. You just never know when or what will cause that hit to the heart…
I’m so sorry for your loss, Tea.
Sudden and unexpected death like that is devastating. I hope your family has healed and the memory is happy.
37?! Talk about unexpected! So sorry your lost your beloved brother. I join Bluhare in hoping your family has healed and you have happy memories….
I love how the fandom is paying 0 attention to this w/ all eyes on Sweden. IMO DK’s whole look is a total snore.
She looks like an old couch.
Precisely. ‘Unforgivable upholstery’ and ‘really regrettable wallpaper’ were my first impressions. It looks like an eighties household goods pattern from Laura Ashley – with a weird, girlish old-lady nod to Wedgwood.
I wish she were unafraid to dress like a sophisticated, modern adult woman without resorting to the overly conservative ‘priss and miss’ she seems to favor. Or capitulate to.
Ugh. Whatever this is will probably be selling online as rayon knockoffs before I finish typing.
I agree about DK’s look. She has a similar blue coat but with a brocade look, so why buy another? Live updates on the wedding are at thelocal.se website. The European royals are all out in full living color–I love looking at the gowns and jewels.
awesome website, thank you Olenna!!
The standard has been lowered though. Kate hasn’t flashed anything and she showed up. So this is a check in the right box.
i looked at sweden a bit, her dress is budget, very forgettable, and those 2 are aging like dollar store cheese. every time i see a picture of them they look older.
Ooooh, at the next available cut & slice, I’m wedging ‘aging like dollar store cheese’ in there somehow. Excellent.
I have no idea how often the York Princesses attend the Trooping of the Colour, I thought Charles had sidelined them all, but as it’s to celebrate the Queens Official Birthday and they are her granddaughters there is every reason for them to be there legitimately. In terms of PR however, It’s possible the York Princesses are there to show ‘The Firm’s’ solidarity over Andrew’s recent brush with scandal over those rape allegations – putting on a brave (or brass neck) front.
What really struck, me is that George seems to be wearing a Romper Suit, and I can’t remember the last time I saw one of those on any child. They seem to be dressing him from a 1950’s pattern book.
It’s the exact same outfit William wore in the 80s for his first balcony appearance, apparently.
And they were dressing William from the 1950’s pattern book then, I wonder if Charles wore it at some point as well?
maybe they were there as ‘seatfillers’ because the Wessexes are in Sweden for the royal wedding this weekend.
The Yorks attend this event every year. Have done for years.
Infact, out of the wider family, only the Philips kids (Peter and Zara) don’t attend. I can’t remember the last time they did.
Wikipedia thinks the Queens bday is in April.
The QUeen’s actual birthday IS in April, but this parade became a celebration of the Monarch’s birthday in the Edwardian era. Didn’t matter that it doesn’t fall on the Monarch’s actual birthday.
Another way for the royal family to show themselves and cement their relationship with the public.
It is – she has 2 parties 😉
http://www.royal.gov.uk/royaleventsandceremonies/troopingthecolour/troopingthecolour.aspx
it is. but the official celebration is in June – regardless of the sovereigns actual birthday.
It is. But the British have celebrated the sovereign’s birthday in June since 1748 as an “official” event. You don’t mess with that kind of tradition.
Edit: What Prairiegirl said @ Prairiegirl – love your name by the way, loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books when I was a kid!
@ LAK – thanks for the info, I don’t know what I’d do without you and Sixer, I’m far too lazy too look this up for myself!
Hey, those clothes are called classic, timeless baby clothes. Step off. Lol
Everyone here is gunning for Kate, but I gasped at the contrast between Kate and Camilla in lovely fresh pastels and light summery white hats, then Beatrice is in a black hat, dark color, and has dark eye makeup. Just looked much more suitable for an evening or fall event to me. And I think Kate really does look great: seems happier and has a glow.
I live in Georgia and I see children wearing those buttoned up romper suits all the time. Especially with family portraits, etc.
Duchess Kate is being phased into the background much quicker than I thought would happen. It looks like she’s stuck behind a crowd and trying to see what’s up front. Last year she was front and center.
I did like her hat until the above comment (thanks). At least it’s not made out of animal parts.
She’s not Queen yet – and i watched the balcony appearance and when Willy moved to the other side of TQ (after Harry told him to move over) she rudely shoved herself forward almost stepping on Andrew who was originally stood near Chuck – she had a fine view where she was behind the Wessex children (whose parents are in Sweden at the royal wedding and it was soo sweet to see them coming out with Granny).
He’s an adorable kid – i see a lot of Mike Middleton in him, with Harry’s personality.
To correct my post above – i re watched it on YT and it’s Harry she almost steps on. Andrew did move.
Is that Charles standing to the left of William? If so, I wonder why he was cut from these pictures. All you see is his left arm and shoulder. Sad, because I like Charles. 🙁
I thought she was wearing the bold print and in the 2nd row of the balcony appearance so that she could disguise her imagined body imperfections. But if BP wants to emphasize the Wm/George line of succession, it makes sense to put Kate in the background.
She’ll always be in the background, I suspect; coddled.
Are we going to cover the wedding today to?
The pictures of George watching from inside the palace with his nanny are freakkng adorable. That kid has personality to spare
If you look at some of the videos on the web, it seems as if everyone is ignoring Kate, and she is only focused on William and George. She looks like she’s kind of hovering.
The coat is OK, not a favorite though. The peter pan collar and the 3/4 length sleeves are not design details that I’m fond of, and the print isn’t either. Whatever. Now that hat is the most ridiculous thing of the day, LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!
I think George and the Queen were the stars on the balcony. Kind of glad to see Kate pushed to the side.
Yes i got that impression as well – the move she pulled when Willy and George moved to the other side of TQ was rude and very much like a stunt a helicopter mom would pull – she almost stood on Prince Andrew, who you could see glare at her.
If you look at the dynamics of that balcony appearance – most of the family made a point of standing away from the Cambridges, there was a big space behind TQ and the Wessex children. You gotta wonder what’s been going on behind the scenes.
Correction it was Prince Harry she almost trampled on.
Of course she’s worried – this is a big appearance for george, and if he threw a tantrum, it’s most likely that she would be blamed for it.
ya
Really? I doubt little unfiltered is any form of opinion makes it to her at all. There would be no blame she would know about. And George would be given to a nanny so the parents could continue on with their duty before the tantrum could be noticed..
I got helicopter hovering too. Like she couldn’t quite trust that William had the baby.
Not just that – George is still a really small child, and crowds and noise can be stressful for even outgoing children. It really could just be that they’re trying to keep him engaged and happy. Who knows.
Bridget makes an excellent point. Many Royal watchers may have taken note of the fact when William picked up George (on the way into Lindo Wing 2 May) it appeared to be because the loud cheering from the crowd frightened him.
I had a child who was somewhat “explosive” at that age. You better believe I was hovering because if I wanted to short circuit some of his hour long tantrums, it had to be done early. George may not be, but they’re always talking about what a little firecracker he is.
I was thinking the same–you know the look a mother gets when her kid melts down in a store? Imagine that from a whole country. And Kate would be blamed for it, not William. Plus, she wants the world to love him and is in a situation where she has almost no control over what happens and how he reacts, so of course she’s nervous.
I totally agree. And if Kate had stood further away from George and William, people would have said it proved they were fighting or that she wasn’t an engaged mom!
I saw the BBC video and she was constantly talking to him, and to William. He probably feels more secure having both parents around and her voice probably soothes him. He waved a couple of times when she prompted him, so, I think she is where she needed to be and in that same film, where William motioned her to be. Edward came out on the balcony before them and moved them over in the open nearer to Charles so folks could see George better, since quite a few folks came to see him. The photo of the four generations of present and future monarchs together was noted by the BBC, so, I think it was all planned out. And if she had been off to the side, like Diana was in William’s first appearance, there would have been hell to pay.
Lots of royalist’s show up on this thread, whenever something big (a balcony pic, or such) comes along… Charles, doing his duties to manipulate the public! It always happens! Lots of new love! Really! (bite me).
I bet she was hovering – he seems in the middle of that toddler “terrible-twos” full of energy and meltdowns. Can you imagine if he kicked out and hit the Queen?
By the way Jen2 I think you must mean Andrew and not Edward? Edward wasn’t on the balcony as Edward and Sophie were in Sweden for the royal wedding – they were seated behind King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia in the church
Love the dress, hat is flattering but I don’t like it. Camilla looks great too.
i like the wacky brit hats
kate’s face looks fuller or something, she looks really good although i’m really all about QEII’s coats and jewels and grumpy baby.
I second QEII’s coat and jewels and grumpy George.
George looks cute, but why copy William’s outfit from when he was a child on this same balcony? Seems there’s nothing original about Kate’s style or how she dresses her child. That hat looks like it was designed by Dr. Seuss.
Yeah I found the recycled outfit cheesy not cute. Just feeding into Williams ego imo.
Yes, feeding his ego and playing on the public’s memory of when they when so enamored of him as a child. The PR team has begun it’s blitzkrieg of adorable George images in order deflect or sway our opinions about his idle parents.
maybe it was Williams choice? a redo of his childhood with a happier slant?
Possibly, or maybe it was the PR team’s choice.
Could it be the actual outfit? I bet outfits are kept. In Sweden Victoria is known for putting Estelle in some of her own childhood dresses
There is an article in DM that says it *is* the actual outfit
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3123170/Snap-Prince-George-appeared-romper-suit-father-wore-balcony-scene-Prince-Charles-1984.html
I think it was the actual outfit handed down, not a copy. Which is sweet and pays tribute to his dad.
I think that’s more of a fascinator than a hat. Which I guess is sort of like a hat, but more of an um…headpiece? Camilla and Queen Elizabeth are wearing hats. The thing on Kate’s head looks more like the fascinators Eugenie and Beatrice are wearing.
It is a fascinator.
The dress looks like a housecoat, and the hat looks like it’s prepared for takeoff. Kate herself looks good, though.
And George’s outfit is the same one William wore at his first Trooping the Colour.
TBH the amount of “homaging” and “nods” to Diana and W’s childhood is getting weirder per appearance. DK’s coat(as usual) is quite similar to what Diana wore in TTC ’81. There are many DK looks of blatant Diana-“homaging” where if you google side-by-side pics you’ll see. Weirding me out.
Yes – look at the blue dress she wore outside the hosp with George. Its weirding me out as well – is she trying to turn herself into a Diana clone?!?!?
I have a friend over there (as some here know) that is often in the crowds for this stuff. Her opinion carries highly with me. She said Kate for since right before the 2nd labor has been looking better and softer lately. She says fillers. I say maybe extra mom weight she won’t lose…? But still the images are soft in texture. Where you can see pores in some people, but it shows fuzzy skin on Kate. Hallmarks of edits.
I don’t really see the mimic Diana clothes though. Some looks are classic. And Diana had some classic looks. Kate would be smart to wear those looks.
The point I’m trying to make is that it’s more than a handful of looks: tad too similar colours,cuts etc… Yes Diana was a fashion icon but when more and more appearances are weirdly similar… Even wearing similar clothes at the same places Diana attended(not talking about the AusNZ red coatdress). Even Mama C has worn quite similar outfits. Can’t post links though.
Kate’s dress would be nicer as a shabby chic/farmhouse style bed sheet. Looks so matronly.
Eugenie has a beautiful face.
The Queen looks sensational.
She always looks pretty, I think. I guess she has been doing this for so long she rarely misses.
Just checked in on the Swedes and wedding livestream — their recessional music was some pop song they bopped their way out of the chapel to! Hilarious! Love the Scandinavians.
Yes, she was a lovely bride but the dress has shades of Duchess Kates Grace Kelly dress. And she didn’t over up her tattoo (the one at the top of her spine) either.
By all accounts the Swedish wedding was a little on the Euro trash side – the bride walked down the aisle to Enya and Coldplay (for the groom – i think).
They look like a couple genuinely in love.
I like the Enya music , it was beautiful and etheral. And it was hte most joyful royal wedding I have ever seen!
The Swedes are fab bopping out to the “Sister Act” version of Joyful Joyful
A dress with sleeves! Just like Princess Kate! The Children’s Princess is such a trendsetter!
The Enya piece was beautiful but i am a bit of a traditionalist on weddings and would go classical.
Her dress and wedding were lovely – i just cringed a little inside at the dancing.
I didn’t mean to snark.
Arthistorian: loved, loved your Queen’s pop of colour. It’s official I love the Queen of denmark. Her sartorial splendour knows no bounds.
I do love my Queen. And you’re right about her sartorial splendout. She can pull of looks that no one else can! And she works closely with her couturier (bother former and present), so her formal dresses are her own design in a way.
There was recently a documentary about her art on Danish television and it featured at lot of her paintings as well as her illustrations for Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. I think her landscapes are the best – with vivid green and blue colours that make them look like something out of a Scandinavian fairy tale. It also featured her husband’s sculptures and poetry – they had a joint exhibition this year. It also featured her work with the Royal ballet’s production of The Nutcracker a few years back (she designed the costumes). It was fun to see how involved she was, even with the smallest details.
Betti,
I’m not very keen on pop music at church ceremonies either, but it is something that the SRf do – it has been a feature at all the royal weddings the last 5 years. I did like the Enya music for the processional – it was beautiful, especially without the lyrics. I guess the sheer joy of the whole thing glossed over the pop music cheesiness. They looked so much in love and everyone was just soo happy and emotional, both Victoria, Mette-Marit and Frederik got teary-eyed.
Maxima was just gorgeous in her Tamiinau couture gown and her Ruby Peacock Tiara – and she brought her own fan! It looked like the church was very hot. Poor Maddie, who’s about to give birth at any moment, looked especially affected by the heat.
And little Leonore’s antics just killed me. She was soo cute – and I loved how she was just passed around by the family members. Victoria’s husband Daniel must be the toddler whisperer, because he really got her to calm down.
2nd everything ArtHistorian is saying.
LOL at the last sentence – am a little jealous of Victoria as her husband is such a nice, sweet, genuine guy – he’s a good husband and father. And kids seem to love him.
Have been dipping in and out of the live stream and the press have access to the meal – the speeches have been aired on national TV. I soo wish the Cambridges would have done this – I would love to have seen what the setting was like. I loved her bouquet.
I never saw the previous SRF weddings so this has been an eye opener. I saw parts of the Luxembourg one when the heir to the Ducal throne got married a few years ago and it was similar to the BRF one.
Betti,
There are differences between the royal families – and the weddings are different and more stately when it is the heir that marries.
Both Madeleine’s and Carl Phillip’s weddings were less stately but perhaps a bit more down to earth. Prince Joachim of Denmark’s second wedding was also rather low-key for a royal wedding. It took place in a village church and incorporated some lovely local traditions.
I loved CP Frederik and Mary’s wedding. It was very stately and you could definitely see that QMII had had a firm hand in everything with her experience of the theatre. Mary walked down the aisle to the tones of Handel’s Zadok the Priest. It was gorgeous! And they were wed in this beautiful neo-classical church. They also televise the weddings and the speeches in Denmark – and the bridal waltz, which has a particular tradition in Denmark.
The wedding waltz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVQarqT61ss
The processional:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL9ZlVwgnUU
Sadly, I didn’t see Victoria’s wedding.
Princess Royal on horseback is everything and Harry looks fucking angelic in that one pic he’s in.. Sigh..
Yeah I went looking for videos because I wanted to see Kate run over Andrew but all I could see was Harry looking fine as hell.
Yeah, just came to say, everyone’s gotta look at photos elsewhere, cause Princess Anne looks like one bad bitch on horseback. It’s delightful.
Haha, she does!! She could defend that empire all her own and then go whip up a good tea. She and Harry should rule with a bit of back-up from Sophie Countess of Wessex. They can train PGtips and little Louise and hand off down the years. This is all I want, really.
Princess Anne is awesome.
Anne looked like a badass in her uniform.
BUTTONS!!!
She looks like Ma Ingalls.
Ha!
To me Diana always looked good in Catherine Walker, Kate always looks frumpy.
ok….So George is wearing Williams’s old outfit, William is wearing the uniform he wore to his wedding, Kate is wearing fabric leftover from re-upholstering a sofa….begs for “Those Thrifty Royals….They’re Just Like Us!!!” headline…
@Tough Cookie, I think you and someone up-thread are right that the outfit is actually Williams’. At first, I thought it was a copy. And, “Just like us” is something Kate will never be as long as Charles is footing the clothing bill. Regardless of how much she spends, though, she often looks frumpy or sort of un-tailored. Her hair is an outdated mess, she has poor posture (even in the carriage, she looks slightly slouched) and she seems to lack confidence, which would go a long way in helping her look sophisticated in day wear and elegant in evening wear.
Normally I love Kate’s coats, but this one is too matronly. 1950s housecoat. Ditto the plate on her head.
She wants to be the Queen Mother. It is all she is capable of, really…
What do the York sisters have to be unhappy about? They have a fancy title with minimal obligation. Their stylists hate them, obviously, but it’s kinda,on them that they don’t learn to style themselves in their abundant free time.
They take risks. Sometimes hits and sometimes misses. And they manage to not let the misses tear them down. Their street style is amazing. Eug’s non-royal duty booties are perfect.
And they aren’t unhappy. There are select photos like all occasions that show some to be happier and others more depressed, but it’s all in the fraction of a moment to spin for a story.
Risks? I dunno. That seems generous.
In the above photo, they remind me of Cinderella’s step-sisters.
LOL bettyrose . . . agree totally!!
Am I crazy? I am really into the hat, but I have a soft spot for all crazy hats.
Pretty surprised that Kate is awkwardly standing behind the queen – the placing is usually much more spread out and well-spaced, no? Part of me thinks Kate doesn’t want body shots yet, because then there will be fanfare over her body, which (though she clearly works hard on) she doesn’t want to be an international conversation.
Anyway, shots of Big G being adorable are always welcome on a saturday morning. Cheers ya’ll!
From what i could tell she looked fine -almost back to the way she was pre pregnancy.
That was my thought, too–I think she looks beautiful, but not totally comfortable? Someone so disciplined about their weight is probably very self-conscious when she’s even a little bit over it.
Those York sisters perpetually look bothered by something. And the one with brown hair reminds me so much of an unpleasantly rude girl I used to know that I find it difficult not to ascribe the same personality to her.
I see a lot of Kate’s father, Michael Middleton, in George. Also, it seems like George has some curls in his hair.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Kate looks good, outfit does not. The fabric looks like an upholstered couch and it looks like a couple of fuzzy caterpillars are attached to a satellite dish on her head.
I think Kate should wear a rich tone of burgundy on her next official appearance. I’ve always enjoyed that colour on Royals, especially senior Royals.
Woops..Harry has a piece of bacon sticking out of his mouth.
Queen Maxima looked really good at the wedding today. Her dress was the best in the crowd. She wore it and her jewels very well.
Thought Sofia was a lovely bride. CP seems to be genuinely in love with her. Once again, I think it’s very progressive for someone with her background to marry into a royal household.
Princess Estelle looked like a “big girl” today as one of the flower girls.
I thought her wedding gown was a little too reminiscent of Kate’s. It was beautiful, though, and she looked beautiful in it.
I’m glad it didn’t have the cone boobs that Kate’s had.
Buttoned down Dolittle. Meh. That hat thingy in this circumstance is atrocious. It’s whimsical not regal.
On other sites, comments mention how relaxed and good she looks. Yet she has a toddler and a newborn and not looking ragged. Hmmm.
Camilla looks fabulous. Love the colour!
If these pix are consistent, Dolittle looks relegated to the sideliness. Interesting.
On Cumberbaby news – its a boy. No other details yet. Congrats.
Props to those who called that this baby announcement would coincide with the rumoured (at the time) CBE.
it’s a Cumberboy!!! (sorry, couldn’t resist LL)
I normally despise the royal’s hats but they must be growing on me. Kate’s hat is so fun. She look fresh and beautiful here.
James!!!! And so well behaved. Look at HM taking his hand to guide him onto and off the balcony.
I wonder if the Queen enjoys Edward’s children more than her older set of grandchildren?
Perhaps she felt on “grandma duty” as the parents were not there – Edward and Sophie were in Sweden for the Royal wedding
I don’t get Kate’s hair. She could have any hairstyle in the world but she always wears it down, looks especially silly with this galactic diaphragm hat. Just imagine if she wore her hair up what a difference it would make.
Her hair is lovely when up. And when down is hides her poor posture.
Apparently WIlly likes it when she wears it down and wavy. But i agree with others – she really suits it when its up.
I don’t think she could “pull off” a shorter hair style – like Diana’s for example (sorry for dragging her into this again!) so she stays with the tried and true, afraid to take a risk.
Ah ha! They are indeed dressing George in William’s hand me downs.
George is adorable. Stop dressing him in William’s hand me downs on special occasions.
Kate looks dated and ridiculous with that house coat and hat. She also looks like she’s on the outside looking in. Not at the royals, but her own husband and child. Goodness. It’s almost as if she’s an afterthought. Makes you wonder what the next few years are going to bring to the house of Lamebridge.
The Queen looked good. Thought it was sweet that she & Prince Phillip took care of James and Louise.
Needed more Harry. There seemed to be some tension between him and W&K. Hell, there seemed to be tension between everyone and the Cambridges. Jeez.
Loved the color of Camilla’s suit.
Well, I think Harry might just be tense because Kate almost knocked him over to push in by Willie and PG. You can see her saying “move, just move” on the Youtube video. And interestingly enough she kept talking to PG, apparently loud enough that the Queen turned and gave her a dirty look.
:boggle eyed”
Can anyone explain to me why the military uniform hat that Prince Charles Prince Wlliam etc etc are wearing has the chin strap go across the face under the mouth? It looks so uncomfortable, not to mention pointless. It can’t be serving any purpose of holding the hat on.
Weirdly, I think I know this! The strap thing is also called a curb chain (I am guessing on the spelling of curb here in this use) per a client w a very old menswear firm in the UK. It was worn that way over the face below the lip as some protection from slashes by an enemy’s sword or saber. My client also told me the hats weigh over two pounds and the positioning balances the weight for some wearers. (I am hoping LAK shows up and can tell us more.)
Military isn’t my strong suit, but i’ll try and explain based upon the explanation I was given by someone ex-army when I asked the same question.
The chin strap is needed for 3 reasons.
1. It balances the hat ( the hat is a basket weave type construction under the bearskin). It isn’t added to secure the hat. There is a difference between those requirements.
2. It’s a military deflection strategem. Position of the strap means the position of your chin isn’t immediately obvious to an attacker without a magnifying glass. It’s supposed to confuse people as to where your face begins which means they aim wrong. Also helped by the fact that most of your face is covered. The covering doesn’t obscure sight.
3. It offers some protection to your face, in the event of a sword/saber attack as explained by Liberty and or in the likelyhood that someone tries to strangle you with it. Better for it to sit on your chin than under your chin so there is nothing to grab hold of and hat can easily be removed.
Modern military helmets and caps developed along the same lines.
Bearskins are no longer worn in battle and are primarily ceremonial these days.
Please note: this explanation isn’t definitive as different army types offer different explanations, but those were the primary ones I was given.
And it appears there was an age restriction imposed for those (by HM?) on the balcony for Trooping of the Colour in past years though it seems Diana got her way when Harry appeared and wasn’t yet walking (held in Diana’s arms).
And I note in 1984 Trooping of the Colour, Diana and Charles were already separated (quite physically separated on the balcony, that is). You could drive a three wide load dump trucks side by side between them given the distance in that balcony photo.
In as much as HM orders their appearance, I also think she let’s them judge the appropriate age eg we are seeing James on the Balcony for the first time this year at 7yrs whereas his father, Prince Edward made his TTC balcony debut at 3mths. William made his debut at 2yrs whilst Harry made his debut at 9mths.
Wow, three months old seems a bit young when you consider William didn’t show until 2yrs of age and now George appears at almost 2 yrs of age. But then Edward is HM’s child, so she had the say on that.
An individual on YouTube put together a montage of Trooping of Colour- nine years if memory serves. It was interesting to note how close and in love the Prince and Princess appeared to be during the clips from 1981 and 1982. I think 1983 changed everything. Diana knew the power she held as the mother of the future King and she knew still had to provide a spare. Honestly, by 1985, I think Charles and Diana both wanted out of that marriage but not divorce.
Citresse: further to your comments regarding the state of Charles and Diana’s marriage, I think the fact that they were not allowed to divorce contributed to the low depths they both sank in the war of the wales.
It was considered an non starter for the POW to divorce, and Diana actually acknowledges this as one of the reasons marriage to Charles was so appealing namely that he was the only man in the world banned from divorcing and therefore would never divorce her. I extrapolate that to mean she hoped not to have a broken home like her own upbringing. Most people interpreted those words in the romantic way they look, but she was talking about Charles’s legal status as far as divorce was concerned.
Unfortunately the marriage deteriorated and was over completely after Harry’s birth, but they were stuck with each other. For someone like Diana, always in search of romantic, Barbara Cartland-esque love, it must have been galling to see Charles slot back so easily to long term settled love(s) whilst she was floundering to find one person. Can you imagine being stuck with someone you despise, but can’t divorce or even be officially separated from?
I think that is why she was so vicious to Camilla and why she outed her. In many ways, Diana helped create the media myth of Charles and Camilla’s true love that couldn’t be denied because she focused so intensely on Camilla whilst ignoring or befriending the other ladies in Charles’s life.
The divorce was a constitutional first, and lots of behind the scenes wrangling between government and the constitutional experts.
So unprecedented was the divorce for POW that when they worked out the equally difficult legal separation, it was agreed on grounds that it wouldn’t lead to divorce. Diana forced HM’s hand, but even she was shocked that a previously unassailable position wasn’t apparently as rock solid as she thought.
Which just goes to show that if the conditions are right, constitutional law can be upended.
LAK:
If you check out the 1992 Trooping of Colour balcony appearance, Diana is laughing then smiling like a Cheshire cat. Remember the Morton book was a major bomb that had either just been dropped or was about to be dropped any day… ( I don’t have the dates in front of me) but yeah, total laughter. She knew the real ending had begun and was joyful and didn’t care about what the other Royals thought of her. Freedom was number one even if it meant she still couldn’t divorce, odds were she could get a separation from Charles and she likely knew Charles would agree. Diana knew she was about to be paroled from Royal prison.
I’m currently roasting in the Atlanta area, and everyone in London is dressed like it’s fall – long sleeves and lap blankets in the carriages. And then there’s George, dressed for a summer day.
Fellow Atlantan, mayamae, I feel ya. I’m sweating just looking at these folks with their sleeves and heavy brocade.
Me 3! Roasting along with the rest of you!
It’s only been hitting 15C/59F to 18C/64F this week in London – so pretty cool for the time of year
Yes, but I find the summer weather LHR always rather muggy, so temps of 15C can feel like 25C.
Yeah, ring me when it’s trooping of the Ginger, luv.
Bwahahaha!
Ohmygawd . . totally!!!
george doesn’t look like william at all.
I think he’s starting to look a bit like Michael Middleton.
And lucky for George!
Yes. If you look at the recent baby pictures featuring George and Charlotte. you’ll notice that George even has Michael’s concerned-look eyebrow-winglift. As in, “Why are you calling that photog fellow again, Carole, or do I even want to know?”
One word:
FRUMP
Yep. That pattern is a nice pattern for a couch or a tapestry or a table cloth. Camilla looks more interesting and less try-hard-to-be-posh.
I love the last pic. It looks like they suddenly saw themselves on a Jumbotron.
Am I seeing things, or was Kate having a leaking moment in the carriage? If you look closely it appears that she may have missed a feeding or a pump. Poor girl, I remember those days where you feel the milk letting down and there is nothing you can do but try to get to a pump or baby stat because Niagra is on it’s way.
Yep and I am seeing it, too. And so did Camilla, apparently when she leaned over. 😀
Why didn’t Kate wear the appropriate underwear e.g. pads in her bra? Oh right, Kate and underwear …
Anybody know who the other women are in that window photo? The younger woman looks enough like the nanny to be her sister. Is the other the housekeeper? She’s pretty dressed up.
I’m curious about the other women and child with Nanny and George at the window. Any guesses ? Also, who had Charlotte – the nonexistent baby nurse/second nanny ? She was likely at Buckingham and not Anmer wouldnt you think, since Kate seems to be breastfeeding still.
Can someone shed some light on why Princess Anne rides on horseback with Charles and Will? She’s not a “direct” successor to the throne, and the Queen’s other children don’t do it, and neither does Harry. Does she hold a special post in the cavalry or something? Thanks! 🙂
Also, I agree George looks more like the Middleton side of the family, but after watching the balcony wave on YouTube he does resemble William a lot when seen in motion. Some of his expressions, especially when he’s frowning or grimacing, are all William.
Anne is the honorary colonel of the Blues and Royals. The reason Charles and William ride horses is because they are also honorary colonels – Welsh Guards for Charles, Irish Guards for William.
1. Everyone on horseback belong to regiments that take part in the parade.
2. Please note that not all military services take part ie RAF and Navy nor do all army regiments. That means Andrew (ex-Navy), Edward (non military, though honorary colonel of TA), and Harry (his army regiment never takes part) aren’t on horseback and always travel by carriage.
3. Anne is honorary colonel of several regiments of several armies in the realms. Her regiments participate in the parade, so she is allowed to participate.
4. Ditto HM (she stopped in the 90s due to poor health), Philip (ex-navy, but stopped for same reason as HM), Charles and William all hold honorary colonel appointments of regiments that participate in the parade.
For what it’s worth, HM used to ride this parade in uniform, side saddle. There is a fabulous video of her horse being spooked by shots where she demonstrated expert control of the animal without losing her seat. All side saddle!!!
Thanks for the replies ladies! Much appreciated. x
@LAK
I’ve watched footage of the Queen on horseback during the parade but didn’t know about the shooting incident. Just saw it on YouTube, thanks! 🙂
Has anyone seen the photos of Kate and George at the polo match? She hasn’t wasted any time getting back into the skinny jeans lol!!
The DM has some very very cute ‘pap’ shots of PG and the rest of the family at a polo event today – wonder if Willy will chuck a hissy with the DM for publishing them or sanctioned them to buy some goodwill as we prob won’t see them for months now.
Judging from the pics she’s a bit of a helicopter mom – always hoovering around. I guess a lot of first time mothers are like that.
I saw them on justjared – I’m pretty sure this was sanctioned as Prince George is dressed up and paraded about like a little show pony and yes, it does seem like she’s hovering. He’s dressed up like a child from the 1950’s ready for a formal photo shoot v.s. mucking about on a polo field. Heck, even Kate herself is dressed more casually and appropriately.
Oh, these weren’t pap pics. All of it was sanctioned. Big blue was out. She only wears it when she knows she’s going to be photographed.
Ha! Big Blue! You are right on!
Prince George is Kate’s meal ticket. The only reason why she got there and remains there.
@ The Original Mia
“Big Blue” – brilliant!
It looks like the Queen didn’t look at Kate – in none of the pics. Do you think that means something?
The coat dress is appropriate for the event. She came out and people weren’t expecting her too. If she stays home, she’s talked about, if she attends she’s criticized for her hair, clothing, protocol or lack thereof, her parenting skills etc. She’s going to be criticized regardless, oh well..
Prince George is adorably cute.
Two George sightings in one weekend… I wonder what charity the Do-littles are cancelling on tomorrow?
Bill is trying to cancel out (press wise) the memorial services Prince Harry attended last week.
Wait, you’re surprised that the Queen’s favorite child (Andrew) and favorite grandchild (Genie) were there? That’s dumb.
I know things will change when Charles is In Charge but for now, the Yorks are IN.
I’ve always been something of a royalist. Having said that, I do wish I could muster some positive regard for Kate or William. I can’t. I just can’t. I love what the Queen represents of British history, but I can’t help but anticipate that the monarchy will feel much less relevant after her passing. She, like the role she holds, is from a different time.
There are no pics of the Queen smiling at Kate? Does that mean something? Can the Royal Family still not stand Kate? I would admire them for that …