I’ll say something nice about the Duchess of Cambridge, and by extension, Meghan Markle’s early influence on Kate’s style. It used to be that Kate would spend entire royal tours in a fog of shaggy-dog hair styles, with flyaway sausage curls and wiglets askew. But Meghan has been doing “messy buns” for her first royal appearances, and it seems like Kate was taking notes (at long last). I’ve been impressed with how many times Kate has worn her hair up during this Sweden-Norway tour, is what I’m saying. Now, have Kate’s updos been great? Eh. But they are an improvement from the Wall of Hair we’re used to.
These are photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arriving in Norway earlier today. They were supposed to spend this morning at Uppsala Airbase in Sweden, but that visit got canceled because of a heavy snowfall. So they flew to Oslo, where they were greeted on the tarmac by Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. You can see more photos here.
Kate wore a high-neck Catherine Walker coat for the tarmac photo-op. This is new? She has so many blue coats, I can’t even tell. This looks new to me. I would bitch about Kate wearing another f–king high-neck look, but again, I think it’s snowing and freezing in Oslo, so she was probably doing what she could to stay warm. The coat is nothingburger to me, but whatever, at least it’s not covered in shiny buttons and ruffles. She looks presentable and professional (and a tad dated, like she’s back to doing Downton Abbey cosplay).
After the tarmac greeting, William and Kate were welcomed into Oslo’s Royal Palace for a luncheon with Haakon and Mette-Marit, as well as King Harald V and Queen Sonja. For this royal gathering, Kate chose to wear a twee maternity dress from Seraphine, which costs £165. My queendom for some professional-looking separates!!! Why not choose maternity trousers, or a maternity-wear suit? A wool sheath dress with a warm suit jacket? Why is it either/or with Kate: either she looks like a 90-year-old Victorian ghost or she looks like a 19-year-old college student wearing her idea of a fancy dress?
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
The coat is new again. Cause you know you can’t have to many identical blue coats. Wear a scarf is it’s cold.
And I don’t think Meghan has anything to do with her hairstyles. At the start of the engagements it’s perfect but either because of her shorter hair and a refusal to change it up a little bit or her hairdresser not securing them properly they begin to fall out.
Maybe she doesn’t feel like wearing a damn scarf.
And it’s not like she can’t expense the cost to the tax payers, so why not buy another coat if the reason really was something like she didn’t feel like wearing a scarf.
I agree, her hair is down in the much newer pictures when the foursome are outside the Palace. I think the slightly messier bun was done so that it would be easier and quicker to take it down more than anything else.
Are high collared coats bad? I can’t keep up.
I count at least five new coats in the past 3 days, none of which are recycled from her previous pregnancies.
I don’t think the bright yellow coat or the mint green Mulberry coat she wore during her first pregnancy would be appropriate to wear on this occasion.
I can’t, off the top of my head remember if there are other coats that she has worn during her previous pregnancies that she hasn’t worn for this pregnancy yet.
I remember reading here last year and being amazed to find out that the government of the host country pays for their wardrobe costs for the visit. In case I am right the two Scandinavian governments paid for those five new coats, awful dresses (mostly), mismatching shoes and bags, pom-pom hat, cozy warm boots and so on.
Who on earth can justify 5 new coats in 3 days, especially maternity ones? Buy one coat. Accessorize with new scarf or shoes if you want each photo op outside to look different.
Seriously, can we have a confirmation that the host pays for the guest wardrobe? Cause if that’s true, I’m going to Nordstrom’s before visiting the rich relatives.
@notasugarhere
I don’t suppose you’ll be holding Meghan to the same standard when she when she joins the BRF?. From what I recall Meghan already has a black coat, a navy coat, a white coat, a caramel coat and a beige coat. She probably has more that we haven’t seen yet. Prince Charles is probably pleased with her coat collection, he never has to buy her any new coats now. 😉
I can think of a couple of coats that she wore that would have been appropriate for this type of event. A beautiful navy coat she wore before Christmas when she was head to toe in navy. Then a royal blue coat that she wore in early January. And I believe she has brown coats from her previous pregnancies. What I don’t is whether some of these are not maternity. And I am not a stylist, and as a peasant I only own three winter coats. But heck, if the Swedish government is paying for it, then go for it girl.
As for Meghan, the navy coat is a recycle from when she lived in Toronto, and so was the light gray one.
@Maria,
Kate still has plenty of time to re-wear some of the pregnancy coats she has got for events back home. She re-wore the bright pink Mulberry coat for her arrival into Sweden despite wearing it in Coventry a couple of weeks ago and two or three other times in her last pregnancy.
I know the coats that Meghan has are from her time in Toronto but I was making the point that she has plenty of coats in different colours already so Prince Charles doesn’t need to buy her any coats when she’s Royal.
It makes perfect sense for Meghan to only wear the coats she currently has for the rest of her life because @notasugarhere doesn’t like it when people have too many coats. 😉
Who are these people: the Foreign office releases annual accounts for these tours that give detailed information about expenditure. That’s how we find out who has been charged with which expenses and yes, taxpayers of host country pay expenses of the visiting royals including clothing.
It’s harder to tell whether William’s clothing is new because he wears multiples of the same thing in the same colours, but i am willing to bet that he has some new clothing since it will also be covered by the host country.
@whatever, no Meghan needs tons of new coats in every colour, red, orange, pink, green, all kinds of blues. So far she has worn very bland colours. Can’t have that! 😀
whatever, at this point a couple of the coats MM has worn in public were coats she already owned. Was photographed in them long before this point. Ditto some of the clothing.
She needs a professional working wardrobe, a functional one like Letizia of Spain. What neither of them needs is dozens (literally dozens) of ugly, custom coatdresses or custom coats.
If, seven years from now, Meghan Markle has wasted a million of taxpayer funds on near-identical clothing items best suited to a 7 year old or a 70 year old (like Kate Middleton has), then we’ll have a problem.
+1000
And the middletons love the Russian tsar look . But Do Little middleton is representing GB HM/RF and CW and should look the part even it at a Costly vacation for her at taxpayers Duchy expense …
I have been praying-wishing for years that Kate would put her hair up. But to no avail. However I am happy to see she is trying it. It just looks so much better on her. I thought I would never see it happen (#WaitingForYears).
I love blue myself so I can’t knock it. When is the baby due? I can never tell because the way Kate carries doesn’t show much.
KP says the due date is April.
Yeah, if it’s that cold and snowing out, wear pants and boots!
I disagree here, she’s quite far along in the pregnancy and looking for comfort. Once I reached 6 months I gave up on pants, even maternity pants sucked major ass. I spent our bitter Canadian winter in various sweater/heavy dresses and tights/leggings, and I am built like Kate, very tall, thin and not that big and I still hated pants.
I’m in a place in my life where I prefer dresses over everything. With hose, as needed, weather dependant. So much easier and more comfortable. I do wear jeans for work (horticulturalist) on certain days, though am trying to figure out how to wear a dress in the greenhouse or on a job site. LOL I am not built like Kate at all. I’m short and sadly, fat. Probably why dresses are so much more comfy, even in winter!
I came here to say the same thing – I hated pants while pregnant. Also most sheath dresses are not flattering when pregnant either. I preferred dresses which accented my bump or I felt like I looked like a tent. I think she looks fine.
Personally I hated pants when I was pregnant.
I’ve never been pregnant and I dislike pants 🙂
+100
… and or flats in her state, Princess Henry I/w got carol/waitie worried … Waitie was so precious in “HG’ – cancelling events – now she is Hockeying on ICE – in heals with so much snow. Amazing!
Can you see daylight anymore? You know with being so far up Markle’s ass?
Holy crap, both Kate and Angelina opted for black heels instead of those ugly ass glossy nude things. That forces me to give her props today. That and her hemline coming in below the knee. I’m so sick of being exposed to her knees!
Why isn’t William helping her down the steps? It’s snowing, she’s in heels and she’s pregnant. If I were her, I’d be feeling anxious about falling over.
yeah, seems very weird that he charged on ahead.
He should have offered an arm.
I’ve noticed that he doesn’t pay attention to things like this very often and usually has to be asked by Kate for assistance. He doesn’t strike me as an attentive husband.
William very rarely helps Kate (publicly). I vacillate between thinking that it’s because he’s selfish or that he is secure in his faith in her ability to cope on her own. Generally, I just think he’s a selfish prick.
He has no sense of chivalry in this regard despite the fact that Kate lives in the Victorian era. And before someone tries to blame protocol, you don’t see Charles ditch Camilla (or Diana) in the same way.
@NIC919, you’re right about Charles. And Harry is the same with Meghan. Will should be embarrassed at how he treats his wife/mother of his children.
I don’t think the Windsors in general are good at chivalry. Of course someone should have been there to offer an arm or help Kate at the steps. Wouldn’t you make sure a pregnant lady in heels got down steps in snowy conditions safely? William should have escorted her.
Kaz, Charles constantly helps Camilla, guides her down stairs, etc. Harry has been photographed helping other royal ladies around, holding an umbrella for his godmother Lady Sarah, etc. William does not do these things.
In the photo of the six of them, is Mette-Marit wearing what she wore on the runway?
Had to take a second look, but ermergerd, I think so! She must spend a lot of time outdoors so is used to the colder temperature? She matches William perfectly, with the dark red scarf and dark navy/black on the tarmac.
Agree, MM is wearing the same coat and she’s probably used to the cold. Too, I don’t imagine some of the palace rooms like the large reception areas are all that warm.
She looks great. Stunning color. The dress is really a great dress for a a pregnant woman. I like the dress a lot on her. And the coat is great. I like the high neck collar on it. I didn’t like that red yesterday nor the horrible gown, though. Those two things have been her only missteps on the trip.
I like the coat. It’s boring but pretty. No buttons! yay!
I also like the dress. I think she could have gone for something a bit less fussy but meh. After the past two nights this dress seems like a major win to me.
I like the coat. It matches my eyes. She should give it to me. Why aren’t they wearing boots to walk in that snow?
That’s exactly what I was thinking. I think that wouldn’t spend more than a few minutes on that red carpet on the tarmac. They’d be in a warm car in no time.
Kate’s choice of shoes always kills me. Isn’t Jimmy Choo a British company? There’s got to be something better than these boring things Kate continually puts on her feet!
The block heel is probably more comfortable now that she is pregnant and those shoes have a lot of grip on the soles than the ones she would normally wear. She gets no hate from me for this outfit. It’s really nice.
Those shoes are horrible and matronly. There are many other choices, and yes Jimmy Choo is British.
The shoes are boring but they do have a rubber-like sole as Whatever said. What’s got my attention is her height. Kate looks taller than Mette-Marit, who is about 5’9″ or 5’10”. MM is wearing heels about 2.5 inches high. KM is supposedly 5’7″ or 5’8″ and she’s wearing 3.5 inch heels here. I’ve read that heel height is usually an inch or so more than your height increase. So, considering that, Kate should still be shorter or even height with higher heels. Now I’m more inclined to believe she’s at least 5’9″. https://www.celebheights.com/a/11.html
Kate’s heels are 4.5inches.
@Lak, Replikate says the shoes are 3.5 inches, so I can’t vouch for the site’s accuracy.
http://replikate.co/product/tods-black-suede-pumps/
Olenna: The picture used on that website shows a shorter heel than the picture of Kate wearing the heels on the same website. You can clearly see the height difference in the two pairs.
Also if you scroll further down on the same page, you find a side by side comparison of the red tods she’s been wearing on this trip. You can see that they are the same heel height as these black ones, and if you click on buy product on the red tods, they take you to a website that gives heel measurement of 4inch.
The ones she is wearing in the picture above and on the website a higher than 4inches, but only by half an inch.
The website isn’t factchecking their own information nor do they have a visual sense of measurement.
And Kate very rarely wears heels lower than 4inches. All her lower heels are nude/ beige coloured shoes. All the black pumps are 4inches and higher.
Yes, LAK, her heels are often 4-5 inches plus 1 inch platform (Jimmy Choos, etc.)
I like Kate’s blue coat. In case that the hosts’ government paid for their guests’ wardrobes for the visit, Norway’s good so far. At least regarding the blue coat. Overall Sweden scored only with the choice of the white-off dress. Let’s see what future brings.
I like the outfit and the dress! I am 7 months pregnant and it’s hard to find a dress I feel cute in, I would wear this one 🙂
Wow, blue last night and again today. Is a prince on the way?
Maybe!!
But actually just think Kate likes wearing blue. It actually suits her. Blue is definitely her color.
She has ALWAYS worn a lot of blue. This is not new. Blue is the best color, so….
Another blue wool coat……considering it’s Catherine Walker, it’s not as awful as some of that design house’s pieces. I like the simple lines, the strong shoulder, the length and the high collar. But she switched into that god-awful fur hat later on and ruined the look.
The dress is OK. More lace. At least it’s a maternity dress so the hemline is straight for a change. That Erdem velvet mess she wore the night before did not have a straight hem in the front.
Imo, how W&K pose for group photos makes them look like little kids asking “please sir may I have more porridge?” I don’t understand why they can’t stand with their arms by their sides, it’s not difficult.
I notice William’s feet are always pointed out with his heels together…..it makes me think of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz clicking her heels.
I can’t hate on any of the outfits of a pregnant woman lol. She’s taller than I am, so doesn’t look as far along as I did at this stage (about to pop), it was the middle of summer and I was the sack dress and flip-flop queen. I would not make a good princess LOL
The coat is beautiful on Kate, it’s got clean simple lines and the blue maternity dress is pretty and fits her very well. The shoes are great too. This is the best she’s looked on this tour.
I like that is wearing her hair up but dislike the dress, and the coat looks like a million other coats she has. It is ok but some parts of it I don’t like at all.
I think she looks nice in the coat and the dress *shrugs* and she does look pretty with her hair up in the group shot. I think a suit of some kind would have been better than the dress but it’s fine. It’s pretty and not too short or anything.
Yet another new blue coat. However it is lovely – the colour, style, length all look good. I’m not mad on the dress but at least it’s not a set of curtains from Erdem.
Those two carpet and curtain dresses she wore in Sweden were so tacky and a mess that this dress right here is an instant win.
And no, hopefully she won’t pick up that assistant running for Starbucks look Meghan is going for.
Get a proper Stylist. Stop period/television/ out of date dressing. I am sorry for repeating myself but I cannot believe that this woman has so much at her disposal, yet buys and wears the crap that she does.
She is a young, pretty woman, the future Queen embrace that roll…
Imo the only one more dull and drab then Kate is Mette-Marit. Kate looks good compared to her.
Kate’s style sucks. I wish she was more adventurous and more professional.
But I give her a full pass on maternity businesswear. I work in a conservative dress-code office and had to wear suits when pregnant. There is no such thing as a flattering or comfortable suit when you are pregnant. You can’t button your jacket or you look enormous, you can’t wear a knee-length skirt, and your pants are either uncomfortable, or inappropriately stretchy. I spent a lot of money on my clothes, and I am tall and thin, and carried small. Still — suits during pregnancy are the worst clothes I ever wore in my life.
Her biggest disasters weren’t her day wear on this trip but the more fancy attire, which was the curtain collection by Erdem. The white dress she wore yesterday was decent and the green dress was ok. She has access to the best and they could properly fit the clothing to her changing body. She isn’t stuck shopping at the mall like the rest of us.
But she does not have a regular job with regular hours. She makes 2-hour at most appearances. More on foreign tours even if some include private holiday time on public money. Factor in the resources and time. Pregnant or not, she should do better fashion-wise. For all the resources, and the little time she offers to the public.
I was actually a bit shocked when Meg appeared with her effortless messy buns. Maybe too many years of Kate have warped my sense of things but I always thought the royals had to err on the side of neat and granny. For example, the requirement (is it still a requirement?) that the women wear hose with all dresses/skirts.
I’m in the minority, but I am not a fan of her hair styled like this. I’ts so matronly and dated. The main problem is the bun is centered too low on the back of her head. Notice Meghan’s updos are all a lot higher which make them seem more modern and youthful (to me at least!). I’d love to see her in a messier high bun for day or a sleek backed high bun style for evening.
I’ve only seen a couple pics of the dress and it’s kind of hard to see the details, but I like what I can see of it. Not my favorite coat style ever, but I like the color.
The use of hair extensions would limit her choices in terms of where the bun can be placed. That and her hair stylist isn’t very good.
Can someone explain to me why neither Kate nor William curtesy when they meet The Crown Prince and Crown Princesses of Norway/Sweden, the The King and Queen of both? Aren’t they outranked? William would be on the same rank as Estelle and Ingrid Alexandra.
This is baffling to me.
You don’t see Crown Princess Mary of Denmark not curtseying when other Kings and Queens visit.
Yes, both Wills and Katie are outranked by the royals you mentioned. TBH I haven’t seen any footage of the first time they met them. Maybe Katie did curtsy and Will did bow? At least before the ruling pairs? I really don’t know. Katie seems too bubbly and funny or trying too much. And Willie quite cold and absent-minded as if he disliked being out in public. Maybe they just do their thing. Not too much closeness to their royal peers. The two just like their own two little worlds.
Isn’t the King of Norway a distant cousin of the Queen? Queen Maud of Norway was a Brit and I believe a sister of King George V or was it Edward VII?
Queen Maud was sister of George V.
That means King of Norway is related to Philip as well as Queen Alexandra (Maud’s mother) was from Denmark.
IDK. I actually took the time (ha!) to look up videos from the airplane landings and whenever they were greeted by the Heir and spouse, they did not curtsy/bow. That would be the first time they would come in contact with the Swedish/Norwegian Heir and no acknowledgment either time. I suppose they did bow/curtsy to the King and Queen.
William bowed his head when meeting the King of Norway. There is an image on Twitter.
I saw the video and it is such a shot bob it should hardly count.
I have to say, I am loving this coat as an homage to Star Trek TNG/Beverly Crusher, Chief Medical Officer. 🤣. All kidding aside, I would wear this outfit minus the shoes.
Love the coat. Not so keen on the dress. Think her hair is generally a lot better now whether up or down but probably prefer it down.
There is a short video of her on one of the DM’s many sites, in the white boucle dress and she looks very pregnant.