Duchess Kate in Catherine Walker for the Order of the Garter: twee & buttony?

Order of the Garter Service 2019

As promised, here are some photos from the annual Order of the Garter event in Windsor Castle. This year was more hyped than previous years, because the Duchess of Cambridge made an appearance to support her husband (who is a Knight of the Garter), and Queen Maxima and Queen Leitizia were also in attendance because their husbands were being made Stranger Knights of the Garter. I did some coverage yesterday with the photos we had at the time. Thankfully, more pics came in throughout the day, so here we go.

Duchess Kate wore a new ensemble – a coatdress, shocking! – by Catherine Walker, and paired it with a Lock & Co hat which I’m sure we’ve seen before. I dislike the coat – the black piping plus the collar just makes this too cute, too dolly, too buttony. Like, Queen Letizia is almost a decade older than Kate, and Letizia looks so much better and more sophisticated in her Cherubina dress. Queen Maxima also looked amazing in her pink caped-sleeve look.

As for the body language, it genuinely seemed like Maxima and Kate got along quite well – Maxima couldn’t stop laughing out loud at her husband in that gaudy velvet ensemble required of all Knights of the Garter. Kate looked like she was giggling too. But Queen Letizia didn’t seem that amused. Maybe it was because Kate seemingly broke protocol and didn’t acnkowledge her with a courtesy curtsy? And before everyone starts yelling at me or each other, just pretend for a minute this was Meghan ignoring a foreign queen and refusing to curtsy in public. Imagine how many hateful essays Piers Morgan would write. Imagine all of the Protocol Police Officers flashing their badges and telling us how Meghan is WRONG and a DIVA.

Spain's Queen Letizia and Britain's Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge leave the Order of The Garter Service at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Monday, June 17, 2019. Windsor Castle plays host to the annual Order of the Garter Service, held in St. George's Chapel,

Order of the Garter Service 2019

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands (C) laughs with the Duchess of Cambridge following the noble order of the Knights garter ceremony where her husband king Willem of the Netherlands (L) was made a member in St George's chapel in Windsor. The King of Spain a

Order of the Garter service, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, UK - 17 Jun 2019

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and WENN.

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152 Responses to “Duchess Kate in Catherine Walker for the Order of the Garter: twee & buttony?”

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  1. Guest says:

    All those women are older then Kate and still look better then her. 🤷‍♀️

    • Seraphina says:

      This!

      • Flying fish says:

        Exactly.

      • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

        I am in the minority, as I usually don’t mind (and even like (*ducking)) Kate’s coat dresses. But she is almost 40. She *really* needs to lose the Peter Pan collars already. If this outfit had a V neck and a pencil or straighter skirt, it would’ve looked more “grown up”/sophisticated. But for some reason, Kate just can’t let that little girl look go for good. For every good/great dress (ie: the white one-shouldered BAFTA gown) she does this twice.

    • BaronSamedi says:

      Exactly my thoughts. Incredible.

    • With exception of Kate, they are all
      older than me too. And they look better, I think I might have Camilla but she’d take me
      on style points.

    • Jen says:

      So true.

    • Alexandria says:

      But why do we have to go there? There are plenty of things to criticise Kate for, like her makeup or fashion.

      • Guest says:

        She looks old. Sorry for judging her for that?🙄

        Her lifestyle has a lot to do with it. 🤷‍♀️

      • Sam says:

        I am curious about this too. I hate to focus on her face, which is lovely, but “older” than her peers. What is the lifestyle factor, if that’s it, that makes this so? I ask not to down her but to be wary of it in my own life.

      • BeanieBean says:

        Or how she ignored Queen Letizia when she got out of the car.

    • perplexed says:

      I don’t think they look better. I think they all look good (er, for the weird way royals are expected to dress anyway).

      Honestly, I can’t tell the difference between any of them. They all seem to have a “uniform” — a “uniform” none of us would wear, but that’s how it goes when you’re royal. I think Kate has become more beautiful over the years since becoming a mom. She was boring as a college student, but now as a mom she seems to glow more.

      I don’t get the praise for Camilla in general. As a 40 year old she dressed and looked pretty generically like your average British housewife who’s having an affair with a prince and pumps gas on the way. It figures she’s get things right at 70 or whatever.

      I do think the far lady on the left has the most boring outfit on, but I assume that’s how she’s supposed to dress, so I feel reluctant to throw shade at it.

    • minx says:

      I wouldn’t say that…..Letizia has dressed better. Maxima, I don’t care for the belt. I’m not crazy about Kate’s outfit but to me they all look about the same.

      • perplexed says:

        Yeah, i think they all look the same (although better than Melania who probalby would have found a way to make those demure outfits look…..sort of…you know.)

    • goofpuff says:

      My guess is that alot of her twee-style is her idea of what women of her station should be wearing – and whoever in her aristo class she is hiring to style her is totally trolling her in an awful way. That person is not her friend.

      • Blue Orange says:

        I think you’re right, that her choices are based on what she believes she should be wearing. Kate strikes me as someone who really wants to please and takes her role very seriously in that way. Whether or not her stylist is trolling her is another thing. I suspect they’ve actually had talks about the kinds of things she’s expected to wear and the styling comes from there.

    • anna says:

      correction: Kate did not forget to curtsy to Letitia.. you only have to do it once a day when you first meet, which was the
      case!
      I begin to wonder why you dislike Kate so much?.. it would be great if you kept to the facts.. you ARE a gossip page but keep it fair!

  2. Roserose says:

    Honk for Maxima.

    • runcmc says:

      Honk honk!!!

      Maxima is nailing the look Kate is going for. THAT is how you do a coatdress!

      • Becks1 says:

        I also feel like this is something Melania would wear, but would look a lot…..cheaper, I guess…..on her. Can’t think of a better word.

      • L84Tea says:

        I always say that Maxima is one of the best dressed royals out there. I LOVE seeing all these women together in one place because you see who is really doing it right. The only one missing is Mary of Denmark!

    • Mel M says:

      Yes! At first glance my knee jerk reaction to seeing all of them is that Maxima is my favorite, she looks amazing. Letizia is fine, the hat is the best part, and Kate is Kate.

    • Rae says:

      Honk too!

      Maxima kills it here.

    • Lady D says:

      Honking. She looks amazing.

    • minx says:

      The color is pretty on Maxima…I don’t really like the belt or the flying saucer hat. Letizia looks like Nancy Reagan circa 1982. Kate looks like, well, Kate.

      • Elisa says:

        Same. The belt makes the whole outfit look cheap and the hat is incredibly ugly. IMO none of these outfits is great.

    • Betsy says:

      Her look is the best. The weirdo sleeves look like Melania’s refusal to put her arms in her sleeves, but I love this.

  3. Becks1 says:

    So, at first glance I liked the outfit, minus the hat (have never liked the hat). Yes BUTTONS but they are white and not super obvious. I did notice that the fit seemed off.

    But then I saw it from the side and just…..no. Flare skirt, slight peplum to the top, plus that collar…… too many competing elements that make it too “twee.”

    When you compare her to maxima and Letizia, the difference is obvious IMO.

    And yeah Letizia didn’t look happy. I don’t know if it was the lack of curtsy (that can easily be explained) but she did seem ticked after Kate walked past her.

    Also will and Kate ONLY attended the service. They missed the ceremony and luncheon.

    • Erinn says:

      I honestly think Camilla is the only one who really looks great, here.

      I hate that god awful 6″ wide pink belt of Maxima’s(?). Someone needs to take it away and burn it. She’s a beautiful lady, but it throws the outfit off. Between that and the darts at the bust – they looks bad in some lighting compared to others.

      I also am not a fan of Letiza’s sleeves. I think they look frumpy. They’re fine from like the elbow up – the neckline and shoulders look lovely. But the portion of the sleeve that’s at her wrists really isn’t great – reminds me of something from Anne of Green Gables or Emily of New Moon.

      • Becks1 says:

        Emily is so superior to Anne! Lol

        I thought Letizia was fine. I think she def changes her fashion a bit when she comes to the UK. She prob doesn’t want to get criticized for…..whatever. Lol.

      • Erinn says:

        YES. Emily is the one I loved most – Anne kind of annoyed me haha. But I was also pro-Perry when it came to Emily.

      • Becks1 says:

        Teddy was such a wimp. I did feel bad for his mom in the end though.

      • Eleonor says:

        Agree.
        Camilla looks better than all if them.

      • Zazu says:

        I like Emily more too! No one has ever agreed with me before 🙂
        The peter pan collar is just too much and so are the buttons. The bottom half is better… I don’t love the flared skirt Kate always chooses but she pulls it off.

    • Scal says:

      Yup-like I said yesterday they were there for the parade outside and the church part. But they skipped all of the people getting knighted. Missed the group photo.

      Like everyone says-can you imagine if Megan and Harry did that? Even yesterday Stan’s were chattering about how it was awful that Megan wasn’t there even though her husband isn’t a member and she’s on maternity leave *eye roll*

    • Eliza says:

      I just watched the video and that’s Letizias normal static face. She can appear cold if not interacting with people; that’s when she really warms up. As Kate rode with Maxima, and Maxima and Letizia were pictured with their husbands before the ceremony, it’s safe to say Kate arrived at Windsor for the car ride and curtseied to both Queens per protocol the 1st time she greeted them both.

      • Blue Orange says:

        I agree, she seems to have resting bitch face and looks annoyed in pretty much every photo or video, regardless of who she is with. It actually makes a change to see Kate looking so relaxed and happy.

    • Vi says:

      Kate was greeted by someone else exiting the car,it doesn’t look to me that she ignores her. Maxima actually walked past her and I think Letizia seems to give an annoyed look. I don’t know. I don’t see any pocket of them interacting too,while she and Kate were chatting later.

  4. Eliza says:

    Maxima looks great. Letizia is looking older than her age with those fillers. Kate looks like Kate.

    The curtsey occurs one time, the first time you see someone that day. If she saw them inside or before the service she would have already curtseied. That’s why curtsey watch for Kate or Meghan is so inaccurate.

    • annan says:

      Letizia looked so much better with her old nose and without those fillers. Her nose job is bit like Jennifer Grey – her face lost what made her unique.
      She is great style-wise but always looks so sad in pics. But she did smile and laugh with Camilla and Kate.

      And yes Maxima looks great – but not because of her dress – she is just always a winner with her smile and person.

      • Momoftwo says:

        I agree, I really don’t remember seeing Queen Letizia being overly joyful in pictures, not that she’s upset, just not overwhelmingly happy, this looks normal for her

    • line says:

      According to the sources of the palace William and Kate did not attend the whole ceremony but only on the parade, so normally Kate did not meet Letizia before. If she did not recognize Letizia, I think it ‘s because she follows Maxime, except that Maxime does not bow to Letizia because she herself is Queen of the Netherlands.

      • Eliza says:

        Max and Leti were together before the service – they were posing with their husbands and the Queen. Max and Kate drove together. so Kate met them both before the service, if only just in front of the cars to go to the service. I honestly don’t think its a snub.

      • notasugarhere says:

        They bow and curtsy to whomever has the highest title and has been in the top job the longest. Willem-Alexander (and Maxima when she’s with him) have precedence over Felipe and Letizia.

        Ascension/Coronation dates

        Willem-Alexander: 28 January 2013

        Philippe of Belgium: 3 July 2013

        Felipe: 19 June 2014

      • oddly says:

        News is just coming out that there was a car accident , one of the out riders of Will and Kates escort to the event crashed into an old lady on a crossing, that’s why the were delayed getting to the event. They were held up for almost an hour.

  5. Seraphina says:

    Kate looks like she belongs in the set of Mary Poppins. Out of all, Letizia looks great, then Maxima.

    I don’t think the cut Kate likes to wear does anything for her figure. The outfit above is graceless. It looks like it was meant for someone else. I miss Tiara Thursday blog where I could be wowed by the ladies of Europe. And I finally understand my history books when writers would say certain queens were laughed at for their fashion sense in royal courts. I get it now.

    • vava says:

      yes to the Mary Poppins vibe. I don’t like this coat dress at all. It seems too tight in the torso too, the buttons are pulling. I hate all the round stuff going on: the collar, the curved seams, the peplum, and the flared skirt. VERY TWEE. And the accessories don’t do anything to make things better.

  6. Sassy says:

    The women who they should be comparing Kate to.

    • hindulovegod says:

      But the comparison does her no favors. Kate’s deficiencies are never more obvious than when she interacts with non-English royalty. She is still so uncomfortable and out of her depth, which I assume is why Sophie and Edward are sent to their events much more often.

      • Momoftwo says:

        She doesn’t look uncomfortable in the pictures

      • aaa says:

        Edward and Sophie were attending European events long before Kate married in.

      • Vi says:

        She doesn’t really look uncomfortable. I don’t particularly like this look,except for the hat and shoes which are great,but she looks at ease with everyone. It’s quite evident looking at their interactions in the videos.

      • Moose says:

        I’m not sure Kate looks uncomfortable, I think she looks like she’s trying too hard to be liked, to be funny, to fit in with “fellow” queens, to look like she’s their equal…

    • Lorelei says:

      @Sassy: Um, no. If you want to make comparisons, Camilla is the one closest to them in status. Kate is not even married to the heir yet. She still has a long way to go before she’s anywhere near these ladies in rank.

      • Eliza says:

        Yup, in royal rerms, up to a couple years ago Will (36) was the equivalent of Leonor, Princess of Asturias (13), Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (15) before their parents became King/Queen of Spain/Netherlands, but now they’re equivalent to the unborn babies these young ladies may have one day. He still has equals in rank in Denmark and Sweden; they’re 13 and 7 years old respectively

        All the Kate will be Queen press is quite funny because she’s so far down right now. Those beach photos of Charles show he’s in good health, 20+ years of waiting to go. Will people still be fawning over Kate’s NEXT when she’s 55 and George has already graduated college?

  7. IlsaLund says:

    Maxima and Leitizia are both beautiful, stylish women. Love both their outfits. Camilla looked nice as well. I wish CB would do more coverage on Maxima and Leitizia.

    • L84Tea says:

      Me too! They bring so much to the fashion table.

    • Seraphina says:

      I agree. I love what they wear; the good, the bad and the ugly. A lot of fun to watch the ladies of Europe dress and then Kate. Poor Kate. But I don’t think she cares.

    • Jamie says:

      I agree. Even when Maxima is wearing something dreadfully wacky, she carries it off with her ebullient personality. I really like her (and her work on microfinancing for poor women in the third world).

    • CuriousCole says:

      Yes, I love Letizia and Maxima!! They are accomplished women who really understand their roles, and they have intriguing styling. And both have had royal dramas that eclipse the mundanity of Kate.

  8. lisa says:

    She looks very pretty. the outfit is well fitted. I like the black/white.

  9. Clare says:

    I cant believe I am saying this…but…I feel like Kate is starting to look more and more comfortable in her role. I don’t love the dress cot thing, but its fine, nothing inappropriate or offensively ugly. It’s like she and Will are FINALLY growing up.

    Did you know she’s going to be queen?

    • Eliza says:

      Yup fine. This is Kate’s “Duchessing” uniform. Like the Queen had hers so you can instantly pick out her out from the crowd… you instantly spotted Kate. This isn’t her personal style, it’s wearing something appropriate and expected for a royal service. She’s never going to give us a big moment. She’s no Queen Maxima; doesn’t have the ‘it’ to pull them off.

  10. Oh No says:

    Y’all remember that episode of The Simpsons, when Marge had that one expensive dress and kept altering it into new patterns so no one at the country club caught on it was the same dress… Well Kate looks like she’s wearing a Marge Bouvier original

    On another note, Maxima is hands down the best dressed. And I loved Letizia’s poise…looking like a headmistress on a straight to DVD knockoff of the Littlest witch

  11. Beli says:

    Maxima looks incredible! Cam looks great too.

    I’m not sure about the sleeves on Letizia’s dress, but she pulls it off.

    And like you I don’t like the black piping on Kate’s coatdress. Like a lot of what she wears it’s somehow twee and stuffy at the same time. She’s been wearing her hair up more recently though, which is good.

    • Lady D says:

      That piping and the shoulder ruffles more on the side of her shoulders makes me think dress makers are trying to hide her poor posture for her. They seem to give the impression that she is standing straighter than she normally does.

  12. Redgrl says:

    I actually like Kate’s outfit, I think it looks smart (pointy collar would’ve been better). Maxima looks nice. Dislike Letizia’s ensemble, too fussy – billowy sleeves, foofy shoulders, buttony cuffs, pleats – and her Botox/filler use is getting out of hand…

    • CuriousCole says:

      It’s so weird for Letizia to make a fashion misstep. I can’t recall when she’s ever gone this fussy. It’s like she was trying to pay tribute to Kate’s usual preferences.

  13. Darla says:

    I guess I am just not seeing what everyone else here sees. My first thought was; wow, she looks amazing. And that she stands out from everyone else in the picture. I guess there must be something wrong with me, but that’s okay, I like me anyway.

    • betsyh says:

      I thought the same thing. I like me too.

    • jennifer says:

      I think she looks good, happy and comfortable. And for all this talk of an affair, she’s handling things amazingly well. I don’t think she can fake act all this, she just seems naturally relaxed and happy.

  14. Kristin says:

    Letizia always looks fab. She has by far the best style of European monarchs IMO. And Max is def the most fun!

  15. Digital Unicorn says:

    Kate does look a decade older than the other women but I guess the middle aged matron look is her uniform now.

    Also, Kate completely ignored King Felipe a few years ago – can’t remember the event but she was sat down and he was standing around near her and she made no move to acknowledge him considering he outranks her. Q all the stans shrieking about how Kate IS THE FUTURE QUEEN CONSORT SO SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO. Cause you know, just in case we forget or something.

    Maxima is a legend, she rocks all the looks and then some.

    • Becks1 says:

      Future queen compared to actual king and queen lol

    • OuiOkay says:

      A decade older? I don’t see that in any way… face (or expression/vibe ) body, hair or clothes … no idea where you got that. I do think maximas style kind of ages her or maybe I just don’t know her age but her ensemble is the least youthful here to me . (Other than Camilla)
      like someone else said it’s not the most flattering shape for Kate’s body but gosh her body is still really healthy and her face is pretty so even if it’s not the MOST flattering she still looks elegant and professional. Do women always have to wear what’s most flattering for our body types? We shouldn’t. (sorry that’s not for this reply.) I’d rather wear what L is wearing but Camilla Kate and Maxima look super appropriate and respectful.

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      Didn’t she and William ignore him at the Olympics, right after they were first married? Or was that another EU royal? Can’t remember which one, but I remember it was brought up that they didn’t seem to even acknowledge this person (of higher rank).

      I LOVE Max’s look. Perhaps the belt could be a *little* thinner, but overall, she looks AMAZING.

      • Digital Unicorn says:

        I think that might have been one of the Swedish royals (it was either Daniel or Carl-Philip), who was sat behind them. I think Harry spoke with him/shook his hand while the Cambridges blanked him.

        The incident with King Felipe was I think either during one of their visits to the UK or at commemoration type event. I recall there was loads of other VIPs around. You can’t miss King Felipe, he is like the tallest person in the room. (I especially love looking at photo’s of him with The Queen – she comes up to his knee caps).

      • notasugarhere says:

        At the Olympics they ignored Crown Prince Daniel of Sweden, husband of the heir CP Victoria.

  16. Marika says:

    Kate looks like Maxima and Letizia’s grandma LOL

  17. Schmee says:

    Kate looks pretty – the dress is a bit Mary Poppins, which is probably why I like it! Letizia’s dress is nice but stuffy and makes her look older. Too high of a neck, too puffy of a sleeve. She looks hard too. Maxima is elegant and looks like she’s having fun.

  18. Becks1 says:

    Also re the curtsy – it’s not that Kate actually broke protocol. She may have been perfectly fine. But just imagine this was Meghan. Imagine the headlines. That’s the hypocrisy Kaiser is referring to.

    Also it doesn’t seem like she really even acknowledges her. She gets out of the car and sidles by Letizia with her back to her. It was kind of odd.

    • Momoftwo says:

      But how does anyone know if anything is amiss in As 20 second video? Yesterday people were up in arms over the video of Meghan “crying”, but we must take this video of Kate as fact that she has an issue with Leitizia?

      • Becks1 says:

        Of course we don’t know anything from a 20 second video LMAO. It’s gossip and speculation. Maybe Letizia and Kate are BFFs.

        We can tell Kate didn’t curtsy – same way we could tell harry told Meghan to turn around. Maybe there was a valid reason for it and it’s NBD, same way Harry telling Meghan to turn around didn’t seem to be a big deal.

        The point is to imagine this were Meghan. Imagine the headlines. No one would care about the valid reasons. And I think it’s perfectly reasonable to point that out.

    • Tater tot says:

      Ok, but the problem here isn’t Kate. She’s not the one creating stupid headlines about Meghan. So why are we doing the same thing we get upset about with Meghan.

    • Amy says:

      Did you not see the video where Letizia practically runs over to Kate and they start chatting and giggling? Also, the parade is after the luncheon so Kate more than likely saw Max and Letizia prior to the parade so wouldn’t have to curtsy if she had already seen them that morning.

      • Becks1 says:

        Kate skipped the luncheon.

        BUT as I have said a few times now – of course there could be an easy explanation for the lack of curtsy. It doesn’t mean we can’t discuss it.

  19. Jessica says:

    Maxima and Letiza look amazing! Maxima has such a warm, friendly demeanor. She’s really wonderful. Kate… sigh…. looks like she’s on a high school field tripe.

  20. Cidy says:

    Kate looks like Kate but I’m not mad at it, I kind of like it on her. She has a style that she likes and while it is a bit dated it has been worse.

    However she does look pretty happy here. She does look much younger when she is smiling and laughing and generally having a good time, is William here? I didnt see him but he easily could have blended in with the rest of the old white guys. She always seems happier when he isnt at the events with her.

    • HayaR says:

      Lol, Will is there. I like the way she’s getting on with Max and Leti; it looks like Kate is admiring Letizia, which is cute. Camilla doesn’t seem too happy in some pics when the other Queens and future Queen are happily grinning.

  21. HayaR says:

    Maxima wins hands down! My mum has been wearing similar cape dresses over the past year, I love the way they flow with elegance. Kate looks like Kate with her go to uniform, the blah coat dress. They do nothing for her tall, lean figure, but she lovesss them! Why? She can pull off classic, modern pieces with her figure & height, yet the coat dress is pulled out year after year. Snooze fest. Letizia looks like Sheikah Mozah and that isn’t a good thing lol. Lay off the fillers, girl!

  22. kellybean says:

    I think Kate looks nice . She looks pretty in white and it’s a flattering silhouette. The black detailing is an eye catching element. I rarely care for hats and I actually like Kate’s hat on this occasion . She knows what works on her figure and this works. She looked happy and comfortable.
    Latizia is also gorgeous.

  23. ChillyWilly says:

    These photos look like they were taken in the 1980’s. They all look like Nancy Reagan with silly hats. Blah.

    • TuxCat5 says:

      Exactly my thoughts! The god-awful 80’s styles are back–and it’s making me NUTS!

      Yuck! Ugh! Bleh! Gross! Ew! Barf!

  24. HK9 says:

    Is there such a thing as too prim? It’s lovely from the neck up but this outfit is a no for me. The other ladies look so elegant and Kate looks outdated next to them. I do want to acknowledge Sophie though, I really like her style here.

    • perplexed says:

      Don’t they all look outdated though? All of them, including Camilla (the nemesis), have the same style as Princess Diana, who I think worked those outfits way better, but I’m not sure if that’s because she actually lived during the time period that these outfits are from. Heck, Camilla seems to wear the same chokers as Diana, which is hilarious to me, considering their fractured relationship to each other.

      • MsIam says:

        My thoughts exactly! And I guess Camilla has adopted that choker as her signature piece but I don’t think it does her any favors, style wise. But hey, if that is her look, then run with it I guess!

  25. aang says:

    They all look great imo.

  26. Robinda says:

    I don’t know much about Letizia, but she looks like she’d have a coat made out of puppies.

  27. Maria says:

    The look is fine, but Kate looks out of place among these women, who all are comfortable in their skin and their roles. These women are also mothers, too, before anyone brings that up.

    • notasugarhere says:

      They also earned their own livings and had successful careers for 10 years before meeting their royal mates.

    • w1 says:

      No not really. One is a navy and white two piece suit with gold buttons the other is a black and white coatdress.

    • MsIam says:

      I had to laugh when I saw this picture of Diana. Wearing a short skirt, no tights and painted nails. My how times have changed!

      • NessaBee says:

        Totally!!

      • perplexed says:

        I didn’t think Diana’s skirt was short? Her hemlines did start to rise when she was fighting with Charles, but that dress looks really modest compared to what we see today from lots of celebrities. The outfit still looks conservative. It looks like a combination of being a royal suit and “power boardroom suit” at once with the requisite British hat.

      • MsIam says:

        @perplexed, I agree, her skirt is perfectly fine and she looks great. But when another royal dares to show a knee, *cough* Meghan *cough* it’s all protocol this, protocol that. As if this usurper has dared to challenge the long-held standard of royal family dress!! GMAB.

  28. The 8 inch wide belt is very Melania Trump and I’m not a fan of the side saucer on the head. My favorite look is the orange skirt and white blouse combo and that hat is perfect. I always love Camilla.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      Uhh no. Queen Maxima has been rocking wide belts long before Melania stepped anywhere on the scene. They have been her signature for literally years.

  29. TeamAwesome says:

    If I didn’t know who any of these people were on sight, I could still pick out the British royals. Sophie, Camilla, and Kate’s silhouettes have a lot in common with each other. Per usual, Camilla is gonna Camilla, and Kate’s gonna Kate. I like Sophie’s look, but the Queens just look more sophisticated to me. For me, Kate’s outfit would make more sense on Lady Louise.

  30. Sam says:

    I like what Letizia and Maxima are wearing,so chic.Kate and Camilla are in their uniform.Dont like what Sophie wore except her hat

  31. Mellie says:

    I think all the ladies look pretty. They all have a different style and it shows up here for sure, not that any of their style is bad, but it’s theirs and I wouldn’t expect Kate to show up in anything but a coat dress to these types of ceremonies. They all look great!

  32. Lisa says:

    Queen Maxima looks great. This white coat dress is a miss from Kate.

  33. aaa says:

    I think that it is more noteworthy that Maxima steps out of the car, Letizia is right in front of her, Maxima sweeps past and Letizia stands there with a half-smile / half-grimace on her face. Kate gets out and comes around and starts interacting with Camilla and Letizia just as the video ends.

    Maxima and Letizia have been in each other’s company numerous times, including coming to The Netherlands for private birthday celebrations. Perhaps the closeness is between Felipe and Willem-Alexander. Nothing wrong with the wives not being besties but that seemed like a froideur moment to me.

  34. Liz says:

    Yesterday I realized something. When her hair is pulled back or straight, it’s way fresher. Now that the sausage curls are gone, she’s still getting these dated flips and waves. This is what is ‘aging’ her look more than anything else. It’s the hair, not the clothes.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      It’s BOTH. Kate is two years younger than me and dresses like my grandmother most of the time. How many 37 year old women are walking around in coat dresses and 80’s-style secretary dresses?

      • aang says:

        As far as the 80’s office style goes it is fairly popular with the hipsters in my city. Pussy bows, pleats, huge glasses. And if it is actually vintage from the 80’s so much the better.

  35. Valiantly Varnished says:

    Maxima looks fantastic – she’s one of my faves. I love how she likes a bit of drama in her clothes but is always elegant.
    How many coat dresses can one person own? Like has anyone counted how many Kate has?

  36. MsIam says:

    Very twee (love that word!) and buttony indeed! Just a trifecta of cuteness. Meanwhile, in the grown up world, Maxima is killing it in that cape dress.

  37. Angry Bird says:

    Letizia looks stylish; I’m getting a Sheikha Moza vibe from her outfit.

  38. Gem says:

    I think Maxima’s look stands out and I like the rest of the women’s outfits equally. I love all of the 80’s inspired fashion! I don’t think that trend is going anywhere soon.

  39. perplexed says:

    Who is the lady in the orange? I think she looks the worst to be honest, but I also think she’s following the dress code. Still, I think only Princess Diana could work these outfits to the max. I think this is the uniform, and only Diana could pull it off well.

    Mind you, I don’t think any of them look bad. But I don’t think any of them pull off the “star power” Diana conveyed in those outfits (although, who knows, maybe everybody thought Diana was too prim too, but her charisma was able to distract from those criticisms).

  40. tuille says:

    Maxima is a lovely woman but those medieval cape sleeves are awful & the too-wide belt is unflattering & makes her look thick in the waist. (Melania wears lots of those too & it’s even worse on M because she’s bosom-y & it looks like her boobs are saggy.)
    Leticia needs to blend her blush – tan stripes aren’t in style.
    Sophie’s outfit looks too casual.
    Camilla looks frumpy – color is too pale for her, she’s lost her waist as most 70 yr olds have, and those wide split sleeves will drag in her soup.

  41. perplexed says:

    I could actually see Melania wearing Kate’s outfit for another trip to the Palace, but somehow managing to tart it up weirdly. So, I think these are the types of outfits available to the “upper-classes” right now when they’re looking for an outfit to wear to these types of events.

  42. Gia says:

    Laetizia’s face is actually a bit over-soft over-botoxed, I guess, so she wore that face veil to conceal it.

    The memo said: light whitish coloured stuff. @Kate: no big colourful buttons but white!!!

  43. Citresse says:

    I thought Kate’s dress looked ok from the front view but didn’t like it from the side – too twee.
    it was also a fashion miss, surprisingly, from Sophie.
    Camilla looked the best of all.

  44. Original Jenns says:

    Loved her Ascot look, do not like this dress. Very boring 80s suit to me, the piping is supposed to make it special but instead looks half finished. And the peter pan collar should stay with cute little sweaters and tops. Maxima looked the best to me, absolutely gorgeous. Letizia’s outfit is ok to me, but every time I look again, I like it more. Very Gloria Swanson. Sophie looks adorable, like a movie star in a 1950s movie traveling through Europe. Seems a little more casual than the other ladies, but I still love it and her hat!! Camilla is always Camilla and looks great. She has her style, like the Queen, and sticks with it.

  45. Greta says:

    A german tabloid (Gala) honestly wrote that Letizia was intimidated by Kate‘s grace and Charisma! Of course…

  46. huckle says:

    Kate dresses similar to everybody else she’s with at these shindigs. I don’t see how she’s considered terrible or boring or that she looks like a grandma (lol) but these other women are dressed so much better than her. Gimme a break.

  47. bitchyarchitect says:

    another girlish outfit picked out by -mummy dearest/Carol

  48. Vi says:

    None of them looks fashion forward,to be honest. Letizia can do much better than this very 80s look. Maxima pulls the most awkward outfits off, but the cape thing amd the huge belt are a no for me.

    Kate is in her uniform. I really like the hat and the shoes (more interesting than what she usually wears). The coatdress is fine.
    I don’t like the collar,but the black accents are nice paired up with the black accessories which are easily the best part of the look.

    Letizia often looks quite cold at a first glance,so maybe it’s nothing. But she actually looks a bit annoyed with Maxima,who walked past her completely. I also don’t see any interaction between them,but maybe it’s just an impression.
    Kate was being greeted while exiting the car and she reached her in the group.
    Probably they met before,so it’s why she didn’t curtsy.
    I doubt there was any tension because they were chatting amicably in the carriage and after the ceremony with Camilla:
    https://twitter.com/luu297/status/1140643183598219264?s=19

  49. Karen says:

    Kate believes that Catherine Walker coat dresses are her signature look. She fails to look in the mirror to see that these outfits all look the same and are non memorable. Maybe that’s the way she wants it. This time she looks juvenile yet frumpy old lady at the same time. Now that’s an achievement!

  50. kerwood says:

    Doesn’t Kate have one single girl/guy friend with a little bit of style? Somebody to say, ‘uh, no girl’ before she walks out the door?

    Letting her mother choose her clothes (because that’s what it looks like) is a big mistake. She ends up wearing things that would look great on her mother but matronly on her.

  51. Starkiller says:

    I actually really like Cate’s. I LOVE Máxima’s! Argentine women are SO stylish and she’s so tall she can pull off almost anything. Camilla looks like a cankled frump as per usual, and someone needs to gently tell Letizia that all that Botox is having the opposite of the desired effect.

  52. Busyann says:

    I fell down the rabbit hole with Just Juliet last night. There’s a video where Queen Letizia says “what?” And shakes her head after Kate walked right past her.

  53. Harla says:

    The more I see it the more I love Queen Maxima’s cape dress and accessories!

  54. Suzanne says:

    Did anyone else comment on or notice the fact that Kate’s apparel is creeping back up above the knee…against the Queen’s wishes? Look at the hemline’s on all those woman. Who’s is the shortest. Enough said.

  55. Miasys says:

    Omg. It’s Mary Poppins cosplay!

  56. Dark and Stormy says:

    Both of the duchesses looked good and I would wear Duchess of Cambridge’s entire outfit. Duchess of Cornwall has a beautiful hat, nice choker and I love the sleeves and color of her dress. I’m not impressed by the caped sleeves on Q.Maxima’s dress and what Q.Letizia is wearing looks boring and old to me. Whoever is to the right of Q.Letizia looks like she came off the set of Little House on the Prairie.

  57. Kittensnskittles says:

    I miss Meghan! Waity is so boring.

  58. violet says:

    I thought Kate looked fantastic here. She looks much better in tailored outfits than fussy ones. The hat was beautiful and her hair under it was, as well. Totally appropriate and the shoes were fabulous. Letizia disappointed me: she looked unusually matronly except for the hat, kind of 1940s L.A. wealthy matron. Maxima – she just always enchants. She goes for OTT and she can carry it. But I thought Kate looked super elegant here.

    And by all odds she curtsied to both women upon meeting them first in the morning before they showed up in public. You only have to curtsy once. She was not at all being rude. They don’t go around curtseying all day to the same person.

  59. MsIam says:

    I don’t know if they sold these outside of the US but there is a brand of girls coats called Rothschild. When my daughter was a young girl I bought her one. Very, “poor little rich girl on Fifth Avenue” look, lol. Kate’s coat dresses remind me of a grown up version of these coats. Try googling Rothschild coats and you’ll see what I mean, lol.

  60. A says:

    Maxima looks GLORIOUS. So does Letizia, even if what she’s wearing isn’t to my particular style (it’s a bit too aging-grande-dame-spending-her-retirement-in-Monaco for me with the sleeves and the fascinator tbh). Even Kate puts in a good showing, the white is actually really good on her, and it’s a refreshing change from the Ascot dress lol.

    Camilla and Sophie(?) look good as well. Love the colours, and I love Sophie’s full skirt.