The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s whirlwind Keen Pandemic Tour ended up in Yorkshire yesterday for their third stop of the day. It looked like they did a stroll down a street with a marching band playing “Jingle Bell Rock” and maybe they stopped by a community center too. They also stopped to see two of the seniors with whom they had communicated over Zoom, and Kate dropped off a Christmas gift for them.
Kate had time on the Royal Train to change out of that rather lovely Catherine Walker coat she wore for two stops yesterday. She changed into another coat repeat: this is a Hobbs coat in navy, with a gorgeous silk lining in a turquoise-cobalt. Finally, some buttons! I was wondering if Kate was on the wagon when it came to buttons, but look, she brought them out! They are not the shiny, oversized kind she prefers though. But really, the thing I want to talk about is the fact that Kate’s outfit is sooooo Meghan. The trousers, the way the inseam is just a tad too long, the cut of the trousers, and the fact that Kate paired those slacks with a simple sweater and a cute, small handbag. This photo really drove it home for me:
Meghan wore several versions of this outfit in late 2017 and early 2018. Kate is such a Single White Female, my God.
Meanwhile, this piece on the Royal Train was kind of fascinating:
Kate Middleton and Prince William’s three-day tour across Britain aboard the Royal Train comes with cozy quarters! Their palace on wheels is comprised of nine separate carriages, which Queen Victoria had originally decorated in 23-carat gold paint with silks and satin to resemble Buckingham Palace. It has since been updated with a more modest design.
The couple will sleep in separate beds on the train as their suite has “his and hers” single beds. It also has a private bathtub and a 12-seat dining room — complete with a Formica table. There is a room onboard for the royals to work in and a kitchen, where staff will prepare meals. The nine burgundy carriages currently in use date back to Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee of 1977. Those carriages replaced others that first came into service in 1941.
The trip marks the first time Kate has been aboard the Royal Train. William has made several trips in the past. Meghan Markle memorably traveled with the Queen on the Royal Train during their joint outing in June 2018. Meghan’s husband Prince Harry has never ridden on the train.
I honestly didn’t know the Royal Train has nine carriages, a massive dining room, office space and a full bathtub. What a… waste. A complete and total waste of money, especially for these two dimwits, traveling around the United Kingdom in the dead of winter, in the middle of a pandemic, all because they fancied a spot of busy work!
The people in charge of the social media videos for Will & Kate need to find work elsewhere. He thought it would be so artsy, starting the shot in the middle of a tuba!
A first meeting in person for The Duchess of Cambridge and Len Gardner, who The Duchess has spoken to previously as part of the NHS Volunteer Responder ‘Check-in and Chat’ scheme.
📍 Batley | 🚂 #RoyalTrainTour pic.twitter.com/W1uTQsX6o8
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) December 7, 2020
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
This is so embarassing…I am cringing.
Totally
The official dude in the pale blue pants doesn’t even have his mask over his nose.
At least William and Kate are wearing their masks for what seems like the whole time, but then why weren’t they doing the same earlier in the day?
Yeah resembles Meghan’s too long trouser look in Edinburgh in 2017 & saw that she even had cute Strathberry bag which Meghan put on the map.
I wonder if this more modern look is Kate’s aesthetic going forward rather than all the coat dresses etc, especially as imagine the separates look is more marketable to working women and for the Fail’s affiliate links.
It’s so funny this is coming out today. I dreamed last night that Will and Kate brought their train tour to my town of Durant, Oklahoma (which doesn’t have passenger trains) and when someone pointed out that Kate was carrying Meghan’s actual bag (including photos of Harry, Archie, and Doria), she cringed and kind of whimpered, then left the bag and ran off.
Who’s the dim one now William? They deserve all the dragging they get over this discombobulated disease spreading festering heap of manure tour.
She broke protocol!! Sitting with her legs crossed!! Oh wait….wrong duchess.
Totally!
I don’t have any issues with the buttons or the coat, but I cannot pull my eyes away from the man standing next to Kate with his mask looped under his nose! Sir, we’ve had nearly 10 months to learn this — cover yourself! 🙈
I think the big brass band playing loudly and showering spit/breath particles over the entire festivities is crazy as well. And the elderly lady they hauled out of the house for the photo op, she didn’t get a mask and neither did her helpers. And what was with the chair at the bottom of her garden? Was the idea that she would sit there and “get to” watch Will and Kate walk by under the shower of mouth particles from the band? Did she make it there? She seemed to be having issues. And then Kate, who is probably close enough to hand her the gift, puts it down on the ground in front of her. 🤦🏻♀️ That will be easy to pick up for her.
Came here to say this, all I can think of is the absolutely gargantuan amount of spit, particulates, aerosols FLYING out of those instruments and blanketing the street and anyone downwind of them with potentially infectious germs.
Why not spare the band members and just setup a kissing booth? Unbelievable.
@Amy Too that hadn’t even occurred to me, but you’re so right about the band. It’s as if whoever planned this “tour” set out to illustrate everything that people are not supposed to do right now; like it’s some sort of warning/PSA video on how *not* to handle Covid and we’re waiting for Part 2 in which they’ll show us all of the correct ways to do things.
OMG I hadn’t even considered the brass band! 🤢
Me too! It drives me bat shit to see people with masks under their noses almost 10 MONTHS into this! I saw it in pics of the poll workers that have been put out for the last month since there has been 857363672 recounts and it makes me cringe so hard, especially when you are indoors for hours. When you aren’t talking I don’t understand how it happens, get a mask that fits people!
This tour is completely tone-deaf and embarrassing. No-one has time for these people right now!
The two things that stood out to me the most here were – she changed her outfit? again? What was wrong with the outfit she was wearing earlier in the day? It seemed so unnecessary to me. And second was exactly what Kaiser said – this outfit is SO Meghan. And now to be fair, its not like its some earth shattering look – longer over coat, work trousers, simple sweater, nice handbag – but omg we all know its based on Meghan. Even the length of the trousers! We NEVER Would have seen Kate in this outfit pre 2018. It’s to the point where it’s so obvious and sad.
Also why didn’t she take the coat off when she was inside??? That is something about her that has always driven me batty. And when she’s wearing a coat like that its just obvious.
And the gloves. She’s sitting on a chair, what looks like inside, wearing gloves.
@Becks1 – it IS unnecessary, but when all the photos are collected together, it can make a 48hr tour look like a lot more. Plus, gotta show the taxpayers their extensive coat wardrobe, right? Otherwise it’s a gigantic waste.
Damn you’re right. I keep forgetting that. It’s the same reason she was in a different outfit for each Zoom meeting for the “5 Big Insights.” That way it will look like more work than it actually was. Here, with a different outfit for each meeting, KP can promote each separately and she’ll probably get 20 engagements out of this tour, lol.
Wow she went full Single White Female and just recreated an entire outfit from Meghan.
Now all she needs to do is to rocking the “messy bun” and her transition will be complete.
Thing is, Kate looks GREAT when her hair is pulled back in a ponytail. A low tail, with this kind of a “working wardrobe” would have her looking very smart, chic, and professional.
So obviously, we know it won’t last.
I like her outfit too. But this tour was, once again, a bad idea not because of the timing (well that’s a massive reason) but because it’s being overshadowed by controversy of “Should they have gone or not?” and the overshadowing is defeating the purpose of thanking the essential workers in a public way.
CopyKate is at it again. It would be fine if Kate became inspired by Meghan’s wardrobe if she didn’t have the papers trashing Meg for her style at every opportunity. Now it it just seems that Kate was green with envy over Meg’s style and the attention she got for it. All of a sudden trousers are perfectly acceptable. Kate reminds me of a quote from a real housewife who said one of the girls wants to “skin me and wear me like last years Versace.” I can’t remember who said what to whom, but I’m guessing Kate wants to skin Meghan and wear her like the SWF that she is.
Ooh! Ooh! I actually know that one! Dina said it in season 1 of the Real Housewives of New Jersey. She said it about Danielle Staub due to the very noticeable creepy obsession she had over Dina at the time. Very accurate in this scenerio too. Kate’s so obvious about it at this point that it’s just hilarious and sad. I don’t know if she is imitating her in some hope of capturing something that Meghan did, or if she just–like you said–legit envied her wardrobe at the time and is now taking advantage of Meghan’s absence to claim the looks as her own. Either way, it’s extremely revealing of Kate that she lacks her own sense of self and can’t seem to be her own person at all.
I think it’s a bit of both. She’s jealous of Meghan and she thinks she’ll get the same attention wearing the same things. It’s really sad and very childish because it’s so blatant. I can almost hear the “anything you can do I can do better.”
I don’t believe that band are all in an exclusive bubble together and they are clearly not distancing (never mind shooting their breath out of metal tubes at each other). How is this a good look for anyone?
Yes! This bugs me so much since people aren’t even allowed to have live music other than strings, and aren’t even allowed to sing, at their own weddings. And yet… huge brass band, and a social media guy who literally HAD HIS FACE AND CAMERA INSIDE A TUBA “to be artsy” for the video. Not everyone is wearing a mask, there’s mouth particles raining down on the whole thing, the official isn’t wearing his mask properly, elderly women are dragged out unmasked. This is so embarrassing. It’s like if the NHS made a list of things that they hate right now it would probably be:
1) unnecessarily leaving the home (like for who stroking “engagements” that could be done virtually)
2) traveling across tiers and countries without quarantining
3) not following local government guidance
4) not wearing a mask
5) wearing a mask that doesn’t cover your nose
6) inconsistently wearing masks
7) large crowds
8) people who don’t social distance
9) elderly people being unnecessarily exposed
10) the shower of germs that come from a FULL BRASS BAND randomly playing for royals in public
And Will and Kate and like check, check, check, check, check…
YES, THE TUBA SHOT! Beyond parody. Why not get a nice closeup of his tonsils while you’re at it.
Brass players are supposed to be 9 FEET apart! And they should have bell covers! And the special masks that allow for a mouthpiece! I’m a music teacher and this is the crap we have to think about in order to come back to school, so when I see pics like these I can’t even.
Re: SWF-ing, I also noticed that she’s been styling her hair like Meghan too for the past few engagements…with looser, longer waves that cascade away from the face as opposed to the flat top/sausage curl usual.
I wonder when she’ll start wearing a “messy bun”?
Prince Harry has traveled on the royal train. He and senior royals rode it to Great Brington to attend the burial service of Diana at Althorp.
The pants are very Meg, but the rest seems pretty Kate. The coat with the buttons.
I’m surprised at how much I like the coat?? Again, the buttons are not it but the silk inside is great. I would think this time of year also she would be dying her hair dark again but the front is still very light.
Anyway what is this tour for? Couldn’t they wait??? Like why are they doing this.
In Yorkshire we’ll wear head to toe navy 🤣
The coat is an awkward length and the lining colour looks cheap. Why are her trousers dragging along the dirty wet floor?
Definitely copying Meghan’s style and tut tut on the leg crossing.
The small suede bag she has on the floor is over £1000.
You can tell her butler does a really good job of preserving clothes. And I noticed lately Natascha Archers been loving the nineties upper class look. I don’t know, this looks like something the Home Alone mom would wear with the gold accents. She looks great, but who wouldn’t with all that millions rolling in. Keep that money coming, atleast you can fill the hearts all the Trump supporters.
Long coat and pants, very Meghan.
Omg that trombone shot is hysterical! Who even thought that up? Lmao
For a moment last night when I first saw one of the photos, I thought she was wearing something interesting, then realized it was just the lining of her coat. :/
Not too much mention of the fact that her new bag cost almost $1200.
She does this so much. Repeats clothing but then has a crazy expensive accessory or piece of jewellery. The cost of that small purse is a more than a months worth of salary for many people.
The cost of that purse was the same amount as the Covid relief check that has now run out for so many people and is desperately needed to be reauthorized . They should have backed their “thank you” tour with something tangible and more substantive than just their exalted presence and spent diesel fuel🙄.
I wonder what she does with purses when she is no longer using them? I haven’t been following her so I don’t know if she recycles or how often. Does she sell them? Give them away? Or just keep them as part of a collection? I know a few people who buy what I consider to be outrageously expensive purses, but then they re-sell them at pretty close to the asking price. They know which ones retain their value and which don’t.
Perhaps the reason that the new season of the Crown has reminded people of the cost of being married into the BRF is not just replaying the Diana-Charles breakdown, but seeing how similar William is with his total lack of (public) chemistry/affection with his wife. And Kate unfortunately lacks her MIL’s legendary charm and charisma, so she’s just stranded pleasing a permanently grumpy husband. It’s a looong loong road to that crown…hope it’s worth it
This whole outfit is very Meghan, but her leaving her coat open and wearing it casually cinched it for me. That is a signature Meghan look. Meghan loves wearing her coats open (to mixed effect in my opinion). The second she starts wearing her coat on her shoulders is when we’ll know Kate has gone off the deep end, because that is something Meghan loves doing too (I don’t think Kate will go that far lol).
And I was SO confused when I saw that video that started in the tuba (also, whose idiotic idea was that?). I swear they changed the thumbnail for that video because the original thumbnail had the beginning opening shot of the inside of the tuba!! I cannot tell you what went through my mind when I saw that thumbnail hahahaha. I was seriously afraid to click on the video, I thought it was maybe something inappropriate because I couldn’t tell it was the inside of a tuba!
ill-conceived super spreader train tour and rapidly unfolding PR nightmare aside, there is no denying that Kate and her team are actively styling her like Meghan. They’re doing it, it’s obvious, we all see it. The real question is, WHY? Kate’s fans don’t care what she wears, I mean they praised the wardrobe from her last Ireland tour.
At first I thought it was like a Trump/Obama thing, with Trump actively undoing or redoing everything that Obama did as a way to crush Obama’s legacy and reinforce his message of white supremacy. Like, put the Cambridges on the train and then Meghan isn’t special in that way. That is possible, but it doesn’t really explain the styling.
Now I wonder if Kate and her team look at Meghan and see that she’s popular, and in their warped yet keen minds really think that it must be because of her clothes. I mean, what else could Meghan’s fans be interested in, her brain?? Her activism?? It must be the clothes!
I don’t really have much to say about this tour other than so many people are just tired and not in the mood. Anyway, about this outfit. I don’t like this look on her for so many reasons. She really needs to stop copying Meghan’s style so directly. It’s too obvious and weird. Meghan has a more relaxed style that doesn’t translate to Kate. This look should work, the individual pieces are nice, but together it just doesn’t suit her. For one thing, Kate is too tall for it. Kate is 5’10 and Meghan is 5’6”. The long inseam trousers work on Meghan because it makes her look taller. Kate is already tall and very thin, so the extra long length just exaggerates, rather than flatters her height. Same with the coat, the proportions are off. It’s too long a length and just dragging her down. It’s a nice coat that would look better a few inches shorter. Also with the monochrome look she could use some textural contrast. The individual clothing pieces are nice but all I see is vertical. The more tailored, fitted looks work better on her, and she still hasn’t found a flattering trouser. She needs to stop copying, whether it’s clothing or Zoom backgrounds. As for William, these look like the same rumpled washed out pants and suede shoes he seems to always wear. He has absolutely no style whatsoever. All those great British tailors and designers and he looks so basic and completely lacking in style and personality.They should have had more contrast in what they were wearing. It’s just a dour navy blob of wool.
Too-long trousers tick me off. I didn’t like them when Meghan wore them (even though I like her much better than Kate and generally appreciate her looks) and I especially don’t like them when Kate is just copying Meghan after driving her out of the country.
When she’s walking, they make her legs look like elephant legs. Hahaha. I too dislike overlong hems on trousers. Don’t get me started on gowns! All that money and they can’t manage a proper hem?!
I think the outfit looks good when she is sitting, because that pulls up the hem of the pants a bit. You can see her heels and the lining of the coat. But when she’s standing, it looks off. Ill-fitted, uniform like, just not flattering.