Wednesday, 15th January 2020—The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate) visited the city of Bradford in West Yorkshire. Bradford is one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse cities and is home to England’s largest Pakistani community.
The royal twosome visited organisations which support and promote community cohesion.
City Hall was the first stop on the itinerary.
Civic dignitaries provided a warm welcome.
As did hundreds of Bradford locals who spent hours queuing, hoping to catch a glimpse of the couple. Video footage from inside City Hall and during a brief walkabout, saying hello to members of the public:
A restaurant visit followed. The Duke and Duchess visited My Lahore Restaurant, where they met apprentices from Bradford College and had a go at making mango and kulfi milkshakes.
You can watch video footage of the couple inside the restaurant below (they start making the milkshakes at around 0.50secs).
Next, their Royal Highnesses attended group support sessions at one of the city’s Khidmat Centres.
The centres provide help to people from minority ethnic backgrounds. William and Kate heard about the activities and workshops offered at the centre, and the organisations that they support.
According to the Yorkshire Times, the couple met families from the ‘Older Yet Wiser’ project, a group for grandparents who have child-caring responsibilities for their grandchildren.
They also took part in a ‘Little Dots‘ workshop hosted by the Better Start charity, which supports pregnant women, expectant families and families with 0 to 3-year-olds. The workshop uses music and play to support children’s social, emotional and physical development, while simultaneously supporting adult self-esteem.
There was a rather impressive cake on display at the centre too:
Finally, the couple joined a workshop run by Near Neighbours.
Near Neighbours is an organisation which bring together people from religiously and ethnically diverse communities.
Kate’s outfit in Bradford:
The Duchess wore a long green coat by Alexander McQueen. It’s a bespoke piece.
It’s clear that Kate carefully considered the outfit ahead of her visit. The full-length coat is a conservative choice, likely a nod to the Islamic custom for modest clothing (many Pakistanis follow Islam and Bradford has a large Muslim population). Plus, the colour green is a significant colour in the Islamic faith with a number of traditional associations. It’s the colour of Pakistan’s flag too. The Duchess chose to wear the colour multiple times during her visit to the country in 2019 and once during her visit to the Aga Khan Centre in London (pictured below)
Under, Kate wore a mid-length checked dress by fashion brand Zara. The piece (now sold out) originally retailed for $129 in the US and £89.99 in the UK.
The midi-length dress features a monochrome houndstooth print, is belted at the waist, has a pussy bow neckline and long balloon sleeves. Sadly, it is no longer available to buy from Zara but can be found new/used on eBay.
Kate carried the Mayfair bag by Aspinal of London. It’s the midi sized bag in Deep Shine Black Croc. The leather bag features a top handle, detachable strap and gold hardware.
The bag also comes in a smaller, mini size and a whopping 16 other colours/fabrics. At the time of writing (Jan 2021), it is still available and retails for £595.
Encapsulating timeless vintage-inspired styling, our Midi Mayfair Bag is hand-crafted from the finest deep shine black croc print Italian calf leather. Both versatile and luxurious, the structured boxy design features three inner compartments secured with our enduring shield lock clasp. What’s more, sumptuous black leather complements any outfit, and makes an exquisite transitional piece from day to night. The flawless finish of the leather’s rich, glassy shine and the shimmering grosgrain lining give this accessory a truly elegant feel. With a convenient top handle and detachable strap, our Midi Mayfair is practical for when you’re on the go, featuring optional cross-body styling. Personalise the cross-body strap with up to four initials or a name of up to eight characters to create a truly bespoke piece.
Aspinal of London
The Duchess owns the bag in lilac too. She first carried it to the Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit in 2018.
On her feet, the Duchess wore her Gianvito Rossi Piper 85 pumps in black suede. The shoes feature an 85mm (3.3”) block heel and a severely pointed toe. They are made in Italy.
Kate added the shoes to her collection in 2019 and has worn them several times since. They remain available to buy in both black and taupe at Net-A-Porter.com, where they retail for £695 USD / £520 GBP.
Kate’s green earrings are from a Pakistani brand called “Zeen”. They’re the ‘Dazzling Ceramic Drops‘ and cost just $8 (around £5!)
This is the third time she’s worn the earrings during a public engagement. She first debuted them during a visit to the Aga Khan centre in 2019 (below, left). She wore them for a second time during the official visit to Islamabad, Pakistan a few weeks later (below, right).
