Cambridges’ Family Day Out at the Castle: Kate in red coat for Jubilee Visit to Cardiff

June 4th 2022—William and Kate continued the Platinum Jubilee celebrations by visiting Cardiff Castle in Wales. The couple brought George and Charlotte along too.

The Duchess looked radiant in a red coat dress by Eponine London (a re-wear from 2021). The colour was fitting—a deliberate choice, no doubt—because red is Wales’s national colour.

This weekend, the royals are marking the Queen’s 70-year-reign, her Platinum Jubilee, with a series of events across four days. Today is the third day of celebrations. On the first day, the Cambridges attended Trooping the Colour before watching a special flypast by the Red Arrows on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Yesterday, on day two, the Duke and Duchess attended a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral before enjoying a glamorous luncheon at London’s guildhall.

On day three, William and Kate met the crew organising a Platinum Jubilee concert at the Welsh castle.

Welsh stars celebrated and paid tribute to the Queen, her 70-year reign and her seven decades of service to the country.

The organisers called the concert “the biggest party of the year” and said “the castle will reverberate with music, song and laughter”. It was hosted by Welsh national treasure, Aled Jones and singer/songwriter Shân Cothi.

During their visit, William, Kate, George and Charlotte watched rehearsals and met with some of the performers, including celebrities, young performers and members of local choirs.

The family learned about the lighting, sound and visual effects from the crew and tried some of the equipment.

The two youngsters had a go at conducting the orchestra. Charlotte seemed apprehensive at first but soon got into it. You can watch the moment below:

More coverage from the event, including a brief meeting with BBC’s drumming weather presenter Owain Wyn Evans:

Live Under the Stars, who organised the Cardiff Castle concert, partnered with Shelter Cymru. They’re the official charity partner of the event. The organisation helps people in Wales with housing problems. They also campaign for new ways to end homelessness. Royal watchers will know Prince William works closely with similar charities and has been a long-time advocate for ending homelessness.

The family didn’t stay for the concert—they attended the Platinum Party at the Palace in London several hours later. You can read our coverage of that event on this page.

Elsewhere in the UK, the Earl and Countess of Wessex visited Belfast in Northern Ireland. Princess Anne and Zara attended Epsom Derby. The Princess stood in for her mother, The Queen, who was due to attend the event. Sadly, she was unable to make it due to her health and mobility issues.

How amazing does Sophie’s hair look curled? She should definitely wear it that way more often! She’s in ME+EM’s Flower Field dress (thanks to Data Duchess for the information).

Zara told reporters at the event that her grandmother would be watching from home, in her comfortable clothes!

Another fab look for Zara too. She’s in Diane Von Furstenberg, the ‘Nella’ dress (same dress, different print here). (Thanks Polka for the info).

Let’s take a look at Kate’s outfit now.

Kate’s outfit at Cardiff Castle:

The Duchess wore a red coat dress by Eponine London.

The long coat dress is from Eponine’s AW18 collection. It’s made from a wool-crepe fabric and features 6 large buttons, bracelet-length sleeves, pockets, a slit on the front and a mandarin collar.

Kate first wore the piece in 2021 to promote the launch of the Hold Still book. In the photo below, Kate is playing the part of a ‘Book Fairy’ by leaving a copy of the freshly published tome for somebody to discover.

The coat dress is not listed on Eponine’s website. When Kate wore it last year, Eponine London put up an Instagram post asking people to get in touch if they want to make an enquiry or place a custom order. Unfortunately, I do not have an RRP for the garment. (As a point of reference, dresses from Eponine’s ready-to-wear offering range from £600-660.)

Kate’s clearly a fan of Eponine London. She has worn a handful of their designs in recent years.

Kate carried a new bag at Cardiff Castle. It’s the DeMellier Nano Montreal in Navy Smooth — click to buy.

The bag ought to feel familiar to our regular readers, the Duchess owns it in Deep Toffee Smooth too. Here’s a picture of Kate carrying it last year:

You’ll notice she’s carrying the bag with the red Eponine coat worn today, by coincidence.

DeMellier describe the Nano Montreal as “their take on the micro-bag trend”. It’s crafted from soft cowhide leather and lined with luxurious cotton. It features DeMellier’s signature double gold bar hardware.

The petite bag can be worn cross-body or carried in hand (Kate opts for the latter on public engagements).

“A perfectly proportioned statement piece, the Nano Montreal can fit most small to regular-size phones and some additional small handbag essentials like keys, cards, etc.”

DeMellier

You can pre-order the bag in navy from DeMellier’s website (£295 / $395 US) (other currencies available too. I just list the two most popular with my readers.)

Kate paired the red coat with a new pair of heels. It looks like she’s wearing the Gianvito Rossi 105 in midnight navy — click here to buy. Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

It’s a likely ID: Kate owns the shoe in six other colours: red, black, bisque, praline, burgundy and silver!

The dark blue suede heels feature a 105mm stiletto heel and a pointed toe. They’re hand-finished in Italy and feature a cushioned footbed for comfort. RRP: £560 on Net-A-Porter UK.

Finally, the Duchess finished her look with a pair of gold angular hoop earrings. They’re by Spells of Love, the Alia hoops — click to buy.

Kate’s worn the earrings before. The statement hoops are handcrafted from brass and coated with a thick layer of recycled gold. RRP: £79

Spells of Love are an eco-conscious brand, all of their products are sent in plastic-free and biodegradable mailing bags.

Spells of Love are a Welsh company—another nod to the country.