Kate Middleton arrived in style at the National Portrait Gallery this morning. The Princess—who looked sophisticated in a brown blazer and grey pinstripe trousers—swapped the state-of-the-art Range Rover for a school bus.
The Princess rode the bus with a reception class from a school in Marylebone.
It sounds like the Princess was in mum mode on the bus, according to the school’s headteacher, Kate was “just lovely”. She chatted with the children and helped with their jumpers.
When the schoolchildren disembarked from the bus, the princess held hands with a young girl.
The Princess accompanied the children inside to explore the gallery’s new ‘Bobeam Tree Trail’, an activity trail formed in collaboration with the Centre for Early Childhood.
The trail is based on the idea that a magical tree has grown inside the National Portrait Gallery.
The children are told that the unusual, colourful tree thrives when surrounded by stories.
The children are asked to help the Bobeam Tree by taking part in activities around the gallery.
The children discover the stories of people through portraits – listening to audio recordings, using props, exploring facial expressions and finally, by thinking about their own lives, feelings and thoughts while creating a self-portrait.
The children journeyed through the gallery using portraits as the basis for several activities that enabled them to use and develop different social and emotional skills.
At the end of the trail, the children can feed their portrait to the tree so it can ‘grow strong’.
The trail is designed to get children using a range of skills which form part of the Shaping Us Framework—the result of over a year of work and research by the Centre for Early Childhood, which launched earlier this week.
The Framework is a model of the social and emotional skills that experts believe are the key to leading a happy and healthy life. The framework provides information about each skill and why they matter in early childhood and throughout life.
In a foreword to the Framework, the Princess reminds us that “early childhood is such a golden opportunity to give the next generation the most positive start in life” .
The Princess launched the Centre for Early Childhood in 2021, it aims to drive awareness and action on the extraordinary impact of the early years, to change lives, improve mental wellbeing and transform society for future generations.
The centre uses research, collaboration and campaigning to hopefully shift attitudes and educate, leading to a healthier, happier, more nurturing society.
The Princess wants the public to understand that the first five years of a child’s life are crucial for shaping them as a person, which, in turn, can shape society.
The Princess penned a foreword to the 106-page report that accompanies the Framework. Kate urges us to“invest in humankind” and that if we want to “create a physically and mentally healthier society we must reset, restore and rebalance.”
It’s thought that Kate will be going up and down the country to promote the Framework over the next few months.
Kate has been Patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2011
Let’s take a look at her outfit now:
Kate’s outfit today:
The Princess chose a palette of darker hues, today. She wore grey pinstripe trousers with a dark knit roll neck and a rich chocolate brown blazer.
I looks like the Princess is wearing The Founder blazer by Petar Petrov. (With thanks to Royal British Fashion and Middleton Maven for the ID).
The wool-blend blazer has a slightly loose fit, it features a darted, nipped-in waist and padded shoulders. It’s crafted from a virgin wool and viscose blend fabric.
The blazer originally retailed for $1660 before Net-A-Porter reduced it by 60% in their sale. It’s still available at PetarPetrov.com for EUR 1,390.
Petar Petrov is a new label for the Princess. We haven’t seen her wear clothing from this designer before.
Update: Incorrect, technically! My friend Susan from What Kate Wore informs me that Mr Petrov is the head designer for Eponine London! Those who follow Kate’s style will know the Princess often turns to this British label for royal engagements!
Petrov is a Ukranian-born fashion designer whose own label is based in Vienna. He is celebrated for his meticulous craftsmanship and refined aesthetic.
I am afraid I do not have any further information about Kate’s roll-neck sweater at the moment.
I can tell you about Kate’s trousers, though, thanks to Middleton Maven. They’re by Max Mara. The Rea style in grey pinstripe.
The trousers feature a high-rise waist, straight-leg cut and a brown pinstripe pattern throughout, which matches with the brown of her blazer. They’re made from a mid-weight, slightly stretchy blended wool and cotton twill fabric.
They originally retailed for £528 / $895 before going on sale for £208 / $358 at Net-A-Porter. They’re now sold out.
Kate’s no stranger to Max Mara. Since joining the Royal Family, we’ve spotted her in several coats and dresses by the brand.
Founded in Italy, Max Mara is synonymous with luxury tailoring and refined sophistication..
Let’s look at the Princess’s shoes and jewellery next, all are familiar pieces.
Kate’s worn the black shoes to all of her recent engagements, they’re the Russell and Bromley Blade 100 pumps. They feature a sharply pointed toe and a blade block heel.
Unfortunately, the company no longer stock the shoe. They previously described it on their website as “elevated” and “an enhanced take on the classic court.”
The Princess debuted the shoes during a visit to ATC Pirbright in 2022. I believe this is the seventh time she has worn them, in public, to date.
The Princess has a long-standing relationship with Russell & Bromley, often turning to the British brand for timeless, versatile footwear.
Russell & Bromley is a renowned British footwear and accessories retailer, established in 1873 and celebrated for its high-quality craftsmanship and timeless style.
Kate wore a gold Halcyon Days bangles with her outfit, the Princess owns three of these bangles that look very similar. I believe she wore the Salamander Torque Bracelet with Forget-Me-Not blue cabochons today.
The piece is crafted from 18ct gold-plated brass and retailed for £150.
I’ve checked the Halycon Days’ website and the ‘Forget-Me-Not’ version is not currently available. But they do sell the same bangle with other coloured stones instead.
Halcyon Days was established in 1950 as an emporium of antique gifts in Mayfair, London. The brand revived the artisan craft of enamelling on copper. Today, they offer an extensive range of English fine bone china and premium accessories alongside their signature enamel boxes. Their products are sold all around the world, but they continue to be crafted by hand in the UK.
The Princess’s earrings are from the Parisian brand Sézane. They’re the ‘Bruna’ gold hoop earrings.
Kate added them to her jewellery collection in 2021, and this is the fourth time we’ve seen her wearing them to date.
The open hoop earrings feature small hand-set glass stones. They’re made from gold-plated metal.
Unfortunately, the earrings are no longer available to buy. They originally cost $100 USD but were listed in the Sezane ‘archive’ for $60 USD when Kate first wore them. (£75 down to £45 GBP in the UK.)
Kate’s partial to Sézane earrings, she owns 6 other pairs from the French company. She’s also worn several items of clothing—including a chic skirt coord, a pair of grey trousers and a white blouse.
Sézane is a relatively young company, founded in 2013 by Morgane Sézalory. It has soared in popularity around the globe in recent years. The company started with just an online offering before opening boutiques in a number of major cities around the world, including Paris, London and New York.
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