On the 26th of September 2020, Kensington Palace posted a new photograph to their social media accounts. It showed William, Kate and their children meeting with broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough.
The photograph was captured after William and Sir David attended a private outdoor screening of the upcoming film ‘David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet’ at Kensington Palace. The film will premiere on Netflix on October 4th.
Note Sir David and Prince William sitting in each other’s chairs…!
After the screening, Sir David met with the rest of the Cambridge family. Apparently, George and Charlotte were very excited to meet the naturalist.
Sir David presented Prince George with a giant shark’s tooth fossil, found while holidaying in Malta over five decades ago.
When I was his age, I remember being given fossils by a grown-up, so I thought I would do the same. [He asked] What it was? How big it was? And so on. He was certainly very interested. He seemed to like it. He is very interested in fossils. She [Charlotte] was too. All three seemed charming.
David Attenborough via The Sunday Times
Sir David and Prince William both have a shared passion for protecting the natural world. The two will continue to work together on The Earthshot Prize, a project launched by William and Kate in late 2019.
Five winners will receive the Earthshot Prize every year between 2021 and 2030.
The cash prize will be for individuals or organisations who come up with solutions to environmental problems.
BBC
David Attenborough narrated a clip of a video for The Earthshot Prize, shared to Kensington Palace’s Instagram account on the 31st of December 2019.
Of course, Kate has met Sir David many times as a working royal.
Above: William and Kate with the nonagenarian at the Royal Ceremonial Naming of the RSS Sir David Attenborough in 2019. And Kate with Sir David in the Natural History Museum (of which Kate is Patron) on two different occasions. At its reopening in 2017 and at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards in 2014.
Kate’s outfit:
In the photo, Kate is wearing a blue denim shirt dress. It features a slightly flared mid-length skirt, rolled up sleeves and a lobster-claw fastening belt buckle in silver-toned metal. It is by Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst. It’s the Marley style.
Gabriela Heart ensures sustainability is at the forefront of her business. As Bethan Holt from the Telegraph puts it, “Sir David might have brought climate change awareness to the masses, but Hearst’s mission has been to convince those who can afford it to shop for luxe designs with impeccable environmental credentials.” It’s likely Kate chose to wear the designer on this occasion for this very reason.
The dress retailed at Net-A-Porter.com for $1,590 USD, though it is now sold out.
MatchesFashion.com stock a dozen shirt dresses by Gabriela Hearst in different colours/prints (two shown below). Some are half price at the time of writing.
Kate didn’t make just one statement with her outfit during the meeting with Sir David, she made two! Her earrings were from Patrick Mavros‘s Pangolin collection. Pangolins are said to be the world’s most trafficked animal rendering them near extinct.
Kate wears the company’s Pangolin Haka Earrings in silver, which retail for £180. They’re designed to be “striking yet comfortable” according to Patrick Mavros.
10% of sales from the Pangolin jewellery line goes to The Tikki Hywood Trust, a charity dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of lesser-known endangered mammal species in Zimbabwe.
Lisa Hywood and her small team have done more to accelerate Pangolin awareness, education and legislation throughout Southern Africa than any other body.
Their efforts are truly heroic and we as a family are proud of our long and firm association with this hugely admirable Trust.
Patrick Mavros
Patrick Mavros sells a range of Pangolin-inspired jewellery, including rings, pendants and of course, earrings.
Shoes TBC. Could be one of two pairs she owns, by Emmy London or by Rupert Sanderson.
A quick thank you to the ladies behind one of my favourite Twitter accounts, UFO NO MORE for quickly finding Kate’s earrings and dress.
