The Prince and Princess of Wales attended an engagement with the Women’s Institute in Sunningdale, Berkshire, earlier today.
The royal couple visited the organisation to mark the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death. The late monarch passed away on September 8th 2022—three years ago to the day.
The Women’s Institute (WI) holds a special connection to the late Queen—she was a member for almost 80 years. She joined in 1943 and served as President of Sandringham WI from 2003 until she died in 2022.
The WI is the largest women’s organisation in the UK. It’s a safe place for women to come together and engage in a range of activities, share experiences and work together to influence positive change in their local, national and global communities.
The late Queen was an active member of the WI and would regularly attend the New Year meeting in January.
In 2022, Her late Majesty hosted a reception at Sandringham House for volunteer groups, pensioners and fellow members of the WI group to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
Kate’s attendance was a surprise today. Initially, the palace announced William would attend the engagement. We were later informed that the princess would join him for the visit.
During their visit, William and Kate heard about the work of the WI and how it provides opportunities for women to socialise, learn new skills, and engage in community projects.
They also heard from people who’d met the late Queen during her reign.
Let’s move on to discussing Kate’s outfit now.
Kate’s outfit:
The Princess looked stunning in a plaid dress by Alessandra Rich.
The garment features puffed short sleeves with a fitted cuff, giving the dress a structured yet feminine shape.
The bodice features four large, statement buttons down the bodice, each with a crystal centre surrounded by a halo of rhinestones.
The waist peplum and wide, pointed collar give the dress a retro feel.
The dress is crafted from a woven check fabric with a base of black and white plaid, with subtle accents of pink throughout.
It’s quite a clever fabric—the heritage check pattern looks quite sober, but the playful pink adds a subtle, contemporary twist.
Kate put careful thought into the selection of her dress today. Not only was the engagement in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth on the anniversary of her death, but it also falls during the official mourning period for the Royal Family following the death of the Duchess of Kent last week. The colour scheme and formality felt appropriate considering both situations.
Those wanting to buy the dress will be disappointed, I’m afraid. Editorialist shows it was available at Harrods for $2,137 before it went on sale for 33% off ($1,415). It’s now out of stock at the retailer, and as yet, I haven’t managed to find it anywhere else online.
Let’s look at Kate’s earrings now—a blast from the past!
The Princess brought back her Kiki McDonough ‘Grace’ diamond and white topaz studs. The 9mm diameter earrings are set in 18ct white gold.
The princess debuted the sparkling earrings in 2011 and wore them very regularly until 2017. They remain one of her most worn pairs of earrings—in fact, this is the 30th time we’ve spotted her wearing them to date.
Despite owning the earrings for more than 14 years, they’re still available at kiki.co.uk—the designer’s official website. They cost £975. They can also be purchased through FarFetch.com for $2,253 USD.
Kate’s shoes might feel familiar to some of our older readers—they’re another item we’ve seen before.
They’re by Hugo Boss, the Staple P90-L pumps in anthracite grey.
The pointed shoes feature a 9cm heel and are crafted from leather.
Debuted in 2016 and last spotted in 2023, this is the fifth time Kate’s worn them in public to date.
The shoes originally cost £315. They’re long sold out, unfortunately.
Leave a Reply