'Kind' Duchess Kate promises to visit cancer patient's blog and pays a visit to the National Portrait Gallery + Reiss sale

I think we all agree William and Kate's visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital yesterday was a triumphant success. Meeting the Duchess was a little extra special for one patient. Nine year old Fabian Bate and his family were thrilled to meet the Cambridge's. William told him he is so brave and hey both seemed genuinely sad about his situation. Fabian went on to tell Kate about his blog. Kate instantly replied "I'll look that up and post a message". The Bate family hailed Kate as 'kind' and were taken aback at how interested she was. "She asked lots of questions. And sounded like she would post on the blog". A very touching gesture on behalf of Kate which obviously means so much to Fabian. I do think Kate connects with children so well. I will update as soon as Kate posts a message for Fabian.

Kate with Fabian Bate

Duchess Kate has been spotted out and about quite frequently this week.  Kate spent Wednesday afternoon touring the contemporary collection with curators in the National Portrait Gallery in London. Kate graduated with a degree in Art History from St. Andrews  so she wasn't afraid to ask lots of questions nor was she fazed by a more controversial piece, Marc Quinn's, 'Self' a self portrait cast of the artist's head made from his own blood then frozen. (Certainly doesn't sound like a typical afternoon for the Duchess :))

A source said

"She was dressed all in black. She must have been boiling because it was a really hot day in London - in knee length black boots, black tights and a slim fitting black dress. She had her hair up, completely pulled into a twist in the back".

While Kate was unfazed by Marc Quinn's blood head, I must say I was quite startled when I saw it first :) What do you think?

Moving on...........

Despite the excellent weather London has been enjoying over the past few days, Kate went shopping in Hobbs on Sloane Square for a winter coat earlier this week. The Duchess purchased the brown Unlimited Cleste Flared Coat for £369.

"Wrap up this Autumn in this stunning double crepe wool coat. In a sumptuous seasonal chestnut brown, this coat subtly flares from the hips. It's given an on trend toughened edge thanks to the leather stud fastening cuff straps and waisted belt"

Finally for those of you who love Kate's style, One of her favourite labels Reiss has a 10% off sale for today only. If you're interested Click Here!

The Cambridge's Open Children's Cancer Center

Duchess Kate chats with patient Beth Ansell

William and Kate visited the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton today to open a £18 million children's cancer center. The highly anticipated royal engagement is one close to Prince William's heart as he follows in the footsteps of his mother, taking over as president of the London hospital. Diana also performed her first official solo royal visit at the Royal Marsden. The hospital is the first in the world dedicated to cancer treatment and research. 

William had just fifteen minutes sleep ahead of today's visit after a 24 hour shift which involved picking up a sailor from a naval ship and a woman with head injuries on Snowdonia. He then flew from RAF valley to meet Kate near the hospital. (Kate travelled separately from London) and even joked about the bags under his eyes. Despite this the pair look energetic and excited to be officially opening the center.

Twelve year old cancer patient Alice Marples presented Duchess Kate with a beautiful bouquet of flowers (Simply adorable). This is not the first time Alice has seen William, two years ago she interviewed him for the CBBC Newsround programme. Alice has been bravely fighting a brain tumour for eight years and will travel to the US for treatment nextThe Cambridge's were given a tour of the unit where they met medical staff, patients and their parents. Kate was asked if she would consider supporting the charity personally, She replied "We'll have to see. William's in charge". The couple spent over two hours there before leaving. William unveiled a plaque in honour of the officially opening and spoke poignantly about the center

"This place is inspirational. I mean that in the truest sense of the word. It inspires me. I always come away from the Royal Marsden feeling totally uplifted. Catherine and I will do that today".

Diana visiting the hospital in 1982

Duchess Kate looked stunning wearing an oatmeal Amanda Wakeley sculpted felt long sleeved seam dress knee length dress which is currently selling for £450. I love this dress, It's classy, elegant and completely appropriate for the occasion. Amanda Wakeley confirmed Kate loved the dress so much she bought it in three colours. It is described as

"Sculpted felt knee length fitted dress with 3/4 length sleeves and a slash neck. Features seam detailing. The cut of this dress really contours and flattens the body"

Initially the dress instantly reminded me of the Malene Birger Bullet dress Duchess Kate wore in Yellowknife, Canada. However the shoulders and waist detail is quite different. Looking at the photo's one can see Kate looks healthier at the moment. I must also add her hair looks incredible. It was definitely worth the four hours in Richard Ward's salon.:)

Duchess Kate completed the look with her favourite LK Benett items. The Nude Sledge 2 Pumps and the Natalie Clutch.

Overall today was a wonderful day for William and Kate but most of all for the staff and patients of the Royal Marsden Hospital. Duchess Kate is a natural with children and I think we may see her support a charity similar to this. One also got the impression Kate was looking after William today, She had her hand on his back quite a bit and seemed completely at ease. Diana would be glad to see her work is being continued on. The hospital does truly amazing work as you can see from the photos' above, If you would like to make a donation or are considering it Please take a look Here.


This video is an excellent summary of the visit.

Finally one last photo for the day, (I do find it incredibly difficult to post under twenty photos per royal engagement :)) What I love about this photo is their body language, almost identical. Both are smiling and holding their hands in a very similar manner. 

Sources (Daily Mail, Daylife,ITN youtube,)

What Kate bought in Topshop today

I mentioned earlier how lucky we have been in relation to Kate sightings this week. And there has been another one! Ashlin from the Get What Kate Wore Facebook Page has kindly allowed me to share that while returning a dress to Topshop on Kensington High Street at 6.40 p.m., She spotted none other than Duchess Kate in the store.

 This is certainly a very exciting sighting. Duchess Kate was wearing a green jacket (very possibly the Katherine Hooker she wore to Cheltenham 2007 below) and black jeans and low heel knee suede boots. Identified as the same ones from Today's earlier post. Kate was also carrying her Mulberry bag again. The Topshop in Kensington is literally around the corner from the Palace yet the salesman remarked he had not seen her in there before.

The Jacket Kate wore today

Ashlin described Kate as 'very tall and very slim' in person. She also saw the Duchess while she was in Canada and thought Kate looked healthier than in recent photos. As you know the press has been having a field day with the anorexia rumours but judging by the photos of Kate getting her hair done and at the wedding she is looking a little healthier recently. While we do not have photo's of Kate in Topshop we do know what she bought!

Duchess Kate purchased this beautiful Velvet Trim Boucle Jacket which is selling for $130. It is described as 

"A cobalt blue boucle jacket with peter pan collar, velvet binding detail and popper fascinating"

Kate also purchased this Teal Spot Pencil Skirt for $76.

Kate has been a fan of Topshop for years. In 2007 she was photographed wearing their stunning blue and white stripe dress.

Duchess Kate spent over five minutes at the checkout service as she was looking at these Large Oval earrings. Although they are only £8.50, Kate decided against purchasing them despite giving it serious consideration. I think this is one small example of how down to earth she is. She obviously doesn't believe in wasting money regardless of the amount.

However Kate did purchase a pair of earrings today. The exact pair are not online but Ashlin was kind enough to take a photo of a pair herself. They are £6.50 (Can you imagine, for such a beautiful pair) gold and round "almost like a curved feather from the freedom line". Take a look at Ashlin's Facebook Page for a detailed account on her sighting of Kate! Many thanks to Ashlin for sharing this with us. :)

Sources (Ashlin @ Get What Kate Wore facebook, Topshop, GetWhatKateWore Via Twitter)

New photos of Kate getting her hair done and William reveals his wish to postpone becoming a full time royal

Duchess Kate has been keeping a very low profile recently, but we are being spoilt with sightings this week. First it was announced William and Kate will open a children's cancer center on Thursday, then the photo's of the wedding and now photo's of Kate getting her hair done last Friday have emerged. Wearing a white sweater black jeans teamed with her Mulberry bag and knee high flat black suede boots (Yes the boots are back :)) Duchess Kate appeared happy and smiling as she left the salon.

Many of you mentioned you were surprised Kate spent four hours in Richard Ward's Chelsea salon. A source said "Kate goes in for a long appointment about every eight weeks. She loves her time there and has known everyone there for years so it's really relaxing for her".

Here is a sneak peak at the process............

In other Kate news
Vogue editor Anna Wintour has been campaigning to land Duchess Kate for the cover of Vogue. She has spoken to royal photographer Mario Testino in an effort to persuade Kate. A source said

A mockup I made

 'Anna has been speaking to Mario about winning over Kate. She is really pressing him to shoot Kate for the cover. Every magazine has been trying to get Kate, and many assume it will eventually be Vogue. But even with the Mario Testino relationship it is not clear if it will happen. The palace have to approve it and they are very protective of Kate'.

However Anna will be disappointed as the Palace are having none of it :) St James's palace have announced Kate has absolutely no plans to appear on the cover despite rumours in the U.S. I am not surprised to be honest, While Diana appeared on the cover of Vogue as a young royal, I do not think Kate wishes to go down that road. In the meantime I made a mockup of a possible Kate cover! 

Prince William gave a rare, exclusive interview to journalist Robert Hardman about the Queen, his wedding to Kate and plans for the future. William began by describing his feelings while planning the wedding.

"I came into the first meeting for the wedding, post engagement. And I was given the list of 777 names, dignitaries, governors, all sorts of people. Not one person I knew. They said these are the people we should invite. I looked at it in absolute horror and said I think we should start again".

The next day William rang the Queen for advice and she told him you start by inviting friends and then take it from there. William jokingly mentions how he wanted to choose what to wear for the wedding but was politely told his clothing for the day was non negotiable. Prince William holds great affection and love for his grandmother. 'I always say to people she is my grandmother first. As I've got older she has become more important to me'. He said both he and Kate drew inspiration from her majesty on their visit to Canada.

William and Kate were expected to become full time royals in about twenty months time. However this interview has put that into question. The Queen is reportedly supportive of William extending his time with the RAF there is even talk of a tour of Afghanistan. This would certainly be difficult for Kate to be separated from her husband for extended periods of time. I get the impression they simply love the anonymity being in Anglesey gives them and are eager to postpone becoming full time royals for a while. I think they should be allowed a little extra time to enjoy what they have.When asked about his future as a full time royal. William simply replies "I try not to think about it to be honest. As I'm flying along in my helicopter through the mountains of Wales, I try desperately hard not to think about it. That can wait until I'm a bit older".

Sources (Daily Mail, What Kate Wore Facebook Page, Royal Reporter Via Twitter, US Weekly,)

Lady in red Kate attend friends wedding in Collette Dinnigan dress

Yesterday William and Kate attended the wedding of friends Tom Sutton and Harriet Colthurst at St Mary and St Nicholas Church in Wilton, Wiltshire. Kate was joined by her friend Louise Aubrey-Fletcher as William had arrived earlier to fulfill his duties as usher. Kate looked absolutely stunning in red. As you all know I think red is her color :) After toning it down at recent weddings it's nice to see her in a more daring color.

It was also reported Kate spent four hours in a hair salon on Kings road on Friday. This was obviously in preparation for the wedding. Her hair looks fabulous. William was also spotted today enjoying a pre wedding lunch with the groom and fifteen ushers at 'The Ship Inn' in Burcombe before going to the service with Kate, He even left a £100 tip. A member of staff said 

'There were range rovers driving up and down outside and then a member of special branch came in and a group of people obviously going to a wedding and I looked over and there he was. It wasn't what you expect to happen in Burcombe and they were all very nice. It was really exciting'. 

Next we will be seeing Kate on Thursday officially opening a hospital untit with William, Looking forward to seeing what she wears. McQueen or high street? I have a feeling she may recycle. In the meantime I will update with confirmation on the dress and fascinator. You never know, We may have a surprise sighting before Thursday :)

Duchess Kate gets private tutoring as fashion furore continues

It has been another day filled with news about the Duchess. Some had anticipated after the wedding the media interest would die down but it seems to be a case of the less we see her, the more we want to hear. :)  Kate has been devoting her time to choosing her charities, A small update on that. Kate is reportedly eager to support project based charities and isn't expected to announce her choices before the New Year. However, Kate has been keeping very busy. It has been confirmed that she is receiving private lessons in working of the state to groom her for a lifetime of royal duties. Experts on government, arts and media have been asked to visit St. James' palace in order to give Kate one to one tutoring. A royal source said 

"The Duchess is being briefed on how the State works, getting to know our national institutions better and learning more about organisations such as the arts, the media and the government. It is a process that will carry on for several months and will be done privately. The Duchess is also carrying out private research on her own".




It is clear, serious thought has gone into preparing Kate for royal life. This is most likely due to Diana's experiences. The Princess of Wales told friends that staff "basically thought I could adapt to being a Princess overnight". William is fiercely determined Kate will never feel isolated in the manner his mother did. 

Kate will be eased into royal life unlike Diana

Kate's influence is continuing to dominate London fashion week. It is quite spectacular to see the effect one person can have on the fashion industry. British designers were eager to sing her praises. Julien ManDonald said

"I think she is the new queen of fashion. She's young she's every little girls dream and she always looks chic and sophisticated".

Despite rumours of a rift, Issa's Daniella Helayel seems very supportive of Kate.

"I think she is great. I'm very fortunate she likes to wear Issa."

After last nights superb show, The Duchess will be happy to hear what Alice Temperly had to say.

"I think she's brilliant. She's brilliant for England. Perfect, perfect future Queen. She's elegant, she knows how to hold herself. She's gracious she's got impeccable manners and I hope she'll become England's Grace Kelly."

The Roskanda Ilinic Spring Summer 2012 show took place today. Duchess Kate wore a stunning blue/grey dress by the designer when she arrived in California. Personally the dress was one of my favourite's. It combined femininity, class and structure all in one. Today structured dresses continued to be a major part of their coming collection. I could very easily see Kate in either of these.

Full sleeves and feminine silhouettes are a staple of the collection. All beautiful pieces.

Issa and Mulberry kick off London fashion week while Kate plans to follow in Diana's footsteps

One of Duchess Kate's favourite designers Daniella Helayel kicked off London Fashion Week in style by showcasing her Spring Summer 2012 collection for Issa. Kate has been a huge fan of Issa for years wearing their pieces countless times. The collection has a rio vibe including samba inspired dresses. 
Many of the pieces are reminiscent of dresses Kate wore in previous years. Especially the blue and pink gowns she wore to the Boodles boxing ball (Which is incidentally coming up on October 1st. Perhaps the Cambridge's will attend). Helayel described these dresses as the 'bread of Issa. 'People don't get tired of bread. You eat bread every day. You never get tired'. Interesting comparison :)

I must say I thought some of the pieces in the collection were stunning, Although Kate's relationship with the brand may be coming to an end. Camilla Al Fayed, sister of Dodi who was killed in the car accident with Diana, now has a 51% stake in Issa. Due to the hostility between the families Kate may opt to steer clear. Should she continue her relationship with Issa, I can see Kate wearing any of these. The two piece suit in particular is simply stunning!

And here is one of the more flamboyant outfits from the collection that I doubt we shall see Kate wearing :)

The Mulberry fashion show today, was hailed as 'fun and exciting'. For fans of Duchess Kate, you will all recall her carrying the Mulberry Polly push lock tote boarding the plane to Canada.

Today more bright and colourful bags were on display. The theme was described as 'going to the English seaside'. Complete with an ice cream van outside, the unconventional theme was unlike anything else we are likely to see at LFW.

 Now on to the actual collection..........

 It is certainly colourful but still classic. The collection is Spring/Summer but the colours of the bags are quite Autumnal. Creative director Emma Hill said 'British culture is so much about being cheeky and irreverent'. 

Tomorrow Tempererly and Erdem will showcase their collections, I think we shall get an excellent idea of looks we may see Kate in from there shows!

In other news, In the previous post I wrote that it was announced the Duchess is taking the Autumn to choose which charities she wishes to support. It seems she is taking the route Princess Diana took by making private visits to charities in the hopes of getting to know them personally before making her final choices. I think this is a wonderful idea as Kate is not someone who wishes to be in the spotlight too much. It will be interesting to see which she chooses, I expect to see children's charities included.

There is a rather preposterous rumour circulating at the moment regarding Kate asking her sister Pippa to move into Kensington Palace. Reportedly this is because Kate is 'desperately lonely'. I would take this one with a pinch of salt :)

While William and Kate were in California they met actress Jessica Brown Findlay and told her they are both fans of period drama 'Downton Abbey' The drama returns to our screens tonight at 9pm for season 2. It is filmed in 'Highclere castle' in Berkshire. I'm a huge fan of the show myself and would highly recommend it. I epect the Cambridge's will be tuning in tonight :)

Duchess Kate photographed shopping in Berkshire

A new photo of Duchess Kate has finally emerged. When I heard the Cambridge's were staying at Birkhall with The Queen, I had thought it would be a while before we would see any new photos. However the Duchess was spotted shopping with her family in Hungerford, Berkshire near her parents home in Bucklebery on September 4. Better late than never :) Locals were left shocked when they spotted Kate in the local shops including Hungerford arcade and Hungerford emporium.
I am a little skeptical about these photos being taken on September 4th as in the first photo it looks more like December and in the background there appears to be a Christmas tree. Kate's style has changed in the past year and this look is more in keeping with her look pre wedding. Am I correct?  Nonetheless the outfit is fabulous and definitely worth documenting.

Duchess Kate looks effortlessly chic in dark skinny jeans, a black wrap sweater, black boots and a gorgeous grey handbag. Her hair looks amazing too, I think she has lightened it. Kate's engagement ring really stands out in this photo too. 

With Kate's fashion sense it is no surprising she has been voted 'Queen of the high street' by 3,000 UK voters beating singer Cheryl Cole and sister Pippa to the title.

UPDATE: As the quality of the photos are not wonderful, It has been difficult to identify the exact items the Duchess is wearing. This Jigsaw cardigan for sale at John Lewis (A favourite of Kate's) for £96 seems quite close. You will notice the tie effect and the sleeves are the same. 


'The cost jigsaw cardigan has a luxurious angora cashmere mix fabric, and a chic style that can be worn for smart or casual outfits. It has a relaxed shape with open neckline and tie belt to add shape'.

As for Kate's jeans we know she is a fan of J Brand. These ones looks similar to the dark grey skinny jeans Kate wore.  These jeans are the 811 mid rise skinny leg.


'Fitted from hip to ankle with a slightly higher rise, the mid rise skinny leg is your go to classic. The super tight fit slips right into boots with no folding or rolling'.

Duchess Kate has famously been a fan of black suede boots since her days in St. Andrew University. 

If you have a pair of black suede boots flat, heel or wedge they will complete this look easily if you are trying to emulate Kate's look. Iv'e chosen two from a couple of Kate's favourite stores. These ones are the LK Bennett Belsize boots.

These JohnLewis Seine Knee high black boots were featured in Edition magazine. They are currently selling for £140.

In other Kate news, The Cambridges were spotted grouse hunting with Charles and Camilla  in Scotland. No photos have emerged yet although I think it may be possible we will see something soon! It's good to hear William and Kate are enjoying a holiday with their family!

I will update if these is any official confirmation regarding the exact date the photos were taken!

The Cambridges join the Queen for 9/11 memorial service and What Kate might be wearing for Spring!

It has been confirmed that the Cambridge's are currently in Scotland with the Queen. They attended Sunday service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral with The Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Harry. William and Kate recently spent a weekend at Birkhall and were joined by the Middletons. The Queen is clearly eager to get to know Kate, This is evident by two visits in such quick succession. There are no new photos of the Duchess unfortunately. I expect we shall see something soon.........

Continuing on with the 'Kate report' from New York fashion week. Designer Jenny Packham has unveiled her Spring/Summer 2012 collection. The collection included a series of shimmering gowns quite similar to the rose dress Duchess Kate wore to the ARK gala. Packham was best known for bridal wear until Kate began wearing her creations, All of which looked stunning. I think we will definitely see one of these dresses on the Duchess within the next six months. One of my favourite collections displayed at New York fashion week!

As you all know I think red is Kate's colour, Any of these gowns would looks stunning on the Duchess!

I could very easily see Kate choosing one of these for another gala event. Adore the third one.

Duchess Kate wore the primrose Jenny Packham dress in Canada, I think the lemon and white dress could be something Kate would choose.

The moment I saw this white lace dress, I instantly thought of Kate's beige lace Collette Dinnigan dress. She most recently wore it to Zara Philips wedding.

New York Fashion Week Designers dress Duchess Kate

Following on from yesterdays post about Duchess Kate's impact on New York fashion week. I saw an  amazing article in NY mag where top fashion designers are asked about Duchess Kate's fashion and which of there pieces they would ideally put her in. Each of these looks is simply gorgeous. I love the fact we are seeing clothes on the Runway that people can actually wear, all inspired by Kate! 


Designer Jason Wu said if he could dress Kate he would put her in his blue ball dress. 'I think Kate Middleton's so beautiful she could wear anything from S/S 2012 collection and look gorgeous.'. 

John Zee, Creative director of Elle said he prefers Kate to Pippa as he loves a Queen. Zee would love to see Kate in a YSL tuxedo. 'I think she would look fantastic in that'.

Stylist, Mary Alice Stephenson said 'I'd love to give Kate a little edge. I think she's so pretty, but I think she's dressing in a formal elegant way and they need a little youthquake. I'd love to see her in Alexander Wang in Ohne titel'.

Designer, Sally La Pointe would love to see Kate wear the finale look from her show. She thinks Kate is beautiful and classic.

Designer Richard Chai said 'She looks very proper. She's doing a very good job of looking a Royal. I'd love to see her wear something colourful and printed'.

Finally stylist and designer, Nicola Formichetti thinks Kate is 'very chic'. His ideal look for Kate is a Zara Rhodes caftan. I must say I'm not entirely sure about this look for the Duchess :)

What do you all think of these looks? It's interesting to see Kate in different styles, I think the Jason Wu blue dress and the YSL tuxedo suit are absolutely stunning and would look amazing on Kate. I think Duchess Kate will experiment with more designers as time progesses and we may see her outfits like these in the future!