The Duchess In Green Beulah For Tusk Reception & Misses Awards "Due To Children"

Good evening, dear readers! As you may have heard the Duchess of Cambridge did not join her husband at the annual Tusk Awards tonight "due to the children". Kensington Palace did not clarify the reason, expand on whether or not one or more of the children are under the weather or if it's related to another matter entirely. The rumour mill has gone into overdrive about an imminent pregnancy announcement for Kate. Whilst this is certainly possible, I do not believe it's the reason for her absence as earlier today she joined a private tea and reception for finalists.

KP shared several photos from the event.

Prince William became patron of conservation charity Tusk Trust in December 2005 and has been supporting their work through a series of public engagements and behind the scenes work since. Most recently, he visited Tusk projects in Namibia and Tanzania in 2018. Below, the Duke and Duchess meeting guests.

Tonight's awards were held at the Empire Cinema in Leicester Square before a reception at Kate's patronage, the National Portrait Gallery.

The Tusk Conservation Awards aim to highlight the outstanding achievements of individuals working within the field of conservation. From practical field work to successful environmental education, these awards recognise the achievements of individuals who are ensuring the future of Africa and bringing the challenges faced by the continent to a global audience. Kensington Palace said: "For almost 30 years, Tusk has pioneered successful conservation action in Africa by protecting wildlife, empowering communities and advancing the frontline in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade."

William presented three awards including the award for 'Conservation in Africa' to turtle biologist Tomas Diagne who has devoted most of his life to eliminating threats to turtles and tortoises across West Africa.

During a speech, William said "Earlier today, Catherine and I spent some time with the nominees and finalists. Their bravery, single-minded determination, and commitment to African conservation is deeply deeply humbling."

He continued "My generation and those following are acutely aware that we cannot simply carry on as we are. We have to move faster and more effectively to find ways to balance our demands on this planet with the nature we share it with."

Kate selected her Beulah London Yahvi midi dress earlier today. The £550 piece was described as "This tailored crepe below-the-knee dress has a slim fitting sleeve adorned with covered buttons, with a fluted frill cuff detail. Fitted at the waist with a full midi length skirt, this dark green dress has covered button detailing to the side with a split opening that falls just above the knee." Kate debuted it in January for a Family Action engagement.

It looks like Kate teamed the dress with her olive green Gianvito Rossi 85 pumps.

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Additionally, the Court Circular recorded three private engagements yesterday, including an early years Royal Foundation meeting, a reception with representatives from the nursing profession and the Nursing Now campaign of which Kate is patron. A couple of guests shared a little more information on social media including news guests enjoyed drinks, canapes and Christmas activities before William and Kate arrived.

It was held at the Rosewood Hotel in London.

The Duke and Duchess also met with the King and Queen of Bhutan. Readers will recall William and Kate were warmly hosted by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema during their official visit to Bhutan in 2016.

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As we're catching up on news generally, fans of the Queen of Baking Mary Berry will be pleased to know Kate is said to be teaming up with her for a Christmas special. The Mirror revealed the Duchess is expecting to join Berry and a selection of VIPs to create a festive feast for charity workers on duty over Christmas. Kate has met Mary on a number of occasions over the years, most recently at RHS Wisley. HRH once revealed she is "a big fan of her cookbooks and cakes". We should hear more on this in the coming weeks.

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Rebecca English reports Kate's private secretary Catherine Quinn will be moving on from her role after Christmas. 

'Royal right-hand woman Catherine Quinn has worked as Kate’s private secretary since October 2017, a role that is similar to a chief of staff. She is responsible for everything from organising Kate’s diary and meetings to accompanying her on engagements.

But she has also been instrumental in helping the future queen develop her ‘early years’ project, working with organisations to better support children in order to avoid issues such as addiction, social exclusion and crime in later life.

The high-flying Oxford-educated mother-of-one’s appointment was seen as sign of the duchess’s determination to ‘beef up’ her office and public profile as a working royal and future Princess of Wales.

Miss Quinn had been working a chief operating officer at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, and previously worked as head of grant-giving at global charitable healthcare foundation the Wellcome Trust.'

It will be interesting to see who is chosen to succeed Ms Quinn, who brought a wealth of experience to the table. Kate's assistant private secretary Natalie Barrows, who is very visible by Kate's side at quite a lot of events, could take the role. We could also see someone entirely new in the coming months.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I expect we'll hear further engagement announcements any day now.

The Duchess in Black Lace McQueen For Royal Variety Performance

It was an evening of entertainment and glamorous guests for the annual Royal Variety Performance at London's Palladium Theatre.

The Duke and Duchess arriving.

The Royal Variety Performance takes place every year and is held in aid of the Royal Variety Charity. The money raised from the show helps hundreds of entertainers throughout the UK, who are in need of help and assistance as a result of old age, ill-health, or hard times. In particular, the charity assists former members of the entertainment industry living in Brinsworth House, a residential home in Twickenham, which is owned and run by the charity.

Plans to improve Brinsworth House are currently underway with a fundraising campaign. The Chairman of the Royal Variety Charity, Giles Cooper, recently said that "the need for care is evolving & requirements & standards have rightly improved, so our plan is to upgrade and regenerate Brinsworth House. With your support, we can achieve just that!" In the background, one can see an image of the Queen and Prince Philip attending the performance in 1955.

Kate received a beautiful posy featuring flowers and foliage from the 'Frosty Winter Garden' at Brinsworth House.

Kate receiving the posy.

An overview before guests began to arrive.

The Duchess told the cast of Mary Poppins, including Petula Clark, Charlie Stemp and Zizi Strallen, that George and Charlotte wanted to go with them to the show, but she told them "not on a school night".

The Duke and Duchess take their seats.

It dates back all the way to 1912 when the inaugural performance was watched by King George V and Queen Mary. In July 1919, a second royal show was performed. Held at London Coliseum, the show was staged as a 'celebration of peace' and, as the official announcement expressed it, "had been commanded by the King to show his appreciation of the generous manner in which artistes of the variety stage had helped the numerous funds connected with the War".

It is believed to be one of the few charities in the UK that has an unbroken line of patronage from the reigning monarch since George V in the early twentieth century. Queen Elizabeth II is the current sole life-patron of the charity. Below, the poster for the 1930 performance.

In more recent years, we've seen Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Cambridges and the Sussexes alternate attending the event. It's William and Kate's third time at the Royal Variety. They first attended in 2014, Kate repeated her black lace DVF gown. In 2017, the Duchess debuted a sparkling blue Jenny Packham design.

Hosted by Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan, the evening included performances from the cast of Mary Poppins, Lewis Capaldi, Mabel, Robbie Williams, the cast of Come From Away, and a special collaboration by Emeli Sandé and Manchester’s Bee Vocal choir. Below, a great shot shared by Kensington Palace.

They received a very comedic introduction by the hosts. The Mail reports:

'The comic pair introduced the royal couple and joked that they were on a 'date night' as the camera focused on them laughing and giggling in the Royal Box - William nodding with mock seriousness.

The comedians asked whether they had paid the babysitter to stay 'until 12 or 1' - joking: 'It's always worth £20 for the extra hour.'

Whilst meeting six-year-old Aurelia from an acrobatic group, Kate said George and Charlotte love doing cartwheels at home.

More from the Mail Online:

'William was left in stitches was he was jokingly handed a ‘commemorative’ tea towel by the show’s hosts, comedians Rob Beckett and Ramesh Ranganthan, which had their faces on instead of his and Kate’s. The prince roared with laughter and said he would try to find something to do with it.

Beckett said: ‘Maybe you know someone who might want it. ‘ ‘Yeah, the dog will love it,’ joked William, who told the the two men that hopefully they could relax now, When Kate was given a bouquet of flowers by two youngsters who star in the new Mary Poppins musical, Nuala Peberby, 14, and Fred Wilcox, nine, the prince told them: ‘How come I get a dodgy tea towel and she gets some flowers?’

Nuala revealed afterwards that Kate had told her that George and Charlotte - particularly her daughter - love performing and putting on little shows at home. ‘She said that her children love performing at home, particularly Charlotte,’ she said. ‘She told us how lucky we were to be on stage in the West End and asked how we managed to do it with all our school work. I can’t tell you how exciting it was to meet them. ‘ 

Another posy for the Duchess as she departed.

A video from the event with footage of William and Kate meeting performers.

The Duchess chose a stunning black lace Alexander McQueen gown for the night. The bespoke piece features puffed sleeves, lace overlay, a fitted silhouette, velvet detail on the neckline and waist. and an intricate floral pattern. Kate has a penchant for this style of gown, I expect we'll see it again on at least a couple of occasions. The tailoring is beautifully done as always by McQueen and the touch of velvet against the lace has a very luxurious, seasonal feel to it.

A look at the back of the dress.

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Kate teamed it with her Jimmy Choo Romy 100 pumps.

And her Jimmy Choo Celeste black velvet clutch.

Kate accessorised with her statement Erdem Floral earrings. They are described: "Elegant, refined, and feminine, these Floral earrings by Erdem illustrate the designer’s attraction to romanticism. This accessory is defined by the layering of numerous mother-of-pearl beads with orange, black, and gray crystals." Below the earrings with a different centre stone to Kate's.

It's another evening event for William and Kate on Thursday for the Tusk awards.

Duchess Kate Officially Opens the Nook

During a conversation with other bloggers who cover a myriad of various topics some months ago, we briefly discussed the moment we knew exactly what direction our blogs would take and inspiration behind continuing to work on them. I've often spoken here about my love of royal watching, which stems back generations in my own family, and following Kate's journey from my early teens. Nonetheless, I still lacked a great deal of knowledge when I began 'Duchess Kate' in 2011 about many elements of the monarchy and the boundless potential of a royal role. Fast forward a year and I felt I had the understanding I needed. The answer to the question for me was simple: East Anglia's Children's Hospices.

EACH was one of Kate's first patronages, and properly taking the time to understand their incredible work coupled with the uphill challenges they were facing in terms of funding and resources completely opened my eyes. At the time, they needed £6 million in donations annually to deliver essential services. I was struck by the dedication and devotion from their Chief Executive to volunteers who aim to devote even a couple of hours around their schedules. This was a charity supporting families and children through times so painful most of us cannot even contemplate. When Kate was expecting George, myself and several other Kate bloggers started the Baby Cambridge fundraiser. We were all set on EACH receiving the proceeds. I was privileged to have the opportunity to speak to a family supported by them and volunteers since, and my admiration and respect continues to grow for all involved.

When EACH announced ambitious plans to raise £10 million pounds for a purpose-built hospice in the heart of Norfolk, named the Nook. It was clear this would be an enormous undertaking, but a necessary one, in order to care for the needs of families in the area. They had outgrown their hospice in Quidenham, a very old two-storey building with accessibility issues. Below, Kate launched the appeal five years ago.

The appeal showcased community spirit and the power of people coming together. Raising £10 million is no mean feat. On social media over the past five years, I would regularly see updates on fundraising events.

Supporters like Kelly, who raised £700 completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

£600 raised by the Attenborough Cadets.

Local companies and businesses got in on the action too.

Even ambassador Ed Sheeran collaborated with Heinz to benefit EACH.

And over the course of five years, a vision slowly came to life.

As indefatigable fundraising efforts continued, the Nook took shape.

Until finally last month EACH opened its doors.

The Duchess was warmly welcomed by local schoolchildren. The Nook is located just an hour from the Cambridges' country home, Anmer Hall.

People reports:

'Even before entering the new center, Kate was in full mom mode — asking student Poppy Parslow-Williams, “Are you cold?” and rubbing his arm after seeing him shiver. “It was amazing. I shook her hand!” he told reporters.

Niamh Bell, 11, added, “She was very kind. Even though she didn’t have a lot of time she still came to talk to us.”

The Nook will offer an array of services including specialist nursing care, symptom management nursing, short breaks, wellbeing activities, therapies, counselling and volunteer services in the family home; all meeting the individual needs of the child, young person and whole family.

Kate joined a reception where she met families supported by EACH.

And participated in activities with the children.

The Telegraph reports:

'The Duchess was reunited with Leigh Smith, 38, who moved her to tears when they met in 2014, just months after Ms Smith had lost her three-month-old daughter Beatrice to a rare heart condition.

Ms Smith said after their private meeting: “She told me, ‘I don’t know how you did that, how you got through it. “It was really lovely to see her again and she gave me a big hug. 

“She asked me if I felt that what we had gone through was still a difficult subject to discuss, in the wider community and I told her that yes, death is still a big taboo, especially children’s death.

“But I told her how important her role has been in breaking down that taboo, and mental health generally, normalising it and making it easier to talk about such things. “She batted it off of course. She’s very down to earth and lovely."

Kate was impressed by the new sensory room.

Victoria Murphy spoke to outgoing Chief Executive Graham Butland:

“She was very keen to have regular updates as to how the building was going,” he said. Graham also noted how Kate has visited some of the families that the charity helps in their own homes as she continues her support behind the scenes. “She’s also made private visits to the hospice. She’s visited at least a couple of families in their own homes, all without publicity, not known etcetera,” he said.

He also spoke about Kate’s manner with the families. “She likes to get her hands messy, she likes to join in and do things. And it’s not put on, it’s just natural,” he said. “These parents, they can spot a dud at 100 miles. They know people who are just patronizing…To have someone like that who actually really is interested and empathizes with them is tremendous.”

During a speech the Duchess said: "You have created here at The Nook a nurturing, caring environment that allows families who are going through the unimaginable the ability to spend precious quality time with each other, comforted in the knowledge that their children are being looked after in the best possible way. EACH was one of the very first charities that I decided to become Patron of after my marriage. Whilst a lot has changed since then, my commitment and support for this wonderful organisation and the work that you do has not."

Kate also shared a lighthearted moment as she recalled her first speech. It's included in the video below.

Kate's full speech:

'It is wonderful to be here today to open the Nook Hospice. And a huge congratulations to everyone here involved.

The Nook is a realisation of a vision that began five years ago. Thanks to immense generosity and support from all those who contributed to the Appeal, this state-of-the-art facility is fully operational and already making such a difference.

At the opening of the Treehouse Hospice many years ago (which I think I will remember for some years to come as it was my first ever speech!), I referred to your hospices as being homes. This visit today has only reinforced for me just what is at the heart of what you do here, throughout your work, and that is family.
You have created here at the Nook a nurturing, caring environment that allows families who are going through the unimaginable the ability to spend precious quality time with each other, comforted in the knowledge that their children are being looked after in the best possible way.

EACH was one of the very first charities that I decided to become Patron of after my marriage. Whilst a lot has changed since then, my commitment and support for this wonderful organisation and the work that you do has not.

Over the years, I have seen first-hand the depth of EACH’s reputation as a standard-bearer in children’s hospice care, both here in the U.K. and internationally too, during my visits to Malaysia and Australia.

Your hugely dedicated and talented team are at the core of this success and I wanted especially today to thank you, Graham, for everything you have done over the past sixteen years and to wish you a very happy retirement.

The Nook Hospice is a fitting tribute to all your staff, its generous supporters and its awe-inspiring children and families who I have been so lucky to meet here today. I therefore could not be more delighted to invite my army of little helpers to join me in officially opening this new hospice.'

The Duchess departing.

EACH are still fundraising for £700,000 to ensure they have enough to properly fit out the Nook. To meet the need, they've reopened their Pave the Path campaign, which aims to find sponsors for the red clay bricks that line the garden path at the Nook. Alternatively, one can buy items for the hospice such as tea towels and bedding. Click here if interested in finding out more. To view their range of Christmas cards and calendars please click here.

Jade was incredibly excited to spot Kate at Norwich railway station.

She’s here argh ❤️ My heart. So exciting! #DuchessofCambridge #TheNook @EACH_hospices #daymade pic.twitter.com/QXxtkr0ZIz

— Jade 🐥 (@dolly_birds85) November 15, 2019

Kate gave her ultraviolet Oscar de la Renta suit a third public outing. Readers may recall she first wore it in February 2017 for the Guild of Health Writers conference and again earlier this year for an engagement at the Royal Opera House. The ensemble comes from Peter Copping's (Oscar de la Renta's handpicked successor) first collection in 2015.

The Three Quarter Sleeve Tailored Jacket is rendered in a wool blend and features a pointed collar, dual breast pockets, and a pleated, flared hem.

The matching Full Pleated Skirt is rendered in a wool blend and features a full shape with box pleating and a back zip.

Kate carried her limited edition ‘Blue Heart’ clutch in black croc. It is described as "a beautiful collaboration between Aspinal of London and Beulah using Beulah’s iconic blue heart print on the interior lining. The Blue Heart clutch is a grown up classic with a timelessly elegant silhouette that works effortlessly and includes Aspinal of London’s distinctive signature shield lock clasp. The intricate metal chain is in a gold finish and adds to the functionality allowing the clutch to be held in the hand or elegantly draped over the shoulder".

The Duchess wore her Gianvito Rossi Piper shoes.

And accessorised with her Catherine Zoraida Fern Hoop earrings.

We'll see William and Kate on Monday night for the Royal Variety Performance!