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.

"It Takes A Village To Raise A Child": The Duchess Marks The Culmination Of Back To Nature

The Duchess of Cambridge began her September schedule today with a previously unannounced visit to RHS Wisley for the fun-filled Back To Nature festival.

It marks Kate's official return to duties following summer break. The engagement was the culmination of Kate's garden project which aimed to highlight the importance of children spending as much time as possible outdoors enjoying nature.

Kensington Palace said: "As part of her longstanding work on Early Years, the Duchess of Cambridge believes that spending time outdoors plays a pivotal role in children’s future health and happiness, building foundations that last through childhood and over a lifetime. Through her Back to Nature gardens, which were displayed earlier this year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, Her Royal Highness has aimed to highlight how spending time outdoors can enrich a child’s early development by providing an environment that encourages active exploration and the opportunity to form and strengthen positive relationships."

The Duchess officially opened a new play garden at Wisley, which was inspired by Back To Nature. Designed by landscape architects Davies White with support from RHS horticultural teams, it includes a number of features from the original garden at RHS Chelsea such as the hollow log and boulders from the waterfall and the hidden burrow and rolling hill from Hampton Court Garden. 

New features include a bouncing forest where visitors can jump on trampolines, a living willow pod and two linked treehouses.

It's a permanent installation which children will enjoy for many years to come.

The Duchess enjoyed a chat with the Queen of Baking and RHS Wisley patron Mary Berry. 

Kate has met Mary on a number of occasions over the years. She was once revealed she is "a big fan of her cookbooks and cakes".

To celebrate the Back To Nature festival will run throughout this week at Wisley. 

It includes circus acts, maypole dancing, a coconut shy and a host of gardening activities. 

Sue Biggs, RHS Director General, said: “We are grateful to The Duchess for the incredible impact that this ‘Back to Nature’ collaboration has had. There is no doubt that this project, through her passion and vision, has highlighted that access to natural environments and green spaces isn’t just a nice to have, it’s vital to have. This is something that the RHS also strongly believes in and will continue to champion through our Greening Great Britain Campaign and charitable work.”

A number of representatives, families and children from charities and organisations Kate has met over the course of her early years work were invited today. 

Hannah Furness reports: "The Duchess was equally impressed by three-year-old Dylan Corbin from Woking, Surrey, who was dressed as an animal. “Are you a tiger?” she asked. “No," he said. "It’s face paint."

Kate was particularly taken by fifteen-month-old Matilda Griffiths. She chatted with mum Sarah about Louis and said "he loves to smell flowers" and spend time in the garden. 

More from The Telegraph:

"Sarah Griffiths, 25, from Southend, Essex, who has been helped by the charity Family Action and brought her 15-month-old daughter Matilda with her, said: “The experience was a bit overwhelming, it’s still a bit of a daze, but really exciting. “She asked me how Family Action have helped me. They’ve helped me lots getting me out socialising.”

A very sweet video of Kate dancing with Matilda.

Too cute! #KateMiddleton dances with a wee baby at the @The_RHS Garden Wisley - she tells mum Sarah that little #PrinceLouis loves to “smell flowers in the garden” 🌼🌿💕 @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/i8WL3ufTuk

— Women's Weekly (@WomensWeeklyMag) September 10, 2019

The group travelled via tractor and trailer before Kate's speech. 

During a very nicely delivered speech, Kate spoke of the importance of laying the foundation blocks from the earliest years, her work in the area and how much she has enjoyed the process of creating the garden. "There is a well-known proverb – that it takes a village to raise a child – everyone here represents an integral part of that very village. By coming together, having fun, learning and experiencing new things, we can all impart life-long benefits on our children."

Video: Kate made a speech about how it takes “a village to raise a child” and thanked @RHSWisley for asking her to design a garden for them. pic.twitter.com/Nd9ek3rxkl

— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) September 10, 2019

Kate's full speech from The Mail:

'As many of you know, I was invited by the RHS to co-design a garden for families and children for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. It’s been the most amazing experience and I can’t thank the RHS enough for giving me this wonderful opportunity. 

'I am delighted that many of those features that first appeared in those gardens, have found a permanent home here at Wisley in the new children’s play garden. I hope it will enable thousands of children to discover and explore the natural world around them. 

'I am not as green fingered as many of you here, but I was passionate about creating a garden that inspired children and adults alike to get back to nature and reap the positive mental and physical health benefits that it can bring. The gardens were, I suppose, a manifestation of some of the work I have been focusing on around how best we can support our children in the earliest years. 

'The physical benefits of being outdoors and in nature are well documented. More recently, however, I have learnt that these often safe and supportive environments can also bring significant benefits to the cognitive, social and emotional development of our children too. 

'The experiences we gain during our earliest years influence who we become as people. They influence how we interact in school, in work and in society and, ultimately how we bring up our own children. 

'Whether it is planting, exploring, digging, creating, or playing; quality time spent outside provides children with the perfect environment to form those positive relationships with the people in their lives and the world around them. As a parent, I have learnt just how important it is to foster our children’s development, in all areas, not just physical, as soon as they are born. 

'We build the blocks, the foundations, for future success and happiness later in their lives. These relationships, however, stretch far beyond the crucial one that a parent or carer has with its child.  Like in the animal kingdom, whether a pod, a pack, or a pride, the interactions we have with the broader community – be it with our grandparent, teachers or neighbours – play a crucial role in the growth and learning of our young. 

'There is a well-known proverb – that it takes a village to raise a child – everyone here represents an integral part of that very village. By coming together, having fun, learning and experiencing new things, we can all impart life-long benefits on our children. 

'That is why I wanted to invite you here today – many of whom I have met in my pursuit to learn more about the early years - to celebrate the work that you are doing, thank you personally and to continue working with you to inspire even more people to follow your lead. I hope you all have a wonderful day.'

Time for arts and crafts.

The Duchess continued her trend of wearing floral dresses for her garden visits by choosing the Emilia Wickstead Aurora dress (with thanks to Middleton Maven).

The $2,255 piece is described as: "This 'Aurora' shirt dress is made from light and breathable seersucker and decorated with her signature 'Rosewood' florals. Use the buckled belt to define your waist." It's available in limited sizing at Net-A-Porter.

Kate wore her Monsoon Fleur wedges.

A closer look at Kate's new earrings. They were initially identified as an Accessorize pair, however the eagle-eyed What Kate Wore correctly noted several differences. I'll update when/if they are definitively ID'd.

The Back To Nature garden is a lovely addition to Wisley. It was terrific to see so many children from various charities supported by the Duchess having fun and exploring with their loved ones - exactly what the project was all about. 

The Duchess in Pink McQueen for Buckingham Palace Garden Party

Following a busy week of preparations and visits to the RHS Chelsea Flower show, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Her Majesty once again today for the second Buckingham Palace garden party of the season.

The summer brings an array of calendar staples from RHS Chelsea and garden parties, to Trooping, Order of the Garter, Ascot and polo. I love the tradition associated with each of these events, and the history the royal family has with each one.

The royal party made their entrance at 4 pm to the national anthem.

Every summer, Her Majesty hosts three Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace, and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland. In a sign of the Queen reducing her commitments, Prince Charles hosted the first this year.

The garden parties were instituted by Queen Victoria in the 1860s when they were known as 'breakfasts', despite taking place in the afternoon. Historically, Garden Parties took the place of presentation parties attended by debutantes, and have evolved into a way of recognising and rewarding public service.

They were greeted by an 8,000 strong crowd.

They then dispersed into the crowd, taking a separate route, known as 'lanes', to ensure as many guests as possible had the opportunity to meet a member of the Royal family.

Over the course of each year, The Queen welcomes over 30,000 guests to spend a relaxed summer afternoon in the beautiful palace grounds.

The Duke and Duchess enjoy a laugh with guests.

The Palace describes Garden Parties as "an important way for The Queen to speak to a broad range of people from all walks of life, all of whom have made a positive impact in their community".

More from the official website:

"Throughout the country, a long established network of sponsors is used to invite guests, who include Lord-Lieutenants, Societies and Associations, Government Departments, Local Government, the Services, the Church and other Faiths.  They nominate guests for invitation and we hope in this way to achieve a representative cross section of the community.  It is not possible to acquire invitations to The Queen's Garden Parties through direct application to Buckingham Palace."

On Instagram, Kensington Palace shared a very sweet photo of Kate meeting assistance dog Max. They wrote: At today’s Garden Party The Duke and Duchess met Kerry Irving and his assistance dog Max. In 2006, Kerry’s car was hit by a truck, leaving him housebound with chronic neck and back pain. Kerry still suffers with the pain from his back injury, but he credits Max with helping him to get his life back on track. Kerry has since retrained as a locksmith and Max is always with him. Kerry and his wife Angela have held dog walks to give other people the chance to spend time with Max, and helped raise money for local rehoming centre Eden Animal Rescue."

Other royals in attendance included the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Sophie chatting with guests.

Princess Alexandra in a lovely floral ensemble.

Her Majesty met artist Yinka Shonibare. His work explores cultural identity and globalisation. William presented him with his CBE earlier this month.

The Mail reports Her Majesty told one guest: "Well you do rather hope the sun shines as when you invite 8,000 people to have tea on your lawn it can be a bit of a worry."

An overview of the event.

A view from the lake at the Buckingham Palace garden party in 1897.

Preparations begin months in advance to ensure everything is in perfection condition ahead of the first garden party. Buckingham Palace revealed: "​Mowing the lawns, edge clipping, leaf-blowing and sweeping are all carried out across the grounds, as many seasonal plants and flowers come into bloom. ​Seasonal bedding displays nearthe rose garden are planted, including Osteospermum 'Tresco Purple', which will come into bloom from June right through to October. In and around the rose garden regular work includes dead-heading, weeding and clipping to ensure everything is as beautiful as possible. And in the final days and hours before guests arrive, final touches to the lawns and grounds are made."

This beautiful Magnolia, named 'Elizabeth', was given as a present to The Queen from Brooklyn Botanic Garden to celebrate her 55th Birthday.

A video from the party.

The Duchess tends to opt for repeats more often than not for garden parties. In 2012, Kate wore a pink Emilia Wickstead dress, in 2013 she selected the vibrant yellow and white Marella coat by the designer. In 2014, Kate wore her much loved bespoke lace Alexander McQueen dress and in 2016 the Duchess brought back the cream ruffled McQueen dress she first wore for Prince George's christening. In 2016, William and Kate also attended the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's Garden Party at Hillsborough Castle. Kate chose a gold brocade coat by Day Birger et Mikkelsen she's had for over a decade. And in 2017, Kate repeated her Christopher Kane coatdress.

This year, Kate selected a bespoke soft pink coatdress by Alexander McQueen.

Kate's coatdress incorporates elements from the Open Necked Pleated Coat and the Ruffle Double Breasted Coat.

Kate teamed it with a matching pink hat with floral detail by Juliette Botterill.

The Duchess accessorised with Diana's pearl earrings, we've seen them for a number of formal occasions.

The Duchess carried her Loeffler Randall clutch. UPDATE: Etui Bags report Kate carried one of their designs (with thanks to Ksiezna Kate Blog).

And wore her Gianvito Rossi praline pumps.

It looked like a splendid day for all at the Palace.