The Duchess Receives Flowers from Young Admirers

Following a few days of rest from Royal duties, Kate went back to the old wardrobe today; selecting her favorite blue M Missoni overcoat for a quick jaunt from Angelsey, Wales for a day of Jubilee celebrations in the East Midlands city of Nottingham with the Queen.

The Windsors Wave to the Excited Crowd

Will and Kate were at the train station by car, where they met with dignitaries while waiting for Queen Elizabeth to arrive by train. While waiting with others on platform 6, The Mail reports that William shouted to the waiting crowd waving flags on the opposite side of the tracks, “Are you waiting for the same train we are?” The three were all smiles as the Queen departed the locomotive to cheers from the onlookers.

The Duchess looked completely at ease while mingling with the fellow Royals and the crowd. She paired her blue Missoni coat with comfy dark blue pumps. She topped off the look with a dark navy quilted clutch and lovely hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan. From what we can see, there is mutual affection between the Queen and Kate. We’d say she has certainly embraced her role in the Royal family.

Lovely!

The Royals Arrive at St. Paul's Cathedral

Following an evening of music and celebration where we saw Kate go back to her High-Street roots in a Whistles dress, the Duchess rallied today for her Royal duties and once again chose favored designer Alexander McQueen for the final day of the Queen’s Jubilee.

Kate looked extremely elegant in a nude lace McQueen frock accessorized perfectly with a fabulous fascinator hat from up-and-coming milliner, Jane Taylor and a nude satin clutch. To nobody’s shock, she chose her trusty LK Bennett heels to top off the look.

The day began with an early service of thanks at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where the young Royals were looking a little tired, no doubt after a fun-filled evening of music at the Queen’s Jubilee concert.

Following the service and a reception at Guildhall, the Duchess of Cambridge then joined her husband William and other members of the Senior Royal team, leading one of the tables at the Westminster Hall City of London Livery companies lunch today held in honor of the Queen.

There, they mingled with 700 guests representing abundant trades and professions, ranging from grocers and gunmakers to fruiterers and fishmongers.

According to The Mail, Kate was placed at the Master Glovers and Pattenmakers table, “a body founded in the 17th century as a trade association for the makers of pattens – under-shoes of wood and metal which were worn strapped beneath the shoes to raise the wearer out of the mud on the streets.” Prince William was seated at the Engineers and Arbitrators table, and Prince Harry took his place at the Fruiterers and Gardeners table.

William and Kate Attend Reception at Guildhall

The lucky diners were served a menu of marinated Uist Island salmon with Lyme Bay crab, followed by saddle of Welsh Cambrian Mountain lamb with braised shoulder of lamb, grilled Isle of Wight asparagus, Jersey Royal potatoes and an aptly named Jubilee sauce.

After the lunch, the Windsors then boarded their carriages for a ride down the mall to Buckingham Palace, where they made an appearance with the Queen on the balcony, complete with a military salute fly0ver. The streets were packed with excited onlookers celebrating this special day.

We have to say, Kate has looked amazing during the entire Jubilee celebrations. We can’t wait for the busy summer ahead!

For more amazing photos and video of the celebration, head on over to The Daily Mail!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Arrive at Chelsea Harbour Pier

The Duchess of Cambridge hit a home run today, arriving at the Chelsea Harbour Pier in a stunning scarlet frock by Alexander McQueen. She was joined by Prince William and other members of the Royal family as they celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a river pageant on the Thames on the Royal barge, the Spirit of Chartwell.

Stunning in McQueen

Careful to not upstage the Queen on her celebratory day, Kate opted for a monochrome patriotic red long-sleeved dress with pleated skirt from McQueen’s Autumn 2011 line ($1,800). If the dress looks a bit familiar to you – good eye. A sleeveless (and slightly shorter-length) version has been seen in the past year on both reality star, Kim Kardashian and English singer/songwriter and actress, Tulisa Contostavlos.

The Duchess paired the look with a fabulously placed red hat by Sylvia Fletcher from royal milliner James Lock & Co. She accessorized the dress with a goldmaritime-themed brooch featuring two silver dolphins, red clutch and her trusty LK Bennett “Sledge” nude pumps ($325). (As an aside, we love these shoes, Kate. And we get it…they work for you. But can you start mixing it up a bit? Thanks!)

Finally, the Duchess was seen carrying a scarf made of Strathearn tartan, perhaps in case of a chill on the water – and a nod to her Scottish title the Countess of Strathearn.

We absolutely love this look! It reminds us so much of Kate’s early days of her Royal tour of Canada. Well done!

For more photos and video of Kate’s arrival to the river pageant, head on over to The Daily Mail!

Will & Kate Brave the Rain, Attending a Friend's Wedding

What better way to celebrate your first anniversary weekend than by attending a friend’s wedding…and that’s just what Will and Kate did on Saturday!

The newlyweds attended a small ceremony for longtime friend of Kate, Hannah Gillingham and her fiancee Robert Carter in Wingfield, Suffolk. Kate and Hannah attended Marlborough College together where they were close mates and members of various sports teams together. Fresh off of her couple of weeks of bad press, Pippa Middleton was also in attendance at the low-key nuptials.

While the gathering was a far-cry from the pomp and circumstance of the Duchess’ own wedding last year, the Daily Mail reports that Kate loved catching up with her old friends, some of whom she hadn’t seen for several years. Certain not to upstage the bride, Kate chose to reach into her closet again, recycling the blue lace Erdem dress she was seen wearing during her arrival on the tour of Canada last summer. She teamed the look with a navy and gold belt, matching fascinator, clutch and pumps.

Sources say that after the wedding, Will and Kate headed back to their home in Angelsey, Wales where they spent their anniversary at home. It has been reported that the Duchess planned a quiet romantic day for William, attempting to make fish en papillote – in parchment – to celebrate their first anniversary, which is traditionally symbolized by paper.

Hope the dinner turned out swimmingly, Kate! Congrats!

How Could We Forget "THE KISS?" (And Grace Van Cutsem's reaction?)

Break out the bubbly!

Readers, it is so hard to believe it has been ONE YEAR since we donned our favorite fascinators and stayed up all night to watch the nuptials of Will and Kate. From “the Dress” and the long-awaited wedding ceremony to Pippa’s bum’s massive coming-out party, it was certainly a day we won’t soon forget.

Some say the first year of marriage is usually the most difficult, but it seems to us that Will and Kate have passed the mark with flying colors! And…what a year it has been! Kate has transitioned into a Royal flawlessly; from her inaugural trip to North America (across Canada and to fabulous Los Angeles) with William to her solo-duties with new charities, we’re pretty sure this is going to be a perfect union for years to come.

In honor of Will and Kate’s First Anniversary, we’ve put together a list of fun articles that document their first year of marriage. Have fun reminiscing…and thanks for coming back time and time again to UKate to share in our love of the Duchess of Cambridge!

Kate Middleton, the commoner who saved the queen
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/kate-middleton-the-commoner-who-saved-the-queen/2012/04/27/gIQARlrdlT_story.html

What Kate Middleton and Prince William Are Doing for Wedding Anniversary
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/what-kate-middleton-and-prince-william-are-doing-for-wedding-anniversary-2012274#ixzz1tH917wZJ

Daily Mail - The hair-raising inside story of Kate’s wedding day… by the men behind that unforgettable look
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2136686/Royal-Wedding-anniversary-Hair-raising-inside-story-Kate-Middletons-big-day.html#ixzz1tRu2uZgf

Huffington Post Royal Wedding Anniversary
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/royal-wedding-anniversary/

Daily Mail – Pippa’s Year in the Spotlight
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2135720/Pippa-Middleton-Duchess-Cambridges-sisters-12-months-limelight.html

Daily Mail – Will and Kate’s first year
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2135065/Kate-Middleton-Prince-Williams-year-marriage-looked-on.html

CNN – Kate has graduated as “full fledged” royal
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/26/world/europe/uk-royal-kate-graduates/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Hello! Magazine – William and Kate: The couple that have conquered the world
http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/201204187614/william-kate-wedding-anniversary/

Today Show video – Duchess Kate’s First Year As A Married Woman
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/47202513#47202513

Kate Receives Flowers from a Young Fan!

First of all…for those celebrating the holiday season, we at UKate would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus (or whatever you wish)! We hope you are enjoying your time away from the daily grind and with loved ones today and thank you for spending your time with us over the past year!

So, how is our favorite Duchess’ first Royal Christmas celebration going?

Well, we all know that the Windsor’s family holiday at Sandringham was rocked with a bit of drama on Friday when Prince Philip was rushed by helicopter to Papworth Hospital in Cambridge after suffering severe chest pains.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 90, remains today in the hospital following an emergency heart surgery to insert a stent into his heart to open a blocked coronary artery.

The Queen, the Duke’s three children and six of grandchildren, including Prince Harry and William, visited him at the hospital after he was admitted on Friday.

Certainly this brought a new meaning to the TWO Christmas church services this morning that the Windsor clan attended.

The first was a private morning service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham which has become an annual tradition for the Royal family since the early 1990s.

The Royals then returned to the church for a second mass, which is a community service, and were greeted by 3,000 people who had come to catch a glimpse of them…well, mainly Kate.

And the fans were certainly not disappointed!

Mary Relph, 77, from Shouldham, near Sandringham, who went to watch the Royals, said she had never seen as many people gathered to see the family in two decades. Sounds to us like the whole village was present!

Kate Bonds with Princess' Eugenie and Beatrice on Sandringham's Grounds

She claimed, “I have never seen queues like this on Christmas Day before, I have never seen this amount of people here since Diana was alive. People obviously came to see Kate Middleton. And she was fantastic.” The Duchess apparently stuck around after the service for twenty minutes to greet well-wishers.

Kate stunned the crowd in a velvet maroon hat by British milliner, Jane Corbett.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace told the Daily Mail that her matching coat was created by an independent British dressmaker, but declined to reveal the designer’s identity; only claiming, “The Duchess is keen to use independent British dressmakers, whose skills and craftsmanship she admires.”

After the services, the family retreated back to Sandringham to finish out the day with a traditional turkey dinner and a viewing of the Queen’s annual speech!

Merry Christmas, Windsors!

Zara wore Stewart Parvin

It was a sunny gorgeous day in Edinburgh’s Canongate Kirk for the nuptials of Zara Phillips and rugby star Mike Tindall!

Kate wore the same muted pale gold Jane Troughton dress coat she wore to the wedding of Laura Parker Bowles and Harry Lopes back in 2006. But accessorized with a gorgeous new hat. Her dress was hidden from view, perhaps in an attempt to lend some of the fashion lime light to Zara? You’ll know when we do!

Kate recycles again, except for the hat. Love!

Accompanying Kate, (aka, the Countess of Strathearn, when in Scotland) was Wills, the Queen, Prince Philip and Princess Anne.

Zara, wore an elegant ivory silk dress by Edinburgh-trained designer Stewart Parvin. The dress featured a chevron pleated bodice, ending in inverted pleats on a dropped waist creating a bell-shaped silhouette. It also included a concealed structured corset and silk tulle straps that fell into a V-shape at the back, a short train, and a voluptuous silk veil.

She topped it off with the Meander Tiara, lent to her by mother Princess Anne.

We gotta say, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were looking pretty chic today too. Both were wearing Angela Kelly outfits. For full details, see the Daily Mail.

Princess Beatrice gets it right this time with a chic blue silk fascinator

The 45-minute ceremony was a private affair — there were no cameras inside the church, no order of service was released and only about 1500 onlookers showed up outside the Royal Mile of Edinburgh for a glimpse of the wedding party.

After the ceremony, the Royals headed to Hoylrood Palace for the evening reception. We’re still waiting for pictures and deets on what everyone’s wearing to that tonight — stay tuned readers!

UKate is back at headquarters after a whirlwind weekend in LA following Wills and Kate! Now that our sunburns and hysteria have subsided, we’re going through all the shots from the weekend.

First up, our day at The Foundation Polo Challenge at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. And lastly, in scalding juxtaposition, is our visit to LA’s Skid Row, where we braved CSI crime scenes waiting to happen for a glimpse of Kate — spoiler alert — we didn’t get one.

Anyway, here are some highlights! Thanks to all the ladies who lets us capture their glorious hair confections and thanks to the photogs who let us climb into the press stands for some killer shots of Wills & Kate!

Giada De Laurentiis looked delicious in this white and navy number

Gal pals of all ages gathered for a glimpse of Kate

One of Kate's most devoted fans!

Wills was looking very accomplished on this graceful steed!

The players

UKate agreed that Wills looks skinnier in person

Kate plays with her hair almost constantly in person

Both teams, some important dudes and Kate!

Wills and Kate seem to have an otherworldly connection in person. Le sigh ...

Back to reality -- more fascinators!

Gorgeous!

Our last day in LA took us to Skid Row, where Wills & Kate were visiting an arts center

Wills and Kate did not visit with the street crowd (probably due to security issues), but we did get to see this "princess" who was also waiting with us in the brutal Skid Row sun. C'est la Vie!

We had an amazing time seeing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today. Here are some highlights!

A Kiss for the Winning Husband!

The Winning Team!

The UKate Gals Revealed! (L) Ms. Kruse (R) AmandaK

We really cannot believe we are heading into Day 7 of Royal Tour 2011. Time sure does fly when you’re having fun!

Will and Kate made a brief stop to Slave Lake today and are taking some downtime for themselves before they head to Calgary tomorrow for a late-afternoon arrival.

So, what are we at UKate Headquarters doing? Thanks for asking!

We’ve gotten our hair and nails did, packed the dresses and fascinators and even a couple of new handbags. Yep…these bitches are makin’ like Kate and heading to Cali! And yes, we spray-tanned our pasty-white Seattle bods to blend in with the crowd!

We’re moving the Headquarters to Beverly Hills for the next four days to cover Will and Kate’s first trip to the US! There is a lot on the calendar and we’ll be there to give you all the deets – we’ll even be at the polo tournament on Saturday!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter: @UKateStyle so you don’t miss out on any of our adventures…or Kate sightings! There could be times where our updates are done via Twitter instead of the blog if we run into issues with wireless!

We’re pretty sure there will be a lot of TwitPics - and we’ll finally reveal ourselves to our loyal readers!

If you happen to be in Cali for the visit…drop us a line! We’d love to meet some of our fans…we even have t-shirts! Get one before they go for sale online! They’re hella cute, of course…you’ll definitely want one!

Until tomorrow…here’s a look at Will and Kate’s Calgary itinerary for Day 7. Please note that all times listed are MDT.