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!

The Duchess Arrives for Tea with 8,000 of Her Closest Friends

Readers, we’ve been seeing our fair Duchess stepping-up her fashion game the past couple of months; finally sporting some seriously expensive designer wares on a few occasions. Well, if you think Kate has changed her sensible ways — think again!

Today was another “first” for the Duchess of Cambridge as she attended the Buckingham Palace Garden Party for guests who were invited after being chosen for their work with various institutions, charities and businesses. She joined the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and the Queen for tea and cakes with the 8,000 guests on the grounds of the Queen’s residence as the family prepares for this weekend’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Only when Kate stepped out with Prince Charles and Camilla, we were shocked to see that she was already recycling her $1800 pink Emilia Wickstead pleated dress.

At the Royal Sovereign's Lunch

Yes, we know…Kate is certainly a fan of raiding the closet as we’ve witnessed time and time before. Only…the last time we saw her in this frock was a mere fortnight (you read that right…two weeks) ago when she attended the Royal Sovereign’s lunch in honour of the Queen’s Jubilee at Windsor Castle. The Duchess is certainly taking recycling to a new level!

Kate changed her look up a bit today, pairing the dress with a matching Jane Corbett hat and her trusty L.K. Bennett heels in lieu of the satin pumps she wore before. The Duchess received rave reviews again as she mingled with the crowd. One attendee, Gareth Jones, 23, remarked to PEOPLE, ”She congratulated us, and asked me how long I’d been in the RAF,” about Kate’s greeting to him and his brand new bride, Rebecca, just back from their honeymoon in Florida. “She seems to share a lot of empathy and genuine interest in people.”

With the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations and 2012 Olympics ahead in London…we’re seeing a busy summer ahead for the Duchess. Keep up the good work, Kate!

Happy Friday lovely readers!  What a week it’s been for Kate sightings!  We first saw Kate looking lovely in white at the Thirty Club, then saw her dressed down while she and Lupo were volunteering for the Scouts and to top it off, the Duke and Duchess looked stunning at an Olympic Gala.  What a busy week for our favorite Royal couple!  In case you missed it, here’s a roundup of everything Kate related from the past week including all the appearances this week.

Kate does an updo and stunning teal dress at an Olympic event [ Daily Mail ]

The Duchess will attend her first Buckingham Palace garden party later this month [ Daily Mail ]

It’s official – the first born of Will and Kate will get the crown, regardless of gender [Daily Mail ]

Kate and Lupo go camping with the Scouts [ PopSugar ]

The Duke and Duchess dine at the exclusive Thirty Club [ PopSugar ]

Hello lovely readers!  Hope everyone enjoyed celebrating the one-year anniversary of our favorite Duke and Duchess last weekend!

Lots of buzz this week continuing about everything from Kate’s fashion to *gasp* a suggestion she should cut her hair!  Here’s your weekly Kate roundup:

Kate’s “faultless” first year [ Telegraph ]

From blushing bride to style icon [ The Mirror ]

Nude tights sales surge thanks to Kate [ Daily Mail ]

Is it time for Kate to chop her hair? [ Daily Mail ]

The next appearance set for May 11 [ stv ]

Kate’s goes grocery and outlet shopping [ US Weekly ]

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 Plants a Commemorative Tree

Readers…she’s done it again!

The Duchess of Cambridge – known for recycling her wardrobe – dipped way into her closet today and picked a blue Reiss frock to deliver her first public address. Kate teamed the dress – also seen on mum Carole Middleton during the Royal Ascot in 2008 – with a black belt, suede pumps and clutch.

Kate Gets Crafty with Brooke Jennings

The Duchess arrived to around 600 supporters at The Treehouse, a new $4.78 million hospice facility in Ipswich, Suffolk that cares for seriously and terminally ill children in Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

Kate was first given a tour of the new facility, for which she is a royal patron. There she met with parents and children who currently staying at the hospice.  She spent time with the children doing crafts and visiting the music therapy room before planting a commemorative tree on the grounds.

Despite admitting to one guest that she finds doing speeches, “nerve wracking,” the Duchess’ three-minute speech – which her aides stressed that she had written herself – was relatively flawless.

The speech in it’s entirely is as follows (for a viewing, head to CBS News):

First of all, I’d like to say thank you. Thank you for not only accepting me as your Patron but thank you also for inviting me here today.

You have all made me feel so welcome and I feel hugely honoured to be here to see this wonderful centre.

I am only sorry that William can’t be here today; he would love it here. A view of his – that I share – is that through teamwork, so much can be achieved.

What you have all achieved here is extraordinary.

You as a community have built the Treehouse; a group of people who have made every effort to support and help each other.

When I first visited the Hospice in Milton, I had a pre-conceived idea as to what to expect. Far from being a clinical, depressing place for sick children, it was a home. Most importantly, it was a family home, a happy place of stability, support and care. It was a place of fun.

Today I have seen again that the Treehouse is all about family and fun. For many, this is a home from home – a lifeline, enabling families to live as normally as possible, during a very precious period of time.

What you do is inspirational, it is a shining example of the support and the care that is delivered, not just here, but in the children’s hospice movement at large, up and down the country.

The feelings you inspire – feelings of love and of hope – offer a chance to families to live a life they never thought could be possible.

So thank you again for inviting me here today. I feel enormously proud to be part of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and to see the wonderful life-changing work that you do. Thank you.

Kate Decorates Conmeal with a Shamrock Sprig

The Duchess of Cambridge wrapped up her week of Royal duties today, spending St. Patrick’s Day with a visit to 450 very lucky Irish Guards.

Looking beautiful in a green swing coat dress by Emilia Wickstead and brown pillbox “Betty Boop” hat with bow detailing ($388) by Lock and Co, Kate handed out shamrock sprigs to members of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards (and their mascot Irish wolfhound Conmeal) in Aldershot, Hampshire, on Saturday. She then met with senior members of the regiment.

What's in the Glass?

In keeping with the festivity of the day, she accessorized her look with a gold shamrock pin and her own sprig of shamrock – the floral symbol of Ireland.

The visit was no doubt close to the Duchess’ heart, as Prince William was named an honorary Colonel in the regiment and even donned the uniform on their wedding day last year.

Perhaps this is why Kate has taken over the visit to the regiment, which has been in the past carried out by Princess Anne following the death of the Queen Mum ten-years ago.

We have to say, we’re pretty impressed with the way Kate has kept herself busy over the past six weeks while William has been away. She has certainly proven that she can stand on her own during these special engagements. We bet Wills will be pretty excited to congratulate her upon his return next week.

Well done, Duchess!