Although the Duchess visited in a private capacity, she met performers afterwards. A soloist with the Royal Ballet, Meghan Grace Hinkis, wrote "To say I was excited to meet the Princess, is a colossal understatement".
A young girl’s enchanted present leads her on a wonderful Christmas adventure in the beautiful classical ballet, danced to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score. You can view a peek below.
For their review, The Stage wrote: "Peter Wright’s version for the Royal Ballet is cradled in comforting Victoriana. The Christmas Eve party goes with a swing, especially after Drosselmeyer arrives with his bag of magic tricks. The transformation scene is unfailingly awesome as the Christmas tree rises to pierce the roof and Clara – like Alice – shrinks to doll size. The grand pas de deux nearly finished me off thanks to the perfect collusion between the dancers and the orchestra on golden, spangled form. There are many different Nutcrackers and this is either the gold standard or the most old-fashioned, in spite of tinkering. "
The Times added: "Peter Wright’s Nutcracker for the Royal Ballet is one of the most successful productions in the company’s history. It’s beautiful, heartfelt, dramatically coherent, highly classical and wildly popular".
The Sugar Plum Fairy.
The audience before The Nutcracker began.
Kate's stylish Zara cape was perfect for both the Queen's luncheon and the Royal Opera House.
The cape features a round neckline, side vents, back pleat and lined button fastening at the neck. It retails for £96 on the ZARA website.
Kate also wore black ankle booties.
I'm sure Kate had a wonderful time - a perfect pre-Christmas outing! Are you all set for the festivities? I'm doing a
We'll see you Christmas morning :)
It doesn't look like she is wearing the new McQueen dress under her cape. Her sleeves are all black vs. patterned. Can't wait to see what new piece the Duchess may have added to her wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteHello Sam,
DeleteI think Kate wore a black cardigan over the dress :)
Might also be that the dress is in the same fabric but custom made. She often does that with McQueen. I guess we'll have to wait and see if we get to see all of it. But I also think either way that she has a cardigan over as well :)
DeleteLe duh! How silly to have not thought of that! This is why *I'm* not a stylist!
DeleteAlthough I am not sure she could have worn a cardigan with those bell sleeves? Maybe a different sleeve style on her dress as it does look like a cardigan in the photo above.
DeleteCan't say how much I love this cape and it does suit her well. Goes nicely with the McQueen dress. She must be wearing a sweater as well over her dress.
ReplyDeleteCAAAAAPE!! Sorry, I'm rather excited. I love capes! As I said in the last post, I hope she incorporates it into her non-pregnancy wardrobe!
ReplyDeleteWhat a festive time she's had lately! I love that she likes the ballet. I've never been to any myself but it seems so glamorous (at least to watch, to practice less so!!). I hope Kate will become involved with something like this in her professional capacity in the future when some more charities gets reorganized!
Hope everyone are having a calm (as calm as they can) holidays!
Rebecca, it's so nice to see you so excited about the cape! :) Kate really looked lovely in it.
DeletePerhaps you get to see the ballet one day - the Nutcracker is really beautiful. We used to go every winter with my Mum when I was a child. I suppose Kate may want to take her kids with her when they are older!
I love an unexpected Catherine outing! Her cape is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWishing a beautiful, blessed Christmas to you and your family, Charlotte, and to all your lovely readers!
Julie
What a lovely night out! I always enjoy hearing comments from those who get to meet Kate in person. What a special gift to the performers!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, I am doing Christmas shopping myself and am currently sitting in a parking lot posting about to head in to a store. Sigh. The last minute rush gets me every year! Cheers to all those hustling and bustling about also! Happy shopping! :)
Kate’s hair is looking gorgeous right now; thick and healthy, and the perfect length. 😍
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely surprise for the cast! I'm glad she can continue do these things. And we get to see the beautiful cape everyone was talking about. Kate looks very pregnant now, it's wonderful to see. I'm glad she's recovered from that awful HG. I hear Charles and Camilla also went to see the Nutcracker last week. Perhaps she went as a recommendation from them.
ReplyDeleteI love The Nutcracker ballet and had the privilege of dancing in it several times with the Ballet South Company in Georgia. I think it is wonderful that Kate goes to see the performance, and who knows, maybe her children will enjoy ballet too. The Joffrey Ballet Company in Chicago decided to create a new version of The Nutcracker. I watched a behind the scenes documentary about it on public television, but here is a link to an article about their new version: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-ent-nutcracker-joffrey-review-1204-story.html
ReplyDeleteNice to see Kate with straight hair. And great she is using her several dresses at this stage of her pregnancy. Love the cape on her 💕 hope she will use it after the pregnancy too.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte wish you a merry and serene Christmas 🎄 and would like to thank you for this wonderful blog 💕 and the love and dedication you put in it.
Oh how fun! Good lawd i love that cape. I don't have a zara in my area but I am heading to my hometown for Christmas tomorrow and there's a Zara in a neighboring city. I'm having to sit on my hands so I don't order one. Actually, I totally would if Zara would just send me a dang marketing email perhaps with a discount code as thanks for signing up for their newsletter! Gah!
ReplyDeleteLoving all of these "suprise/candid" shots of Kate lately!! How wonderful to attend the Nutcracker...I do hope it is a Middleton ladies tradition; perhaps one that will include Charlotte one day!! Kate looks beautiful and appropriate for a night at the theater. The cape is a lovely silhouette for someone who is pregnant and really love the print on the McQueen dress. Her hair looks great, trimmed and a little straighter than usual. A nice surprise indeed! cc
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a lovely surprise, CeCe. :-)
DeleteCape is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteCatherine loves art and she must have beautiful and interesting evening.
Yeah. Still don’t like the cape, but obviously I am alone in that opinion.
ReplyDeleteI don’t understand repeating the same outfit literally days after the first time. I’m all for repeating but she wore this just a few days ago. It’s not like she doesn’t have other maternity dresses. Idk. It seems odd to me.
No you are not alone Senorita Dee re the cape.
DeleteI do not like the cape either, it is all good for Kate being pregnant (and to me, she seems to seek for comfort more during this pregnancy than during the two others) but that's all ! Cape usually look good when there is a twist of wind which makes them flow, otherwise thyenjust hand like a piece of Material .... I have had one in the past and remember it did not keep me really warm !
DeleteSenorita Dee, both were private outings. I think she can wear what ever she feels fine with - especially during private outings!
DeleteAll I can say from looking at these photos is how I wish my hair was half as thick as Kate's. It's just gorgeous. Anyone else think George and Charlotte are having a ball playing with her cape? My kids would wear it all day and pretend they're at Hogwarts. I'm sure George and Charlotte are no different!
ReplyDeleteI love when she wears her hair straight! She looks fantastic, and those booties look killer.
ReplyDeleteHope the Middleton ladies do have a tradition of dinner and a show before Christmas together. Those types of things are so fun over the years.
ReplyDeleteWilliam stayed home for fear they would ask him to do a pirouette, lol. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is funny SG, I can just picture that!
DeleteSo funny!!!!
DeleteHaha :-)
DeleteHaha thanks for the laugh!!:)
DeleteMaybe William is home with the kids, wrapping Mummy's presents.
DeleteLOL sg!
DeleteLove the look! Capes are such a great winter dress look. I love the booties as well. I would love to see both incorporated into her work wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteAnd jealous that she was able to see the ballet. Friends and I keep talking about seeing the show but tickets just got too expensive here. Sigh.
As always, thank you!💙💙 Patricia, Minneapolis MN USA
ReplyDeleteHmm i love the cape hmm she looks very pregnant hmm i love to see the whole outfit in near future i qish you charlotte. I merry christmas where you can relax for bit cause next year will have busy blogging i hope mr charlotte will whist you good thing
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, as Christmas falls on a Monday, any chance we'll see the young royals at church on Sunday, Christmas Eve? I know they've been spotted on Sundays that fall during Christmas week.
ReplyDeleteRebecca that's definitely a strong possibility. Good spot!
DeleteI see Disney is coming out with a new film called the nutcracker and the four realms it looks good and stars Helen Mirren and Kiera Knightley. Thanks for the post Charlotte happy Christmas
ReplyDeleteI read on a another forum that someone tweeted that kate was there with a friend of Norfolk. Don't know if it is true.
ReplyDeleteI just want to know--is William eating a curly fry? The Queen tired of all the fuss and ordered in this year?
ReplyDeleteI love the dramatic look of a cape, and it's perfect for a night at the ballet. Kate looks so elegant. Maybe in a year or two, Charlotte will be old enough to enjoy The Nutcracker. That would be a lovely outing for mother and daughter.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Charlotte, hope you got all your gift wrapping done.
ReplyDelete@ ‘surfer girl’. Too funny!!! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI love ballet (and have often dragged Leo along where he learned to count fouettes when Darcy Bussell danced the role of Odette/Odile) so I'm delighted to see Kate attending. Perhaps she will become a patron of one of the companies.
ReplyDeleteI love her hair natural too without those curls. The cape is lovely - I would like to see it with a longer dress underneath or trousers but that is again my prejudice against her short skirts during pregnancy. Since it is private visit, no matter.
Julia, you say that you like Kate's hair natural, without the curls. I would say, that it is natural WITH the curls. I think quite often she leaves her home with straightened hair and soon afterwards the dampness, or humidity make her hair spring into curls. The day of the ballet obviously was not a damp day in the London area. But most British days are damp. As someone with natural curly hair myself, I know the routine. The moisture in the air can make it impossible to control the curl. Of course, there are straightening chemicals but that often splits the ends of the hair, or can take away the shine.
DeleteI agree that Kate's natural hair is wavy/curly. When they did their Asian tour, it was obvious how naturally wavy her hair is. I loved it like that. I too have naturally curly hair and no amount of hair spray or product will straighten it. Humidity and weather controls my hair. But truthfully, I love my curls and it has angered me over the years when friends and family have suggested I "straighten it". There is nothing wrong with naturally curly or wavy hair. It is beautiful.
DeleteYes, curly hair can be very beautiful, Anonymous. I've grown to like my curls. But as a teenager I desperately wanted straight hair. I would go to bed with giant size rollers in my hair. The biggest ones I could make were empty cans from, frozen orange juice concentrate. They sure aren't comfortable to sleep on, but in the morning my hair would be straight…until I went outside. During the walk to school the dampness in the air would negate all my efforts. Now I quite enjoy my hair. I keep it reasonably short (although not too short) and it is easy to wash and go.
DeleteThanks for sticking up for those of us with natural curls and waves, Anon 19:20! I would never dream of straightening mine. If this was really the same day as the Queen’s luncheon, Kate’s hair was combed out and straightened for evening, but I wonder why. It looked OK, but it was beautiful in the daytime.
DeleteI had no wish to offend anyone with curly hair - Kate's hair naturally frizzes. I was speaking of those huge curls she features which are the result of rollers - she even wore rollers to her Vogue shoot. That was reported - in the article as I recall.
DeleteI prefer her hair blown straight to the beauty queen curls look - she wore it that way often in the first year of her marriage. I would be fine if she wanted to wear it natural but she hasn't wore it that way since her early St. Andrew's days except it reverted to its normal state in the heat of Malaysia.
I apologise to those with curls but there is nothing natural about Kate's 'normal' look of big curls.
Patricia, I am always happy to stick up for anyone with naturally curly/wavy hair. So, you are most welcome! I admit that I struggled with my own perceptions of my hair as a teenager, especially when peers would constantly tell me that "straight hair is beautiful and curly hair is not." When I started ignoring those people, I realized the uniqueness of my hair and that having it is a gift and a special part of who I am. Now I love my curls, though I too have to keep my hair short. I'm not sure that Kate is comfortable with her naturally wavy hair, which is why she tries to either straighten it or style it so that she only has curls in the lower portion of her hair. I wish that she was comfortable with her natural waves, because they are beautiful.
Delete"frozen orange Juice concentrate cans", lol. here, Laura, is a fashionista Medal of Honor for your fearless efforts.🎖
Delete(pippin says that's okay mom as long as you don't drag me to the ballet) 🐾
ReplyDeletePip's been known to do a few fouettes when his dinner dish appears.
DeleteOmg... my dad bought my mom a black cape very similar to the one Kate’s wearing for their wedding anniversary today.
ReplyDeleteI am pleased that Kate despite this being a private visit went behind scenes and spoke to some of the cast lovely for them and I am sure appreciated. it was widely reported soon after her marriage that she had accompanied Prince Charles on a number of occasions to watch both Opera and Ballet it would seem Prince William doesn't enjoy Ballet or Opera it would have been nice if it had been a date night for them both. The Queen is patron of the Royal Ballet & Prince Charles is president so it will be a long time before Kate would have any official capacity. I think if she had been with Carole or Pippa it would have been spotted more likely the twitter comment that she was with a friend from Norfolk is more likely possibly Charlottes God mother Sophie who I believe does work in London but that is just a guess. Clearly Kate would seem to be much fitter and able to enjoy the festive season I look forward to seeing W & K on the walk to Church
ReplyDeleteSince the Queen has handed over patronages last year (e.g. Wumbeldon) why not this one for the Royal Ballet? Ans so it could be wirhin a short time Catherine has an official capacity.
DeletePeaceful and joyful Christmas, Charlotte and all readers at DKB!
ReplyDeleteJust wondering - who is the patron of the English National Ballet? Didn't it used to be Diana? A lovely patronage for Kate, I think. She seems fond of it.
ReplyDelete