A wave from the Duchess.
The royals were photographed arriving with William in the front seat and Kate beside the Queen in the back.
William and Kate arrived with the children on Thursday morning and have been enjoying several days with members of the family.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall arriving.
Kate debuted a navy coat with gold buttons for the occasion.
Samantha suggests the Duchess wore the Navy Herringbone trench coat by Guinea London. The £525 piece is described as: "The Trench is an amazing and dramatic coat, which takes its inspiration from the long straight line of a military greatcoat but with the sassy flowing shape of the '60s maxi coat. Available in sizes 6 to 20, it is very flattering and easy to wear. It is shown here in Navy Herringbone - one of our House Tweeds, designed by us and woven for Guinea in Yorkshire in top quality 100% wool. The coat has complementary navy blue trims to the cuffs and back. The navy blue velvet lining on the lapels ensures that the coat looks amazing when worn open."
The Duchess teamed the coat with her very stylish £158 peacock print MICHAEL Michael Kors Women's Midi Dress in joule green. Kate debuted the piece in March for an away day in Blackpool.
It appears Kate wore the same Lock & Co hat as last year (or a very similar style). Below, Kate wearing it for a 2016 RAF service at St Clement Danes Church in London.
Crathie Kirk is a small Church of Scotland parish church in the village of Crathie. It is known as a regular place of worship for the British Royal family when they are staying in nearby Balmoral.
Queen Victoria worshipped there from 1848, and every British monarch since has attended services at Crathie Kirk. Initially, Victoria's decision to worship at Crathie Kirk caused a scandal, particularly when it was discovered that she had received communion there. As Supreme Governor of the Anglican Church of England, it was expected that she would visit the Scottish Episcopal Church, which recognised the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Undeterred by criticism, she laid the foundation stone for a new, much larger, church in 1893. Below, the Kirk in 1895.
The Royal family first became interested in Balmoral in 1847 when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Ardverikie on the edge of Loch Laggan which is in the west Highlands of Scotland. Their time there was marred by terrible weather - Queen Victoria mentions the 'pouring rain' many times in her diary. While at Ardverikie the son of the Queen's physician, Sir James Clark, wrote a number of letters to his father who was convalescing at Balmoral. The letters from Balmoral described blue skies and fine weather - the news of dry weather interested Prince Albert. In 1848 it was therefore suggested that the Balmoral climate would make a more suitable Scottish residence for the Queen, with the artist James Giles commissioned to make watercolours of a plan of the house. The decision was soon made to acquire the remaining 27-year lease for Prince Albert, and in 1852 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought the castle outright.
Victoria would later described Balmoral as "a paradise in the Highlands. All seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils".
The Queen and Prince Philip have spent two months every summer at the retreat, and have a lifetime of family memories there. It is said Her Majesty is happiest there. William and Kate's own tradition of visiting the highlands began in the early years of their relationship and now continues with George, Charlotte and Louis.
The royals enjoy going for long walks, exploring all the natural beauty the estate has to offer, along with family picnics and plenty of fun and games for the children.
As we approach the end of August, members of the family will return to London ahead of their autumn schedules commencing. I think it likely we'll begin to hear engagement announcements for early September next week. Following the 'Back to Nature' installation at RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court, it will move to its final destination - to form part of a new children's garden at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey on 3 September. I expect we'll see Kate there for the preview day. On Thursday, 5 September Charlotte will attend her first day at Thomas's Battersea where she'll join big brother George.
I love the dress....I somehow missed seeing her wear it back in March, so I'm seeing it now for the first time.
ReplyDeletewow iove the church pics it so good where are their kids are delight i lovd the queen pink outfit i love the dress im not sure if love the coat too
ReplyDeleteThey all look very happy and relaxed. I love Kate’s dress, it’s just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHow do we know the dress when we only see the cost?
ReplyDeleteGreat to see William and Kate alongside the Queen and the other royals!
ReplyDeleteKate looks very pretty! I only wish we could see her outfit better.
Wishing everyone a beautiful and peaceful Sunday.
We can’t see the dress, how do we know what she’s wearing under the coat?
ReplyDeleteThere's a pic on Instagram..(I wondered exact same thing !)
DeleteHello, there's a photo on the Daily Mail where you can see the dress under the coat.
DeleteRound!
DeleteElegant look on Duchess Kate today, offsetting the bright pink hue of Her Majesty's outfit. Well done, once again, HRH!
ReplyDeleteLovely to see the whole family together. By chance, did Kate also re-wear her Dolce and Gabanna coat from her last tour?
ReplyDeleteI thought the same initially. Today's coat doesn't have two gold buttons on the neckline.
DeleteLove seeing all of the family arriving. Kate looks very pretty.
ReplyDeleteEver since someone brought up the subject of who does Kate's hair when she's in Scotland... (sorry I'm blanking on who?) I can't get the question out of my head! lol lol lol :) I know someone else mentioned that Kate may have some go to updos that she can do by herself.... but I was wondering..... with HM & Camilla there too... do you suppose the Queen has a lady's maid on staff at Balmoral for her self who can also attend the female Royals who are visiting when needed? I don't know why I'm so intrigued now by this question!! Ha! lol :) xx
ReplyDeleteI wonder about that also:)
DeleteBecca, I was wondering the same thing! Having grown up with a sister who also has long hair, I suspect she and Pippa had plenty of practice. With that gorgeous, thick hair I bet she can manage it nicely. Curious to know.
DeleteHope someone with some inside knowledge will answer, because I wondered the same thing when I saw her updo. I'm sure she can do some simple updos by herself, but this one looks complicated!
DeleteMaybe the queen has a hairdresser she shares?
DeleteThat's funny Becca....whomever mentioned that, I've been thinking who does her hair as well! :) You bring up a good point about the possibility with HM & Camilla there, that there is someone who would attend the female Royals as needed. If Kate did it herself, I'd love to see how she does it! Even though I know that wouldn't ever happen, it would be fun if we could see! :)
DeleteHp I have always assumed that...but maybe the Queen at this point can do her own hair:):) so who knows. But Catherines hair was elaborate so she either had help or has a wig/bun she can use:):)
DeleteI wondered that too.
DeleteI remember reading there is a hairdresser who does the Queen and Kate in Scotland. Possibly she travels up with the Queen.
DeleteCamilla
I am just thinking logistic-wise, HM, Camilla and Kate all stay in different houses so either they all arrive early for a pamper party or it can’t be the same person fixing their hair.
DeleteWhile I can see HM getting some help with her hair from a lady’s maid I can’t see her standing for the fuss of having a hairdresser come in for church. Church is such an everyday part of her life.
What a pamper party that would be, The Princess Royal, The Countess of Wessex, her daughter, and Autumn Phillips are there this week too. I can just see them all chatting! With the Phillips girls and the Cambridge trio all together, I suspect it's a noisy place.
DeleteI feel like Camilla does not have complicated hair almost ever? can none of the ladies do their own?? truly? Anne's does not seem complicated either. and surely Kate can do an up-do on her own?? I could see if they had a hairdresser for the queen but really feel that some if not most are capable of doing their hair?? Kate and Camilla and autumn did their own hair before being royal so id think at the least they were able to do their own??
DeleteI doubt that the Queen does her own hair.
DeleteJust my opinion : Every lady should know how to put hair up in one flattering style. It’s a life skill as far as I’m concerned. I used to do a French braid and tuck the bottom under. It wasn’t easy at first, and it took a while, but I did it.
DeleteI suspected we’d see an updo today. I’ve noticed her wearing her hair up more frequently now that they have 3 kids. It must be faster than doing a blowout and wearing it down (though I love when she wears it down, she has such lovely hair!!)
ReplyDeleteDo they regularly attend church on Sundays, or is it just when they’re out of town with the queen?
I’m quite envious of the beautiful scenery! Right now all of our hills are boring brown because of the dry summer weather. I can’t imagine getting to explore such a beautiful place in the summer.
They have never been photographed attending church except when with HM or Christmas/Easter, but I remember reading reports of them taking George to a Christmas carol service but there was never photos. But it might mean that they do have a church they attend in Norfolk.
DeleteI think we don’t actually know. Just because there are no photos doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, but it also seems unlikely that they attend church on Sundays without it ever being photographed.
They have been photographed going to church with her family during Christmas in Berkshire,too.
DeleteHere in Canada, at Christmastime and Easter we have families coming to church that we don’t see during the rest of the year (not meant as a criticism - the times are very different now and the power of the church has diminished to some extent). I have read that in many of the older British/Scottish aristocratic homes there was a small chapel built for the use of the resident family and their staff, or a small room set aside for that purpose. Do you think that might happen even now?
DeleteTheir country house Anmer Hall is next door to Sandringham and the Church where Charlotte was baptised. However I suspect that the Queen is the most regular Church goer in their family.
DeleteAnother thought popped into my head about Kate & doing her hair when at Balmoral, etc..... (I know I'm obsessing lol!) but do you suppose that Nanny Maria has been coached to help in 1 or 2 go to updo styles helping Kate? I'm just cracking up at myself so intrigued by this! lol :)
ReplyDeleteBecca, there must be someone who helps the Queen with her hair, right? I'm thinking Downton Abbey, of course. But surely someone helps the Queen wash and set her hair, so that person probably helps all ladies in need.
DeleteGosh... I can't seem to find those photos of Kate with the dress peeking through... anywhere! Even at the daily mail from here in the states... out of luck
ReplyDeleteBecca, here's a link online where you can just see a peek of the dress. There is another picture on instagram where you can see more, but can't remember who posted it. cc
Deletehttps://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queen-elizabeth-kate-middleton-prince-william-attend-church-near-balmoral/5c6d07bf-17bd-49da-b847-e242d4084518
Thank you for sharing the link, CeCe! I didn't want to look for it in DM so I really appreciated this.
DeleteAt first, I couldn't see the dress at all but later discovered the picture where a tiny bit of it is visible over Kate's knee :).
Completely not related to fashion but the Queen's car is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteKate is going to make such a wonderful queen! I love her love of the simple things, as expressed in your last post. And yet she always looks regal for the right occasions.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more!! :) xx
DeleteI love how William and Kate have slowly become more comfortable with this part of their role. In the beginning we would not even know when they were up at Balmoral, they were protecting their privacy that much. But over the time years they have found a middle way, of protecting their privacy without going to extremes around it. They drive with HM knowing they would be photographed and we even get a smile and a wave.
ReplyDeleteLove the lining of the coat. I'd wear it open all the time to show that off.
ReplyDeleteI too love the lining of this coat! I love a trench with some interesting details and this one certainly has that. If it was in my budget I would buy it in a heartbeat.
DeleteThanks for the beautiful post. Everyone looks so happy. Do you think there will be an engagement announcement this week? Balmoral is so beautiful, historic, and romantic. Parthenia
ReplyDeleteHello, I think we'll hear announcements at some point this week :)
DeleteThanks, the Duchess of Cambridge's facial expressions are so cute, like something is about to happen!
DeleteParthenia
I am very happy that William and Kate started to join the Queen more and more. This will ease the public into the new picture when she isn’t with us any longer. It would be great if they add some visits to her patronages or more general outings with her. Joining the Queen will highlight their claim to the throne and prepare them for the future. The more traditional outings like church etc. are helpful to stress this role. If no changes are made, William will be supreme governor of the Church of England one day. Better not to look like a hypocrite when you want to keep that role. They already started to focus more on UK engagements which is a good move. Realistically, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will remove the British monarch as head of state after her death. If they stay in the Commonwealth is questionable. The organisation will shrink in the future. It would be a good idea to only do a minimum there for them and source it out to someone else in the family (Harry and Meghan might be best option).
ReplyDeleteKate’s more formal (dare I say too formal and frumpy sometimes) clothes and hairstyles when on duty are also a sign for this.
My only wish would be, that they would take over the visits to other royal events from Sophie and Edward. Mingling with the rest of Europe’s monarchies, while digging deep into the Queen’s jewellery vault would be the perfect glamorous half to a lot of UK engagements. Long story short: more engagements + more jewellery will hopefully please the public so that they will fund them the next 500 years.
C.
C, I agree!
DeleteC., I have also been wondering about how things will go when the Queen does pass on. Actually, directly after the fact. What is the updated protocol for mourning? Time period, dress and conducting business codes for direct and indirect heirs, how long until Charles' coronation, who inherits what, when and how long until physical moves are made, if any (like Balmoral and Buckingham). I know it's morbid to think, and some might find it unspeakable or even rude. But I am a pragmatist and my own Granny, roughly the same age as the Queen, passed a year ago so it's on my mind.
DeleteI also would like to see mingling with other royals and more jewels too! If nothing else just the glamour is fun. I know Sophie and Edward kind of have that role, do you think they'll continue to do so until they're too old, or will that move on down to the next generation before then?
Shannon, I found this article written in 2017 a fascinating read and one of the most comprehensive on the topic.
Deletehttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/16/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-dies-london-bridge
As to Edward and Sophie attending international royal events, I expect Harry and Meghan to take over that royal at some point after Charles is king. I don’t think we will see W&K do much of that, it just seems like the way the BRF operate.
I know I'm American, but I always thought of the RF as starting and ending with Queen Elizabeth! It seems like becoming the Prince of Wales and then king would be such as isolating move for William (and Kate). I have a lot of sympathy for them and their kids, because it makes them "different" from their cousins and their friends.
DeleteI don't think William needs to be seen with the Queen to highlight his claim to the throne. No one disputes he is Charles' first born son and the Queen's grandson. His position is clear.
DeleteC. As someone who lives in Canada, I've never heard it said that Canada will remove the British monarch or leave the Commonwealth upon the Queen's death. From an article in the National Post:
Delete"After a sovereign’s death, the Governor General’s job is to drive to Parliament Hill, stand in front of a cabinet meeting and proclaim that Canada has a new “lawful and rightful liege.” Charles would automatically become Canada’s head of state the moment his mother dies. This isn’t just British tradition, the clean succession from one monarch to another is encoded right into Canadian law. “Where there is a demise of the Crown … the demise does not affect the holding of any office under the Crown in right of Canada,” reads the 1985 Interpretation Act. The Crown itself is the institution; it doesn’t matter who’s wearing it."
@Laura, of course the succession would be clean but from what I gathered the question if Canada is going to get their own head of state will be on the table again. It’s interesting to hear that maybe things have relaxed again. But maybe the people I talked to where more anti-monarchy and that gave me the wrong impression.
Delete@bluhare: I phrased that unfortunate. I wanted to say that this is a sign to the public that he and Kate are starting to pursue (and have come to terms) this more. For years they didn’t work much which raised a lot of questions- why the second in line wouldn’t work more than one of the Queens Cousins and Kate pulled the lowest number for years regularly (the nickname Duchess of Dolittle didn’t come out of nowhere). But they seem to finally step up.
C.
Hello C, I’m curious are you from a Commonwealth country? Do you live in Australia, Canada or New Zealand? As with Laura from Canada I have NEVER heard it discussed that Australia will leave the Commonwealth after the passing of Her Majesty. For Australia to become a Republic, removing the new King as Head of State will require a referendum to be held, with 2/3 majority of Australians voting for a change in our constitutional monarchy system of government. I believe there is a possibility that this could happen, but to leave the Commonwealth of Nations?? I have never heard this discussed either formally at Government level or informally amongst the people ... I would be interested in other’s views on this, but I would be shocked if this was to happen. Everything Laura wrote above applies in the same way for Australia.
DeleteC. As Dee has supported Canada's stand with Australia's stand, I feel sure that New Zealand's stand is similar. Yes, there are people in Canada who are anti-monarchy, as there are people who are anti-monarchy in Britain. But some disgruntled people do not have the clout to sway the government and cause a referendum.
DeleteCanada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. This means that Canadians recognize The Queen as our Head of State Her representative, the Governor General must approve all bills being passed by the government. Each province in Canada has a Lieutenant Governor who carries out Her Majesty's duties in the province on a daily basis and is the province's de facto Head of State.
As for leaving the Commonwealth, why would we do that? It is reassuring to be part of 53 other supporting nations. I would suggest C, that you have been misinformed and shouldn't speak on behalf of other countries.
"I wanted to say that this is a sign to the public that he and Kate are starting to pursue (and have come to terms) this more. For years they didn’t work much which raised a lot of questions- why the second in line wouldn’t work more than one of the Queens Cousins and Kate pulled the lowest number for years regularly (the nickname Duchess of Dolittle didn’t come out of nowhere). But they seem to finally step up."
DeleteI think it is unfortunate that folks don't seem to understand that the queen was fine with them starting a family, the future of the monarchy, and building a stable foundation and ensuring that they were stable and grounded and healthy, unlike what happened to Diana. the queens cousins have been doing this for decades and will die off, this is a long game not a short ride. no need to compare the princess royal to someone new to the family.
I also don't see the need to reinforce petty name calling. :(
Caroline In Montana, I agree with you. The Cambridge’s needed time as a couple to have a stable marriage. They need time with their small children. It would be sad if they were advocating for early childhood causes and children’s mental heath while not giving their own little ones their time. Diana and Charles had lonely childhoods for different reasons, William and Harry had to deal with grieving. I see William making his own choices on how to parent his children. And I don’t see where the PoW or HM had any objections. It is indeed a long game.
DeleteI agree, Caroline. With Kate, as well as William, Harry, Meghan, and many others, it seems like most -- probably all -- of the complaints about them doing something the Queen doesn't approve of comes from anyone except the Queen. First, I can't believe the Queen would try to run W&K's marriage and family building, particularly after the problems with Diana and Charles (plus Andrew's and Anne's marriages ending in divorce), but it's amazing how much those guys do that is called "upsetting" to the Queen. She never seems upset to me. It's like any large corporation; the buck stops at HM. Everyone seems delighted to be in her company, so the family seems happy even if gossip writers are not.
DeleteCaroline, I agree with everything you said & thank you for doing so!! xx
DeleteI disagree. Lots of people in New Zealand follow the Royal Family and even if we became a republic we would still want to belong to the Commonwealth and the Prince of Wales has already been unanimously confirmed as the next leader of that body. Our Royal families' first duty has always been Great Britain and the Commonwealth and visiting other Royal families comes much further down the list. I am sure that is why the Wessex family have taken on that role as they are more distant from the throne.
DeleteCatherine's outfit is fabulous and she looks great as usual, but I wonder if it has to be a coat in summertime like this. Is it just a royal tradition or standard dress code for going to church ? I hope someone can enlighten me. thanks
ReplyDeleteCoatdresses are fairly standard for upperclasses at church, but also it must be significantly cooler at Balmoral than say London. Even in the informal pap pictures of them walking around or going for barbecue they are always wearing coats or jackets.
DeleteAdd to that the fact that I have always gotten the idea that Kate feels cold easily or she just doesn’t like to be cold, because she often dress warmer than the people around.
is the church warm? it would seem like it would not have the best heating system? id rather be a bit warm that cold!
DeleteSarah, your question intrigued me so I did a little more investigating! (That’s one of the reasons I love this blog - it has sent me down many happy internet trails over the years :) Apparently during July-Aug the average temperature at Balmoral is around 18.8 degrees C or 65.8 degrees F.
DeleteThis dress is a wonderful example of a really special dress that has a fabulous price tag. And a repeat! The colors are gorgeous. And that makes me wonder about when the Queen was in her 20s and 30s and wore some striking day dresses. I wonder if she always had custom clothes? Did she wear designer clothes then?
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that’s the coat hers has the Peter Pan collar the one shown doesn’t seem to
ReplyDeleteBeth, I do not think hers is a Peter Pan collar looking closely.
DeleteBalmoral is beautiful and seems peaceful. Thank you, Charlotte for the pics and the history lesson. I enjoyed this post. I’m sure the Cambridges will have a fun time.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, are you going to write a a post similar to the one on MAM regarding the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their team?
ReplyDeleteHello,
DeleteI've written several posts on the Cambridge team. If there's any major changes to the team, I'll certainly post about it.
Thank you so much, I will go back and look for the posts.
DeleteYou're very welcome.
ReplyDeleteThe most notable changes in recent years involved the appointments of new private secretaries Catherine Quinn and Simon Case.
https://hrhduchesskate.blogspot.com/2017/07/first-look-its-catherine-walker-for-day.html
https://hrhduchesskate.blogspot.com/2018/03/kate-becomes-v-first-royal-patron-new.html
Catherine replaced Kate's longtime aide Rebecca Deacon. I believe Rebecca welcomed a son just a couple of months ago. There's a post on her role and time with Kate here
https://hrhduchesskate.blogspot.com/2014/08/kate-loves-rebecca-deacon.html
The Royal Foundation is undergoing changes at the moment with William and Kate's communications chief Jason Knauf replacing Lorraine Heggessey as CEO. We should hear more in the coming months.
Thank you very much for these links Charlotte. With the changes of the Royal Foundation for Kate and William just being announced, was interested to know the key members of their team and if there were any changes. Your indepth of the Sussex Royal Foundation team was succinct, informational, and very comprehensive, was hoping that we would see a similar format for Kate and William's team. Not for comparison mind you, but rather as a follower and fan of William and Kate curious to see their restructuring and the people who are helping them to achieve their vision.
DeleteThank you for your very kind words on the post. It was a general staff write-up, with only Natalie Campbell and Karen Blackett involved in the Sussex Royal Foundation. I do think we'll see changes to the Royal Foundation over the autumn and likely new faces on board, I'll definitely do a post when information comes to light on it.
DeleteDoes this mean no engagements for the Cambridges? Just wondering
ReplyDeleteHello!
DeleteWe'll see the royals starting to return to engagements next week. William has an engagement on the 6th I believe, and there's a very strong chance we're going to see Kate at RHS Wisley next week (the final home for Back To Nature). Charlotte starts school on Thursday, 5th, and we'll see photos. I expect we'll hear more announcements in the coming days.
Thank you for your kind answer! You are very gentle as usual!
ReplyDeleteKate look a regal I love the coat!
ReplyDeleteHope they are having a relaxing vacation
Thanks so much charlotte
I have a question: why does Charlotte start school on a Thursday? I am just curious. We usually start beginning of the week.
ReplyDeleteA Thursday is actually great for starting Reception. For a lot of little ones starting school is quite a shock, so having a two day week of (probably) short days makes it easier on the system. Before they know it, it is weekend.
DeleteMany private schools here in the US (at least where I am from or am familiar with) start school mid week and ahead of public schools. The first few days are an acclimation process where the students get to know each other, set up their desks/spaces, etc. The reason RachelZA states is another one given to me by the school Director, its easier for everyone to get into the routine in a few days, rest, and then come back ready to go to school.
Delete