Following a day of engagements in Fife and a return to St Andrews, the Earl and Countess of Strathearn boarded a helicopter back to Edinburgh and a special drive-in screening of Cruella for NHS staff at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
William and Kate hosted the event in their roles as patrons of NHS Charities Together.
The evening was organised as a thank you to those who have gone above and beyond over the past fifteen months. Guests came from across the NHS in Scotland, representing multiple occupations and roles.
William and Kate arrived in a 1966 2A Land Rover which belonged to the Duke of Edinburgh and has been loaned to them for the evening by the Queen.
NEW: William and Kate have arrived for a special drive in screening of Cruella at the Palace of Holyroodhouse paid in a 1966 2A model that belonged to Prince Philip and which the Queen has loaned them for the occasion. They’re hosting NHS staff: pic.twitter.com/GqXObXHKAV
— Emily Nash (@emynash) May 26, 2021
The Earl and Countess walked over to a number of cars to say hello and thank NHS staff for their efforts.
Cruella is one of this summer's most anticipated movies. The crime comedy drama sees Emma Stone in the titular role. Set in the 1970s in London during the punk rock movement, it follows the path of aspiring designer Estella de Vil and the journey leading her to become the infamous villain. I remember watching Glenn Close in the role in 101 Dalmatians growing up and she was just incredible. I have no doubt Emma Stone will put a similarly unforgettable stamp on the character.
A trailer for the film.
On Monday, the Cambridges spoke to two of the film's stars, Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, about making the movie in London. They also discussed the amazing costumes and the inspirational work carried out by the NHS throughout the pandemic.
Ahead of hosting a special drive-in movie screening of Disney’s @Cruella at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for NHS staff and frontliners, @NHSCharities Together patrons Prince William and Duchess Kate held a video call on Monday with cast members Emma Thompson and Emma Stone. pic.twitter.com/pbdZ0S3ovv
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) May 26, 2021
"Nice to see you, darling," Thompson, 62, told Prince William as they started the call, which took place on Monday.
The couple thanked the stars for letting them screen the movie for NHS workers at the Palace of Holyrood two days before the film's premiere date.
Kate asked the actresses about filming in London, and Stone, 32, revealed that they shot a scene in front of Buckingham Palace where she rode a motorcycle.
"We should have had you stopped, Emma," Prince William joked. "That's very dangerous."
"I know," she replied. "I really got away with it. It's incredible."
Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together, Ellie Orton, said, “This special screening of Disney’s Cruella is such a wonderful gesture by our royal patrons, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It will be a huge boost and thank you to those staff who have done everything they can to keep us safe and well over the last year. We’re delighted be part of this once in a lifetime memory for some of the amazing NHS staff in Scotland – it is because of their efforts that we are even in a position to enjoy events like this one."
Kensington Palace added: "NHS Charities Together is the national charity partner of the NHS and is made up of 240 NHS charity members based in hospitals, mental health, ambulance, community health services and health boards across the UK. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were announced as patrons of NHS Charities Together in December 2020."
Kate was delighted to receive flowers from 'young Cruella' Tipper Seifert-Cleveland.
Kate delivered a short speech celebrating NHS Charities Together: "As Joint Patrons of NHS Charites Together, William and I are absolutely delighted that so many of you could join us here tonight. We wanted to thank you for the extraordinary dedication, commitment and personal sacrifice you have shown in supporting our communities through this pandemic."
The Countess continued with a word of thanks for the Queen: "An enormous thank you to Her Majesty the Queen for allowing us to host the first-ever drive-in film night here at Holyrood. And with a huge thank you to Disney and BAFTA for putting on this evening, and to the fabulous actress Tipper for joining us here tonight. William and I invite you to grab your popcorn, cuddle up under your blankets and be transported to 1970s Britain for an evening of much-deserved fun, drama, glamour and escapism."
Kate's speech in its entirety:
'Good evening everyone and welcome to this special screening of Disney’s Cruella - here at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.As Joint Patrons of NHS Charites Together, William and I are absolutely delighted that so many of you could join us here tonight. We wanted to thank you for the extraordinary dedication, commitment and personal sacrifice you have shown in supporting our communities through this pandemic.
It is a real privilege to work with ‘NHS Charities Together’. For the last 13 years it has worked tirelessly to improve services for patients and support NHS staff and volunteers, both practically and emotionally. Today, this work has never been more important.
Over the last year or so, William and I have spoken to many NHS workers and have heard first-hand what it has been like to be on the front line fighting COVID-19; supporting those suffering from the disease as well as their families, and heroically putting the needs of others ahead of their own – day in, day out.
And tonight, we have so enjoyed speaking to so many of you. You have all been chosen for going above and beyond over the last year - and to hear what you have been through is truly humbling.
So, with an enormous thank you to Her Majesty The Queen for allowing us to host the first ever drive-in film night here at Holyrood. And with a huge thank you to Disney and BAFTA, for putting on this evening, and to the fabulous actress Tipper for joining us here tonight, William and I invite you to grab your popcorn, cuddle up under your blankets and be transported to 1970s Britain for an evening of much-deserved fun, drama, glamour and escapism!
We wish you a truly wonderful evening!
And, once again, our heartfelt thanks for all you are doing.'
A clip from the speech.
In a speech, Kate paid tribute to their NHS worker guests, saying: “We wanted to thank you for the extraordinary dedication, commitment and personal sacrifice you have shown in supporting our communities through this pandemic.” pic.twitter.com/cbqvKEj3rQ
— Emily Nash (@emynash) May 26, 2021
The movie begins...
Movie night 🍿 #Cruella at the Palace of Holyroodhouse with NHS staff in recognition of their vital work throughout the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/N0kpyKjJ8q
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 26, 2021
The Cambridges are staying at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the monarch in Scotland.
Kate looked fabulous this evening in a tartan coat by Holland and Cooper and a special pair of earrings on loan from the Queen. I think this is one of my favourite tartan pieces Kate's worn thus far. It's a great choice for the outdoorsy evening and a very nice sartorial nod on the penultimate day of the visit.
More on the provenance of the earrings from the fabulously talented Court Jeweller:
"During a tour of the Middle East in February 1979, the Queen added a second sapphire demi-parure to her collection. She was presented with a suite of diamond and sapphire jewelry by Sheikh Rashid of Dubai. The unique Asprey set, with a loop design, originally included a large necklace, a pair of earrings, and a ring."
The Royal Watcher reports the Queen "exclaimed in excitement" when she received the suite from Sheikh Rashid of Dubai.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Kate in additional jewels from the demi-parure. Below, Her Majesty in the striking jewels for an official dinner in Canada in 2015.
Another look at the earrings on Kate tonight.
Kate wore her Manolo Blahnik BB pumps in green velvet.
A wonderful end to the day and a great way to safely incorporate an evening event into the schedule.
If you're just joining us, click here to catch up on the day's earlier engagements: land yachting, a return to St Andrews, meeting locals, and concluding with fish and chips at an old haunt from their university days.
Very pretty!!! And the earlier day's activities looked like so much fun. I guess mask wearing is not followed much now but I wish W&K were further along with their vaccinations.
ReplyDeleteI bet they really love going back to their univerisyt.
They're outdoors and distanced. Don't forget how much photos can foreshorten perspective as well.
DeleteI might be wrong but, it appears to be the Queens sapphire earrings from her, shall I call it sapphire loop earrings... If not they are very similar to ones that the Queen wears.
ReplyDeleteI don’t love the individual items but in that picture she looks stunning.
ReplyDeleteErininnyc
I couldn't wait for the full post to express my delight in what I've seen so far! The Queen's earrings, Prince Phillip's vehicle, and the beautiful tartan coat...it's so exciting. Also I love the color of the shoes..very unique. Can't wait to see the rest of the story. Thank you Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteWow! What a lovely and fun event. How fun. Catherine looks gorgeous in that coat. Beautiful colors and great style on her. Earrings are incredible. She looks great. William is looking very nice also:).
ReplyDeleteCharlotte I asked in a prior post but do you have any idea of where the Royal family stays in Holyrood House when they visit? Is there an updated wing of bedrooms and a kitchen? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHello Ali,
DeleteThey do indeed. The following is from the royal.uk website:
"However, the smooth running of the Palace today owes much to the foresight of an earlier predecessor, Charles II, who built the spacious upper floor where the Royal Family's private apartments are situated."
Thank you, your posts on the visit have been great:)
DeleteWow! I just love this whole look with the earrings, shoes & ponytail. What a gorgeous piece!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all of your reporting on this tour. I’ve enjoyed them all and learned so much. I especially loved watching the footage of the Queen and Prince Philip visiting the islands.
Susan
She looks absolutely stunning, especially in the close up pictures. Love, love, love the earrings and the colour of the coat. I am getting a tiny bit bored of the coat length though. But that's me being really fussy; overall this is spot on.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I really love this look on her. I’m so happy she’s continuing to part her hair on the side, and I love her hair in a ponytail. Stunning! I didn’t notice until I read through the post that her shoes are actually green. Nice to mix it up a bit! Thank you Charlotte!!
ReplyDeleteDid you see the Instagram stories of the brand owner? She’s absolutely excited, it’s delicious to see
ReplyDeleteSo I have to confess. I splurged this spring and purchased this coat in the camel color way. I am tall like the Duchess and the extra length is so elegant and moves so beautifully. When I was looking at this online I noticed all of the other beautiful plaids. Given the price tag, I really could only justify the purchase if I did it in a neutral color that I could wear for years to come. But I loved the various plaids and had secretly hoped the Duchess would some day wear one of them. And here she is looking stunning in them as I knew she would!
ReplyDeleteWow Jean! I bet you are loving your coat! It looks beautifully made. Enjoy.
DeleteWow Jean, what a smart buy and an excellent staple to your closet. I would probably choose the soft black or camel as well but the tartans are really rich. The coat is stunning and reading all the reviews seems like very satisfied customers. I would imagine that the Duchess has some other Holland Cooper pieces and bet we will see more of this British brand on her. Enjoy your coat!
DeleteOmg! Kate looks gorgeous! The coat is stunning, and she is wearing beautiful shoes - no ugly Tod’s block heels this time (I do not have anything against more chunky heel, it’s just that those Tod’s specifically are so ugly - her other similar shoes are OK). Her shoe game is so strong lately - loved her Veja sneakers from the previous engagement. Her striped Erdem sweater and that blazer were also stunning. I am so impressed with her choices this time.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte I’ve been following your blog since the beginning but this is my first post. I just wanted to thank you for all of your hard work. It occurred to me today that you should apply to run the KP social media. I’ve been mostly disappointed in their coverage of this trip. You do a much better job going in depth on the causes and reasons for their events. You would be fabulous. Send in your resume. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree Anon! I would think the duchess is aware (would have to be??) of our awesome Charlotte. You would be perfect for the job!!
DeleteOMG Anon, what a great idea!! Charlotte would be perfect, that's got my support!
DeleteThis Lady knows how to wear tartan. I thought the red on her last visit was amazing, this is in a league of its own. They both look so happy and in love. It's seems more like a second honeymoon than carrying out their duties. Lol. It was a lovely touch to finish this mini tour with a nod to the NHS. It is heartwarming to see them honouring and showing thanks to the health workers. I can't comment on the earrings because I'm in shock. I'll have to do a second post. First time ever. Lol. S ☺
ReplyDeleteWell well well doesn’t she look absolutely stunning as always!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️
ReplyDeleteShe does, FloridaGirl! Fan-tas-tic!! I think this look is one of my all-time favourites! Just perfection.😇
DeleteThe ponytail was a great choice, it completes the look wonderfully.
HM also looks incredible in the photo from Canada, 2015!
Great post, Charlotte!
WOW.. The day as arrived. The glorious Dubai sapphires have landed. The earrings are beautiful on her. I've always hoped these would find there way to the Duchess. I wonder are they a 10th wedding anniversary gift. In a ideal world. I like to see the necklace made in to a tiara, the bracelets three sapphires to have a double surround of diamonds. With pearl bracelet. Worn with Diana's sapphires. Charlotte, again thanks for all the hard work on your blog. Beautiful photos. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteS, I couldn't wait to read your second post! Your excitement over the earrings is shared. They are beautiful indeed, and your plans for the jewels are great. I have wondered if Kate was gifted jewelry for her 10th anniversary...perhaps a tiara..or these beautiful earrings!
DeleteThose earrings are fabulous, those sapphire! and they are so perfect on her. The suite is gorgeous but I like them better on their own. S, that necklace would be a great tiara, great idea.
DeleteI also just LOVE those earrings! And the necklace on the Queen. I as a rule like to see really expensive jewelry but I don't like just tons of jewels; hence, I don't like most of the fabulous necklaces the Queen owns (or even tiaras!). But these are just gorgeous! The design is so special and it allows the beautiful blue to really shine. This was a stellar look today. And I would love to have that coat!
DeleteI could not stop thinking about these earings! She looks gorgeous in them, would love to see that necklace on her or the bracelet, maybe not all at once though:) cant wait to see her debut more pieces from the queens collection.
DeleteWow, Kate looks stunning, absolutely love the coat and her hair up in the pony tail. The Queen's earrings, Philip's land rover, the loan of the Holyrood House to host, and a little speech by Kate what a lovely last night send off and a very clever little twist with a drive-in event! Would love to have been invited, what a treat. Intrigued by what she is wearing underneath!
ReplyDeleteStunning. I too am tired of the long lengths -- I know it's Scotland, but it seems a bit much for nearly June. I wonder if it's part of her aging up/leveling up sartorially to be more mature? Thoughts? I would LOVE if you would do a post on just Kate's hemlines and if the length is more a reflection of fashion, her maturing status, or both.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree. Maybe someone needs to tell her, that she can look extremly sophisticated and like a Queen in waiting without the longer hems. She definitely tries to look more mature but I don't think it necessary to overdo it. Maybe it is another example of her going a tad too far: Excessive coordnating clothes with her destinations (shamrocks and green all the time for Ireland is so cliché it is almost insulting) and completely overhauling her wardrobe every three years. Throwing in some longer pieces is fine, but there is no need to buy a completly new set of coats every year.
DeleteC.
It is unusually cold here in Scotland at present.
Deletemaybe she just likes the longer length and is not trying to be anything but comfortable??
DeleteI agree c. I don’t really get Kates style. I want to like it but it’s either very cliche (almost to the point of patronizing) and it’s just so much older on her than it needs to be. She’s a woman under 40 and she just doesn’t strike me as stylishly correlated to most professional peers her age. Even other comparable royals to her in other countries dress younger and more modern. I’m sorry but I just haven’t thought Kates style is anything noteworthy or really HER in a long time. Not every royal needs to be an icon, and I certainly realize there’s a level of understatement the royals appreciate, but I also think it’s naive to think their overall image isn’t part of the role. And yes that image includes fashion people talk about and is chic and photographs well and builds an overall image associated with that person. The Queen accomplishes this beautifully and importantly: appropriate to her age as a senior woman. Kate more often than not just seems to be sort of imitating the Queen’s blueprint and the clothes don’t feel like her style and dramatically age her in a not flattering way. I thought she was more stylish and unique to her own tastes during their engagement and early years of their marriage. I’m not sure what changed. But I honestly haven’t liked anything in years and sometimes even roll my eyes at the overly obvious theme dressing and signals to a host country. I mean this comment as conversation and not to be harsh. If Kate is comfortable than I’m happy she has found a system that works for her. I just think it’s not at all dynamic for a future Princess of Wales and Queen, and I wish she would be a bit more creative and chart her own look.
DeleteLove the coat. She dresses so wonderfully..Charlotte thanks sooooo much for all of your hard work. Love the articles.
ReplyDeleteShe looks wonderful. Those colors really suit her. The land Rover is a nice touch. And the drive-in genius, a way to host an evening event despite the virus. It seems to be really cold and wet in Scotland, to be expected.
ReplyDeleteMy my ,her coat collection is to die for.....
ReplyDelete.......
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Actually those are her Manolo Blahnik BB pumps worn last year in Ireland.
ReplyDeleteI have just read about them having fish and ships, on a bench! So very nice.
ReplyDeleteI think the hemline is a tad too long and hits her at a strange angle- especially with the bare legs and heels. But apart from that, it is a nice look. I am extremly excited to see her wearing some of the bigger pieces from the vault. I would love to see an evening reception with a great dress, tartan sash, and the complete set (and maybe a tiara- pretty please???). I know the BRF is not as flashy as their counterparts but why not? Those jewels deserve to be seen. I am saying for years, Kate should have a chat with Maxima, the Swedes or the Luxembourges on how to wear the big guns. Her attempts haven't been too succesfull to date, but I always have hope.
ReplyDeleteAnd because I was pretty harsh on the cobalt blazer/skirt combo: This and the all-beige look are not exactly my cup of tea either but at least they look fine on her.
C.
wow, I loved this coat! was very excited to see these earing's:) was glad there was a video of them getting out of the land rover, I wondered how she does it so easily, lots of practice id assume!! I also wondered what was under the coat so thanks for including that too! What a great event, can not imagine being able to attend something like that, what a treat for the workers. have loved her fashion and then pulling out more big gun jewels, wish there were more tiara events, I still really want her to wear the strathmore and some other less seen tiaras. (although the strathmore would be great for a starter tiara for charlotte!) really what makes me more of a fan is that they are obviously happy together and it really shows. what a solid role model for not only the country but the world. kudos to the D&DofC. Charlotte, your writing is outstanding as always, thank you for the history and the balanced perspective you bring to your blogs!
ReplyDeleteI don't love the trench coat but, I do love the colors! These colors look beautiful on Kate and really show off the beautiful color of her eyes. The earrings are a very nice add to the outfit. The one miss for me is the color of the shoes. If emerald earrings and an emerald clutch had been paired with the shoes, it would have been a nice touch, but all blue and then green shoes? A miss for me.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a neat treat for NHS!
Thank you, Charlotte, for all the lovely posts!
ReplyDeleteCommenting on a few previous comments:
There's green in the coat, hence the green shoes to pick that up. Colors in photos can be so confusing...
I think the coordinating clothes and jewelry with the locations visited is a tribute to the people and place being visited. Not cliche, more royal tradition. Can someone clarify that for me? I am a lowly American ; )
I agree--I love her "theme" dressing. I'm Canadian and I LOVE when she wears red and her maple leaf brooch while shes on tour here. I would be disappointed if she didn't!
DeleteJo, I am 'lowly American' too but I absolutely agree that the looks are coordinated tributes to the people and places and quite honestly respectful. The shoes are a beautiful 'midnight green' and compliment the coat nicely, while the earrings were perhaps HM way of sending a piece of her to a place where Philip was being honored and remembered as well. There are reasons Kate wears what she does and they are thoughtfully nuanced remembrances that sometimes carry bits of history. I like knowing Sue that as a Canadian you like it when she wears red and a maple leaf brooch, to me its a symbolism of your country and signifies national pride. I think Kate does a very tasteful job of 'literal' dressing. Besides there was something very nostalgic about this tour that makes it all the perceived 'mises' much more forgivable and less important.
DeleteI think it’s a lovely tradition and sentiment but Kate tends to do it a little on the nose. I’d love to see her explore more subtlety or accents in accomplishing the goal of complimenting her hosts. She tends to go a lot for Ireland equals GREEN Scotland equals TARTAN Canada equals RED MAPLE LEAFS. It’s always just... very obvious and not particularly stylish.
Delete@Sue: A bit of theme dressing is absolutely fine. But wearing red and several maple leaves for EVERY engagement would be a bit much wouldn’t it? Her Canada tours were good fashion wise. The sparkling fern shoulder detail on her simple black dress in NZ as well. Her Pakistan outfits with the tunic and slimmer pants were amazing.
DeleteBut in general her working wardrobe is taking a nose dive for quite some time. The private shots show that her private style hasn‘t changed at all, so it should not be due to a general change of taste. Someone said she actively tries to reflect her maturing role through clothes and I agree. What she hasn’t gotten yet, is that she doesn’t have to dress like a 75 year old to be seen as a senior royal and probably sooner than later Duchess of Cornwall aka Queen to be (also probably in the next 15 years. Sadly Charles doesn’t look too healthy.) She doesn’t have to be a style icon but dressing like your grandmother is also a bit much. Even her mother or Camilla look more youthful sometimes. She has a massive wardrobe with many pieces that would provide her with years of an elegant and sophisticated working wardrobe and she would still look stylish. Sprinkling in a longer hem here and there is fine. But she is excessive in that regard and the public as discussing this for years now.
I agree anon. I do think she is trying to telegraph maturity or gravitas and it’s not working. And she doesn’t really need to. She’s a young beautiful woman 10 years into her role as a senior royal. Everyone knows she will be The Princess of Wales and Queen Consort eventually. She could dress her age and taste and her own unique style and everyone would still know that. She seems to mimic the Queen, or recently at least, some very odd Diana almost cosplay from her famous 80s looks. When I look at the other European Princesses and Queens, most of whose are the same generation it not slightly older than Kate, all look chic and sophisticated and their age and I think most importantly wearing styles they clearly like and identify with. That makes a huge difference to me in the overall image of folks like Victoria and Mary, and Maxima, and Letizia etc. Kate alwAys seems to be sort of following some idea of what the royals before her did so this is what she should do. And she doesn’t have to! But it’s felt for a a long time that Kate just sort of stylistically follows a model that honestly doesn’t look that great on her. Almost like if the Queen is my role model and wears coat dresses I also will wear coat dresses! The Queen should absolutely be her role model. She’s an impressive and dignified woman. But Kate can follow her example without such direct style cues. And I’m seeing more and more 80s Dianaesque outfits pop up. The recently much maligned red suit dress and the blue jacket and pleated skirt she wore on this trip. Diana had almost identical outfits. That’s a very odd style choice to me. Acknowledging your late mother in law is a lovely gesture, and both Kate and Meghan have done it with jewelry etc, but a full outfit replication, especially of a fashion decade that is very hard to pull off, is odd to me.
DeleteBoth William and Catrine have grown so much in their role, nice to watch them.I love their commitment to service to the Country. The coat collection of the Dss are a wow, love them all.
ReplyDeleteThe Duke and duchess are so lovely hmm the land Rover was loolks good in a classic way I love the duchess speech
ReplyDeleteThe coat is gorgeous and works do well with her complexion. The length doesn’t bother me as it is longer than her skirt. I love the video with Emma Thompson and Emma Stone.
ReplyDeleteHope From USA