In a surprise addition to today's Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving for ANZAC Day at Westminster Abbey, the Duchess of Cambridge made a last-minute decision to join her husband.
The Duke and Duchess arriving.
TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive for the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving to mark #ANZAC Day pic.twitter.com/U8LAWYygEH
— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) April 25, 2022
The annual service remembers the Gallipoli landings of 25th April 1915, and all Australians and New Zealanders who have given their lives in the service of their countries.
This year marks the 107th anniversary of the landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25th April 1915. At Gallipoli, Australian and New Zealand forces fought for the first time under a united command as the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, or more famously the ANZACs.
The Gallipoli campaign exacted a heavy toll on both sides. Some 50,000 Allied troops from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, Newfoundland and India lost their lives. Including those wounded or evacuated for sickness, the total number of Allied casualties was around 250,000. The Turkish forces lost over 86,000 in addition to those wounded.
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance for Australia and New Zealand. It is commemorated as a public holiday in both countries, with memorial ceremonies held at various locations.
The High Commissioners of New Zealand and Australia laid wreaths at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving.
Westminster Abbey has been closely associated with ANZAC Day commemorations from the very beginning.
The Abbey website shared: "On 25th April 1916, around 2,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers marched through the streets of London to the Abbey where a special service was held in the presence of King George V and Queen Mary to mark the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. The Times newspaper reported that a large crowd gathered outside the Abbey overflowing with 'joy and pride in these men from the Dominions who had won fame on impossible battle grounds'."
'Unite in praise and thanksgiving for those our brothers who died at Gallipoli for their King and Empire, in the high cause of Freedom and Honour… Their deeds will be remembered evermore. Their memorial is already inscribed in men's hearts. In future ages the sons of our Empire will seek to emulate the imperishable renown of their daring and bravery. We are resolved that, by God's gracious favour, our brothers shall not have laid down their lives in vain.'
The Duke and Duchess departing.
Earlier this morning, Prince William laid a wreath on behalf of Her Majesty at the Cenotaph.
The Duchess selected her ivory Alexander McQueen fit-and-flare coat dress, first worn for Princess Charlotte's 2015 Norfolk christening.
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That hat has towel to dry your hair after a shower vibes. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteLOL, love everybody's different responses to Kate's headband hats!! Personally I like it but got a chuckle out of your reaction Anon 15:22!!
DeleteI agree it does look like a towel or a spaceship landed. Love the rest of the look though.
DeleteActually she has worn a similar halo hat with that outfit - only the first time she had a flowery decoration on it. So she is recycling her hats like the Queen does.
DeleteIt's funny because I generally don't like Kate in pillbox hat/headbands but for some reason I don't mind this one, I still would have preferred something different but this one is a pass for me... just ; )
DeleteI loved the hat but after reading your comment,it does look like a rolled up towel. Lol@anon15:22
DeleteShe looks lovely with a nice repeat. Didn't she wear the same style (though different color) to H&M's wedding? And I have no idea how she walks on that cobblestone!
ReplyDeleteI don't like the hat but I do like the coat. It fits her like a glove! I'm glad she went along today. It'll be interesting to see how she gets on with Anne on Wednesday.
ReplyDeletelove the coat with every other hat but that style of hat doesnt seem to look good on anyone, even Catherine
ReplyDeleteI don't care for the hat. The earring are beautiful, but I think the hat looks too heavy with the earrings.
DeleteLovely unexpected surprise to see Kate today. I am happy to see her bringing back this fashion statement so many times. It makes a nice statement for each occasion she has chosen to repeat it. My preference are all her traditional hats over this particular hatband. It would be a pillbox if it had a traditional structure. Jackie Kennedy made them famous in her day. The back bow is a nice touch. I am distracted once again by the center part style and the overall texture of her hanging hair. Kate has definitely had her hair processed to lay straight. Although I have made comments that for me her hair is just to school girl long. The shinny healthy bounce is missing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you here USA Granny re Kates hair.
DeleteI am really loving the Jane Taylor headbands! I’d love to see the Duchess photographed from the back to get a closer look at it.
ReplyDeleteI think I prefer her traditional hats as a general rule, but I agree with you Boston Kristen, I do love these headbands and this trend. This one provides a little needed texture to the whole look, but a great rewear by Kate across the board. Also, while I may be in the minority here, I do like Kate's straight hair with the headband styles. A little bit of a change up until whatever process she did to keep it straight runs its course.
DeleteI love the different head bands. They look lovely and her straight hair suits her as well.
DeleteBostonKristen, there are some lovely shots of Kate's headband and hair from the back, particularly one where she is walking into the church posted on the Internet. The shot from the back certainly makes you appreciate the beauty of the headband more than from the front, however it's beautiful and works well with her look.
DeleteLove these surprise appearances. Also, just a small request....would you please update the "Kate's Calendar" section for the upcoming engagement(s)?
ReplyDeleteThank you for reminding me Tree, that will be updated as soon as I get in tomorrow :)
DeleteI'm so tired of Catherine's headbands. This one ruins the whole outfit.
ReplyDeleteKate looked really tired today... I hope everything is ok with her.
ReplyDeleteI love this outfit head up toe. One of my favorite dress coats of hers, and love the new hatband with the black bow. So cool to see how different each outfit looks with different shoes & hats. :) So glad the Royal Family always remembers ANZAC day. Sue
ReplyDeleteI 💯 agree with your comments.
DeleteThis dress looks lovely, very appropriate. I love the black accessories, for a change. Not a fan of the Hatband. The pearl and diamond drop earrings are divine. Its splendid to see this Anzac Day remembrance. Lest We Forget xx
ReplyDeleteLove the outfit, hate the headband.
ReplyDeleteShe looks very put together, as usual. A lot of comments I see have to do with her hat. What I noticed is that her coat dress looked quite wrinkled, which is very unusual for Kate. (Other times when she's worn this outfit, there were no wrinkles so I don't know that it could be blamed on sitting in a car).
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely coatdress. But than Dss Kate always looks good. Sadly we did not see more family members to join them.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Charlotte will post this. I understand if it doesn't make it to publishing. I'm not being rude and am really just curious on everyone's thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI know years ago Kate admitted to using some type of bee product instead of Botox, but I'm curious if that's still the case? It's her right of course, but something just seems a little different and I can't quite tell if I'm seeing things or if anyone else is noticing this?
I feel awful for even asking that question but it really has been on my mind and this seems like a safe space to ask.
i agree. actually, i was thinking she looks as if something has gone wrong with botox. especially in her right eye. there's a tiredness there. at first, i thought maybe just the white headband was washing her out or her makeup was harsh, but in the pictures from today with princess anne, it seems much the same. Her expression seems a little frozen. unfortunate, and hopefully it'll sort itself out.
DeleteAnnie
NY, USA
Hi! Thank you for responding and thank you Charlotte for posting my question. I was worried about it. Kate is gorgeous, and I get wanting a little freshener, especially because of her role, but something seems to have gone wrong?
DeleteI know that happens with some treatments. It looks good until something goes wrong and then the face is never the same again. I thought Kate was always using the bee product and hoped that she would avoid something going wrong with a cosmetic procedure, but I'm honestly worried about the change I'm seeing. It's subtle enough where I could be wrong, I hope that I am.
When I first saw the photos, I thought the headband was embellished with small pearls, and I thought that seemed like a nice touch. But when I realized the bumps were just the texture of the fabric, I soured on the look. The commenter who said it looks like a hair towel provided a good description. I do like the back bow and how Kate changed up the look by accessorizing with black heels. I hope she continues to update old favorites by mixing in new accessories. Very fun to compare her styling choices.
ReplyDeleteANZAC Day is such a special day for us here in Australia it is for us to remember and honour those who served our country. It was lovely to see the Duke and Duchess there to represent the Royal Family.
ReplyDeleteI love Kates choice of coat dress today, and I like the black accessories. The Hat/headband I'm not normally a fan but for some reason I like his one I think because it sits a little more forward on her head compared to he ones she has worn of late. But I still think Kates face suits hats better IMO.
A wonderful repeat. It’s a very classic (some might say boring) piece, but they just suit her so well. I wish she would repeat more if those pieces. They are timeless and elegant and actually make her look much younger than when she wears more fashion forward stuff.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the headband is a miss. It’s way to big for her head. She has a beautiful (brown?) pillbox hat that looks very well on her, but those headbands are neither here nor there.
@KMR you might want to check the new commentary boxes. At least on my mobile device, when I want to change the Comment as section it deletes my comment and just brings me back to the main page.
ReplyDeleteToo early in the year for cream suit. Shouldn't wear white before Memorial Day.
ReplyDeleteWhat? Everybody wears white in winter.
DeleteWhile there is no requirement for mourning colours to a memorial service I thought the cream and black was a very appropriate choice.
DeleteAnd luckily I have not idea when Memorial day is, so I don’t have to give credence to a rule like that.
Most countries do not abide by this unwritten rule
DeleteMost countries do not follow this unwritten rule. In Australia you where white whenever you want.
DeleteThe "wearing white" rule is American and also old and outdated even there. It goes back to the late 19th/early 20th centuries and was an East Coast upper-class shibboleth that filtered down to the socially-insecure middle classes. Only the rich, as in New York, had the money and enough clothes to have developed such a rule. They left the broiling-hot cities during the summer months and wore impractical but white clothing during that season, between the two American holidays, Memorial Day and Labor Day. They put the summer clothing away when they returned to their homes at the beginning of Autumn.
DeleteNo one need observe this "rule" now, not even in the US; it's pointless. I might also remind everyone that white is a traditional mourning color. When the late Queen Mother was making an official visit to France after the death of her father, her designer remade her entire wardrobe in all-white fabrics, since it was thought that mourning black would look too somber for the trip.
Don't believe the 'rule' regarding wearing white is much in play anymore, but I remember when I was younger Easter was the holiday where the pastels, and white clothing was brought out to wear, don't recall the Memorial Day rule. Truthfully everybody pretty much wears what colors they want to nowadays, at anytime. IMO Kate's look was appropriate for the occasion and photographed very well.
DeleteWell, I haven't been a great fan of the headband trend, but I rather like this one because of the black bow; it adds genuine interest.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the coatdress is not among my favorite items in the Duchess's wardrobe. Something about the design when I first saw it reminded me of an old nurse's uniform, and I still react that way. Wearing it with black accessories helps but not a great deal. Aside from the bow on the headband, I thought this ensemble a bit of a yawn.
Someone asked whether she didn't own a version of the dress in another color. Yes, she wore one in very pale yellow to the Sussexes' wedding. It was so pale that it looked cream in the bright sunlight, and I thought it had been a poor choice. A more definite shade would have been more appropriate and more interesting.
I think she looked amazing at the wedding being 3 weeks postpartum. The coat was clearly yellow as was the hat.
DeleteIt didn't look yellow in the bright light, and a large number of people thought it was the same dress she's wearing here. There was much discussion of the color at the time. Whether or not she looked "amazing" post-partum -- I'll agree she looked fine -- wasn't their concern. They thought she had broken the rule that one shouldn't wear white, cream, or ivory to someone else's wedding. Best not to wear something so pale that it causes such confusion.
DeleteStunning. I love her hat. What a gorgeous statement. I love the fact she’s not afraid to try different clothes and accessories. I believe she’s such a strong confident women that she decides what she wants to wear and if you don’t like it tough. So glad she mixes things up and is never boring. Love love love 💕
ReplyDeleteThis headband/hat thingy is
ReplyDeletesingularly unflattering and that giant bow is infantilising. Hard pass.
Ho! what a pleasant surprise to see Catherine accompany William for this momentous occasion. I'm happy that she participated and showed her respects, especially since Her Majesty wasn't able to be there. Catherine's style today is again spot on - I've always loved this coat dress, and also that it is a repeat. It's lovely and a perfect neutral for this event. The headband is icing on the cupcake! She is so styling and polished and I ask "how can she look so put together and gorgeous on each and every occasion that we see her? Casual, formal, sporty - doesn't matter, she has it going on. Love the texture of the headband, it adds a lovely appeal to the entire look. I hope she continues to keep this as one of her iconic looks. Catherine is a trend setter for sure, and without fail manages to look comfortable and gorgeous every single time. Thanks for this wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteI think she looks beautiful. Another great rewear. I love to see her wearing Diana's pearl earrings. They both did a great job representing The Queen. The brooch looks very nice. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteHaha that last photo with the man standing on the other side of the car, you can see him through the windows with his hands clasped together and his arms echoing the shape and style of the horrible headband! Love it! But hate the headband. The tweed looks like towelling. Usually I quite like the headbands but not this one. She definitely wore the best hat with this outfit at Charlotte's christening.
ReplyDeleteShe looks absolutely fantastic though, as ever ♥
Anyway someone further up commented about no white before Memorial Day. I think Memorial Day is a day in the US, we don't have it in the UK. So I guess Kate can wear white (or cream) any time she likes!
What an observation Anon, lol! It's hard to get some visuals out of your mind, like the headband material looking like toweling....lol; just another one of the things I love about this blog, the ability to see things through other's 'eyes'!!
Deletehmm i love the coat and outfit love her done
ReplyDeleteIt love to see Catherine repeat garments! Makes her so relatable. This outfit says, “I’m an attractive woman, but not the center of attention here.” Prefect “neutral” outfit.
ReplyDeleteI love her hat!! I am a huge fan of the black bow and I like that it makes her even taller!!
ReplyDelete