The Duchess of Cambridge is patroness for Action of Addiction, and last night she attended a gala dinner for the charity in London. There was much talk of Kate “braving the elements,” like she’s a delicate flower who will wilt if a raindrop touches her head. Kate has been rained on before and lived to tell the tale. Mostly, I’m just mad about the rainy weather in England because a women’s grass court tournament in Nottingham got rained out and now the ladies have to play on an indoor hardcourt. Hello, grass season.
Anyway, Kate decided to do a re-wear for this gala dinner – I vaguely remembered this Barbara Casasola dress, but I couldn’t place it without help – we first saw this dress in 2016, when Kate attended another gala dinner event for the National History Museum. I went back to look at what I wrote about the dress at the time, and I came out laughing because I was, like, trying to be so nice about the fact that Kate had basically glued on a massive wiglet and it made her look like a lollipop. That’s something else I’ve noticed about the subtle style changes Kate has made in the past year and a half: far fewer wigs and half-wiglets and “fall” hairpieces. As for this dress… I sort of liked back in 2016, and I sort of like it now. The styling is better now, with the sparkly Jimmy Choo shoes (she’s trying, y’all) and the normal, soft waves. Speaking of trying, Kate actually made a speech at this event! She said:
“Action on Addiction was one of my very first patronages, and as such, it is very close to my heart. I’m hugely passionate about the support it provides, especially for parents, children and families who suffer from, or through, addiction. And in some ways, it was the catalyst for my interest in early childhood development too.”
“Sadly, for many who are suffering with addiction, they just don’t receive the help they need early enough. They have already reached crisis point before they find the support they need. What’s remarkable about Action on Addiction is that it goes beyond helping those who are suffering on the courageous journey into recovery. It also lends direct support to the children and families affected by addiction for as long as it takes.”
“This evening’s dinner not only marks Addiction Awareness Week, but it also provides an opportunity for us all to remember the vital work being done to help all those affected by addiction feel able to access help, hope and freedom from their addiction.”
I think at the end of the day, this might be one of her more daring patronages. The royals don’t like to talk about the more difficult subjects of addiction, alcoholism, the generations ravaged by addiction, or even what contributes to addiction. This probably would have been an interesting area to go deeper into, perhaps with her Big Keen Project, but alas, I think we just keenbaited with that. Oh well, at least she’s doing something.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
Hugely passionate…girl, the first thing you are told in any creative writing class is show, don’t tell. I need action, or at the very least for her to sound more knowledgeable about these issues.
She sounds like me in highschool trying to write a four page paper off Wikipedia post…
Quite. She does the absolute bare minimum for AoA.
Well. She does the bare minimum for all of her patronages, so its not like AoA is singled out in that regard, right?
To be fair, the role of royal patron is merely to bring attention to the patronage…throw some parties, raise some money, do some photo ops.
That being said, I think it would be helpful for Kate to hire someone to assist her with her public speaking, and maybe hire a better speech-writer. Not everyone is a natural public speaker and I think that is true in her case.
When you read the article in the Daily Fail, you would almost think that she does hands on work with addicts – “The Duchess has previously spoken of how her work with addicts helped her realise the significance of mental health as central to many issuess
Exactly @TheHeat. It’s unfair to assume she’s some expert. The royals are not going to be that closely acquainted with each of their patronages and they’re just there to get some publicity for the cause. Not to mention they don’t write the speeches themselves. They might add their bit but thats it. This is the same for all they Royals. People love to compare Kate to Meghan and Meghan comes across with much more confidence, which maybe gives more of an impression of authority but she she’s no more involved in these subjects, despite what some people would like you to believe.
I think Kate gets a really unfair ride here, but Meghan was certainly hands on in her cookbook project, and her work with the Grenfell community kitchen was something she initiated. Kate doesn’t have anything similar. I bet Meghan does write her own speeches because she’s used to it (it’s a bit ironic that people slam her by claiming she’s obviously writing the Instagram captions and isn’t it inappropriate for her to write them herself, then slam her by claiming she’s not writing her own speeches). And I bet she’ll be hands on with the Vogue editing thing, when we all know what a disaster Kate’s guest editor stint was.
No shade on Kate because her main job is raising three kids, but it’s clear Meghan is more involved and hands on with her causes.
@MeganBot2000,
“when we all know what a disaster Kate’s guest editor stint was.”
Was Kate really a disaster?
I do not remember Kate’s Vogue cover being a disaster so it could not have been that bad if I do not remember it. LOL! LOL!
Kate was not a guest editor for her Vogue cover. She simply agreed to be photographed and that happened 5 years after her wedding. And if she agreed in the end,it was obviously because the optics of celebrating a British achievement like the 100 th anniversary of Vogue,and the connection to her patronage were acceptable.
I don’t think some people understand what a guest editor does.
It’s not about writing a little piece to accompany the pics or suggesting a bunch of names to write their opinions.
If they really tell us that Meghan has guest edited the biggest fashion issue of the year,I will laugh, honestly. It would mean that Meghan had a say in assembling all the fashion editorials..Big lol
She doesn’t even have a personal style,let alone the eye amd the competence to do something like this. I hope they don’t insult anyone’s intelligence. It’s not even fair for those who actually will do the real job.
I think you’re talking about two different things here; Kate was in Vogue, but guest-edited HuffPo one day in 2016.
Kate’s guest editing stint was with Huffpo and can be considered a mess because she was seen for about fifteen minutes at KP with the staff and then was seen shopping a few hours later that same day.
As for Meghan’s contribution to Vogue it is supposed to be related to the causes she supports and not fashion so considering she does actually put some effort into her causes and doesn’t just show up once every seven years and claim to be hugely passionate, we can expect some content in the article. The foreword in the cookbook was nicely written and seem to directly come from her and not someone like Catherine Quinn.
@nic919 How do we know how much time she spent with the HP editor?!
Sorry,but I doubt she had people in the KP offices who were there for her,and she was like “sorry guys! I can stay for 15 minutes”.. She wrote the post to launch the HP series and she chose the topics that she wanted to be highlighted in the other posts,so she did what she was supposed to do,whether she was spotted a few hours later elsewhere or not.
And yes, guest editing a fashion magazine,and in this case the biggest fashion issue of the year,means what I said. If they tell us that Meghan is the guest editor,they’re telling us that she has guest edited the whole issue. Fashion is not an afterthought in the September issue.. Unless they simply say Meghan is a contributor,which would be perfectly fine.
As far as the content is concerned,Meghan has the tendency to repeat the same concepts that,to be honest, are often nothing groundbreaking to begin with. It’s not like people don’t know that education is fundamental in developing countries.. So,after repeating the same things over and over again,those become empty words as well,when they are not backed by something that is actually tangible.
I don’t know if Kate writes every speech, but she was actually seen writing her speech at the RF mental health panel. So,saying that she’s always spouting stuff written by her secretary isn’t fair either.
Kate is not an expert,like all of them for that matter. When they (including Harry) try to sound more “knowledgeable” than what they really are,they usually come across as pretentious and tone deaf.
I’m fine if they do just what they are supposed to do dealing with these delicate topics: helping to raise funds,and leveraging their image whenever it’s needed.
And she’s doing that. Apparently this is also their first gala. If it becomes an annual event to raise money,it’s even better. Isn’t AoA also supported by the royal foundation?
Well said.
Good point, V. She constantly talks about “my work”, “my experience with…” our the royal “we” achieved this or did that.
She’s a figurehead, nothing more.
More often that not, staff at the patronages write the speeches. Not just for Kate but for other royals as well.
Sadly, I am hugely disappointed in her speech, as I am massively concerned about grammar.
I am sorry, this dress is a miss for me. She has a long torso so the proportions are off. Her hair would look so much better if it were a few inches shorter.
Prom Queen Hair went out of fashion a few decades ago. Someone should tell her. Lollipop indeed.
wait, what’s wrong with her hair? It has volume and is down… I think it looks nice? I don’t see what’s wrong with it in 2016 either. I thought “lollipop head” was a more a reference to being super duper skinny (like, I always thought Victoria Beckham was a lollipop head)
I agree with @RoyalBlue’s take on the dress–her body is too long for it, it looks sort of weird. Maybe if it was a pencil skirt instead of a circle skirt? (I’m obsessed with getting kate into a pencil skirt, I just think it would look so good on her!)
@Manda the 2016 hair was so bad.
There is a side picture and it looks like a massive bump of hair on the top of her head.
Kate looks much better now.
Not a fan of this dress at all. And the accessories don’t work with it, either.
agree. the shoes are bad.
I don’t like this dress either. I don’t think it suits her body type. She is quite thin overall but this makes her shoulders look wide and considering how thin she is, if the dress is doing that then it’s not the best look. She does better with one off the shoulder dresses because it balances out more.
Agreed and the top of the dress just doesn’t fit right to me. Like it’s not supposed to be off the shoulders but can be? Idk, the fitting is just weird to me.
It does fit weird. Reminds me of a straitjacket.
I don’t understand this dress at all. It’s like a bunch of random elements sewn together.
The dress is amazing and she look stunning. Stop this.
yea i like her look. so confused about that critique
I will say, this is one of her few evening/cocktail dresses that I actually love. I feel like often for dressier events she misses the mark, and veers towards “too much” – too much lace, too much sparkle, etc. But this one I love. It’s relatively simple, elegant, and sexy. I don’t love her hair down with it, I think a ponytail would really make the dress “pop,” but maybe she is self conscious about baring her shoulders, since we don’t see her that often in strapless dresses.
I don’t like those shoes though. I never like them whenever she wears them lol. BUT I like them better than the nude shoes she wore the first time we saw this dress.
I listened to parts of her speech and she sounded pretty good, and I agree that this charity seems like a good fit for her and her general interests with mental health.
Wait, I think we have only seen these shoes once before. I’m thinking of that other pair of sparkly shoes she has. Still, I don’t care for them, lol.
I think she looks great, too. It’s a dress I would definitely wear if I had her body. I also think she spoke well, but I guess people will find fault somewhere.
I really like this dress! I would totally wear this if I had the figure for it
I like the dress too! But I grade on a curve with her I think, because most of her dressier clothes are so matronly or dated. This is nice. Good speech too. Im not going to nitpick when it looks like she was actually trying here.
Surprisingly, I like it too. It’s modern and she looks lovely. Of course it would look even better if she had good posture.
I concur! I love this dress!
I think she looked great here! The “braving the elements” comments are ridiculous but I thought Kate looked gorgeous from head to toe.
ITA with you. I like everything except the shoes.
I like the dress and I love the shoes.
I’m impressed that she can walk on the cobblestone road with those stiletto heels.
I guess I am just really slow on the uptake but I never realized Cathy Cambridge wore wigs; hairpieces yes but not wigs! It is so wonderful to learn something new everyday! LOL! LOL!
It took me a while to spot them too. But once you see them, you can’t unsee them.
She never wears a full wig (that we know at any rate.) But she definitely wears “wiglets” sometimes to make her hair look fuller and thicker.
OMG! I never knew or even supposed that she wore hair pieces! I am stunned at this revelation… why does she need to do it? While I’m here I never like the way Kate always pulls her her forward leaving her neck exposed at the back… maybe that’s where she should put a hair piece…
@moose – its not all the time. but sometimes it is really obvious.
I call it the “hair curtains” look. She pulls all her hair forward and over her shoulders leaving nothing at the back. Looks good in the photos from the front.
Just like Beyoncé!! Why do these women think that they need to wear wigs. I don’t understand??
Because they want to?
When I lost my hair to chemo I wore wigs. It’s grown back but sometimes I still put the wig on (it’s better than my actual hair, lol). Because I want to.
I don’t care for the shoes. I don’t think they complement the dress at all.
They don’t. But Kate will wear pumps forever. That’s her style.
Could it be that because she’s sporty/exercises a lot that her feet look a little more “tough” than “beautiful”? I’m a keen marathon runner and my toes and feet are often not up to being put on display in sandals but they do look good in pumps and courts.
@alice – I think her feet are okay? She does wear open toed shoes or strappy sandals sometimes and they look normal to me lol. I know what you mean though, when I am running regularly (sidelined currently due to injury) my toes are not that great in sandals, ha.
But, I think she just prefers pumps overall and I wonder if she went with these bc of the weather.
Is wearing pumps a bad thing? Some women don’t want to wear open toed shoes.
Minx – I don’t think so. I just don’t love those particular ones with this dress.
Becks, yes, I should have been clearer…my question was more for RoyalBlue, who said “Kate will wear pumps forever.” I agree that the shoes aren’t the best with that dress.
Minx, Kate always wearing pumps is the equivalent of always wearing coat dresses. Boring.
Maybe she doesn’t like her feet? I can sympathize, mine are pretty ugly.
@minx – got it. I see now.
I don’t mind her always wearing pumps/closed toe shoes. If that’s what she prefers for whatever reason, you do you Kate. But in that subset of shoes alone, there are a thousand different options. It bothers me that she goes for black, nude, sometimes “praline,” navy, or these sparkly ones. Mix it up Kate!
I don’t know about her, but I am very conscious about my feet. I think they look like man feet, not that there’s anything wrong with that nor are all man feet the same, but mine is very flat and chubbyish. Nothing delicate about it. And I’m not very athletic either. It’s just how it is and so I prefer shoes that don’t show my full foot at once. So, its either sandal style that cover the top slope and show the toes (which are also short and chubby), or pumps that cover the toes and the sides of my feet and reveal the top. That’s all that looks appropriate on my feet I find.
I really like this dress on her. I think she looks very good. The shoes are not exciting me. Sorry. And the hair maybe something pulled back and off her shoulders to show off the top cut of the dress. I think she would look great showing off her shoulders.
I think she really looks good though. And she’s WORKING.
Kate, if you ever visit the site, please let me style you for a few months. PLEASE. I would
Love to play dress up with a live Barbi doll that comes with royal jewels to boot!!! But we’d have to lose the leggings. 🙃
Seraphina, you would have to invite God himself to your styling job with Kate – God, to give a personality and you to find the clothes !!!
A while ago the DF had an article comparing how very similar clothes looked on Kate and Leticia. What jumped out of that article was the aura surrounding each woman. Leticia – confident, professsional, in control of herself and what she is about. Kate – apologetic body language, out to do a DUTY, not at all confident of what she is and what she is about. In summary a person who is in over her head but she has to do this.
Kaiser, where did you get that last large photo of Kate? It summarises what Iam saying. Look at the body language of that guest of honour. It screams, -lack of confidence and totally disconnected to every person around her. Worst of all it conveys a message of not wanting to be there at all.
I wanna believe Charlotte was tired of nude pumps and bedazzled one for mom.
lol
I listened to the speech and was surprised at how lackluster she came off. No passion or even nuance in her tone. But no furious blinking either. She can’t help but touch her hair though. It does look thick and shiny. Cute dress.
Some people have “it” and others do not. She does not. That’s all. She can show up more and improve her posture and styling and comfort in front of people and all of those things will help and continue to improve with time, but she is not ever going to be someone who is inherently interesting to watch because she is just not that charismatic. And that’s okay, it’s just that it’s not ideal for the life and job she’s chosen.
I’ve heard that before, that she doesn’t have “it.” I disagree. She doesn’t have what Diana had, but really no one does. But Kate is a gorgeous woman and based on the millions of pictures of her, people are interested at least in what she wears. Her issue is she really doesn’t work hard. She produces cute heirs and always looks presentable, but she doesn’t go as deep as Meghan does.
I disagree. I do think Kate is really charming in person and,as far as her personal interactions are concerned,she has charisma. Or it’s definitely something she has worked on.
I saw snippets from their day in Cumbria,and she was engaging,charming and people looked genuinely happy to meet her. Honestly, that is a more important part of their “job” than being super confident delivering speeches.
I don’t think Kate has charisma, at least not on the scale of Diana (but that’s not really fair, because most people don’t, lol) but I have always thought she is probably very nice in person and I think in general when she shows more of her personality, she comes across better.
I think her issue is…I’m not sure what, ha. but its definitely obvious that at some events she is a lot more comfortable and engaged than others. Maybe some anxiety, maybe lack of confidence, maybe boredom, I dunno. She definitely prefers outdoor events which makes me think that she isn’t good at small talk and making conversation with random people. the outdoor events usually are more active, and there are more concrete things to talk about as a result. (and for the record, I hate small talk, so if that’s her issue, I don’t blame her.)
She’s very engaging and charming in the midst of the action, judging by video. But public speaking just isn’t her thing. I think to be a good public speaker you have to be passionate and know how to connect. It’s easier to connect face-to-face vs speaking to a crowd. But still… just so disappointing.
@Yup me
For someone who you say doesn’t have “it” she sure has lots of people following her every move and commenting on her posts daily on this blog and many others. That’s a huge thing to be able to capture the attention of diverse people and if that is not “it” I don’t know what is.
Linda- anyone who became William’s wife would have that attention.
Kate does not have “it”, but by virtue of who she married she will always be in the spotlight for as long as that marriage lasts.
One thing: not everybody can be good at public speaking, but you can improve dramatically your delivery simply by…rehearsing (and I say this as a former speech writer who has worked with politicians, not all of them born with natural charisma.)
Rule #1: don’t ‘discover’ the speech on the day you deliver it – as seems to be the case for Kate here. Her sentences seem cut in odd places.
Rule #2: practice. Kate’s delivery is bad partly because she keeps her eyes on her notes. She should know such a short speech almost by heart by the time she delivers it. She would then be able to lift her gaze from the pulpit and look at her audience – and adjust her tone, speed and physical presence to the reactions in the room.
Just put in the work, lady – you’ll improve vastly.
I am not understanding her Botox. She doesn’t look at all younger…just angry. Weird application. Her speech was fine. She is not a natural, and showing up is really the gig. I am happy to see her out.
Chrissyms – Botox is no substitute for staying out of the sun, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and eating properly. Maybe if Kate adhered to these things (although I’m not convinced she smokes) she wouldn’t have to think about Botox and would look years younger?
if she’s doing Botox, why does her forehead still wrinkle up like that? I’ve gotten botox before around my eyes and they didn’t wrinkle up like they do without Botox. I wonder why she doesn’t do her forehead? I think she does botox around her eyes
I think she is a heavy smoker–it sure looks like it anyway. When I was her age my skin did not sag or bag the way it does around her eyes, nose and mouth. She is a very pretty lady but she is not aging well because of the smoking and probably constant her starving herself to keep thin.
ok help me. people keep saying she uses botox. but look at her forehead, that looks normal. but the eyebrows look weird. I’m not good spotting plaster surgery stuff. any info will be appreciated.
It can be hard to spot sometimes with her, because often the pictures you see of her have been photoshopped, so when you see those and then see pictures of her at an event like this, where she’s obviously not photo-shopped, you might think “no botox.”
What you have to do is compare pictures of her that are not photo-shopped. I am not the best at spotting stuff like botox either, but for me with her you can tell bc she has no “11s” between her eyes. In that picture of her with her eyebrows raised while talking, you see some lines on her forehead, but you should see more.
It looks like she got touched up around the eyes and cheekbone area – she has a somewhat startled look.
Plus apart from the few lines on her forehead the rest of the face inc the eye area hasn’t moved, making those lines more noticeable.
I think she has deepset eyes, and I assume the tweaking is to make them look less heavy. I seem to remember her eyes resembling my own a bit more. Mine are deepset with a bit of a hood but not severely so.
but i have to say, she looks killer in that dress. one of my favorite looks.
She looks AMAZING. (I wish she had worn a different shoe though!)
Don’t mind the dress and hair but GF really really needs to do something about her makeup, esp that eye makeup. Its too heavy and harsh looking.
Speech was basic and if she really was yugly passionate about it then she’d do more to support it esp as I think this is the first time in a LOOOONG time she’s done anything for Action on Addiction.
Question: I swear I remember that at last year’s Trooping the Colour there was a big stink because Meghan wore an off-the-shoulder dress – or is this one ok because it’s not daywear?
People said it was different because “protocol” and the Ascot dress code does not permit bare shoulders (I think.) I personally think it was just because it was Meghan.
But, at the time there was a lot of insistence that strapless/off the shoulder gowns were not allowed for royals (remember when Meghan wore that black one-shoulder Givenchy to the fashion awards in November and people had a fit?) but that argument was always BS. Kate has worn strapless and one-shouldered gowns before. The Queen herself has.
Royal Ascot is a horse race. Trooping the Colour is the Queen’s official bday. (Just to be super clear.) Royal Ascot banned “Bardot” necklines in 2018 explicitly. Rules for TtC aren’t public as far as I can tell. Anyway when Kate wears them to events it is A-OK, but obviously Meghan needs to hide her light under a bushel basket 🙁
@Nessa – yes, I know that. But last year many people were saying that the Ascot dress rules applied to TTC and that was the argument for why Meghan was “breaking protocol.”
It’s got nothing to do with Royal Ascot protocol IMO. People – even normal people – dress more daring at evening/night events then they would for daytime events. It was odd to see Meghan wear something with that neckline at such a stuffy and traditional event like Trooping. But had she worn it at an evening/night event I don’t think it would have been a problem. It was just the case of her wearing something that didn’t fit the occasion .
@w1eVer – I’m specifically referring to the argument that was made last year that Meghan was “breaking protocol” and when the follow up question was, “what protocol” the only answer people seemed to have was “well Ascot dress code applies” even if that wasn’t the case.
@Becks you’re right, they were using the Ascot rules to slam Meghan. But someone asked Omid about it last night on Twitter and his response was something like “There is no such thing as shoulder protocol!”
Not gonna give her a cookie for working because the bar is already set so low for her – but, are her photographs ‘shopped before they get released? Her face looks overly botoxed and filled, and I can’t figure out if it’s a bad ‘shop job or too many injectibles?
It used to be a running joke on here that you could always tell when the press with p’d off with the DoLittles as they’d stop photoshopping her within an inch of her life.
amazing!
She looks very pretty. Her hair is gorgeous – and I do believe it’s her own hair. More importantly, this is a worthy cause.
Looking at these pictures all I can think of is how jealous I am of your weather. It’s almost 40 degrees here and I’m melting. I’d happily deal witht he rain if it was so nice and mild all the time.
She looks really really good.
@JAC,
F or C? Where are you? It is very hot in Florida too as around 90-95F by noon each day.
Did…did you just ask if the op was “melting” at 40 degrees F? You realize that’s one degree above freezing, right?
Actually, it is 8 degrees above freezing.
A bit of moderation would be nice – it has pretty well been pouring it down where I am for the past week!
London weather is horribly inconsistent. We’ve had torrential rain for a week or more, last week it was horribly humid, and today it’s freezing. Still keeps things interesting.
I’m ambivalent about the dress. It’s actually quite annoying when I see a woman trying to bring attention to a worthwhile cause and people talk about what she’s wearing.
But I would note that several of KM’s patronages are quite ‘meaty’, and address some real issues (child & youth mental health, fostering & adoption for disabled children, etc).
She would better help her own causes if she put on a killer dress and then showed up and spoke knowledgeably and passionately about the causes SHE has chosen to support.
Unfortunately, she often sounds like she just found out about them and what they do at the same time as everyone else and then was handed a mic and had to talk about them.
Kate is not a good public speaker. People who are not good public speakers,which in some cases is a real phobia,can be the most passionate persons and that wouldn’t come across in their speeches. But I think she did well here and she’s improving. The speech was fine,and I thought her last speech at the Anna Freud Center was really good.
Kate,like any other royal, doesn’t have any expertise about delicate issues like these ones ,so her role here is really helping to raise funds. I don’t know what people expect her to do. This is also their first gala,so I hope it becomes an annual event. Isn’t AoA also supported by the royal foundation?
Actually,their roles with mental health topics in general,should just be helping specific associations financially.
But I also think that Kate has developed a genuine interest in mental health issues dealing with children. She spent four,five hours at the last RF panel where she joined a group of teachers for the mentally healthy school program,and she looked genuinely engaged and interested,taking notes and everything. I expect her to do something good with the RF and her steering group,at least in terms of giving structure to the RF’s work with “her” mental health charities,since they don’t have any real competence.
People who are not good public speakers can become better over time, with practice and dedication, if they so choose, especially if their role is one that requires them to make effective public speeches. Public speaking makes my skin crawl, and I have sleepless nights before I have to do it–but I come prepared, because there are times when its necessary, and I’m not going to f-ck it up. This is an area where Kate needs to improve, and sadly, there are no excuses for her because it’s an unavoidable part of her life as long as she’s in the RF.
Good effort.
I like the dress & no criticism here. At least she’s doing something. Some of you, posting…it’s too early for this.
I like this dress – on her – I think it fits her body type really well. If I wore this I would look like a pregnant sweet potato. I think the hair is good here, so are the heels, again a little heavy in the eye make up. I want to see her do something like and sparkly for these events.
I actually …want that dress for myself.
She looks absolutely gorgeous. These pictures came out yesterday and my coworkers were all talking about how pretty she looked.
As someone who works in the mental health field, we need someone to bring awareness to addiction. Individuals who have addiction issues, need compassion from those around them.
Is an off the shoulder dress appropriate for an event like this? I ask because SOOO many people took issue with Meghan baring her shoulders at Trooping the Color last year. At least when she did it it wasn’t a daytime charity event.
I have the same question. I like the dress and shoes, but not sure it’s a sensible outfit for an event on addiction? Is’t it a bit too sparkly / glamorous?
I think this was a pretty glamorous event. There were some big names there (Ronnie Wood for example). It was a gala, I don’t think it was just a daytime lunch. The menu seems pretty fancy.
@Valiantly Varnished
It wasn’t a daytime charity event, it was an evening charity gala. It’s perfectly reasonable to get slightly more get slightly more glammed up on such occasions.
I agree. I thought she overdressed for the occasion. The shoes and dress didn’t seem in place either that or everyone else was underdressed.
Love the dress, shoes, and hair (I have fine hair and can’t get it to hold a wave for love or money). I think the makeup is a bit heavy but it looks like she was going for a nighttime eye with the winged liner.
Kate, we’re not all natural public speakers. That’s why there are coaches. Hire one!
Eh, I dont like the dress but I do love the shoes. They are gorgeous and $775. They remind me of my wedding dress shoes. Which are Michael Kors, sky high yet feel like butter, equally glittery albeit one tone. I scooped my shoes up on super sale from the clearance rack at TJ Maxx for $63. Easily the most expensive shoes I ever purchased but I love them and so did the hubs. They have pride of place at the top of our closet. I wonder where Kate keeps her shoes?
Did Kate have a recent brow lift?
I was thinking the same.
She had some botox done recently.
She does boring very well.
She looks beautiful in the first pics but the harsh indoor lighting does her face no favours in the others. But I really like this dress which is youthful looking and the shoes. I even like her hair 😳
Love the dress, love the shoes, but not together. If I don’t look at the shoes, I think she looks great. She has the figure for this dress. The shoes are for a much glizier gown – I don’t necessarily mean shiny, but, for lack of a better word, dressier. I googled the 2016 picture of her in the dress, the shoes were better, and it’s amazing how she maintains her figure because she doesn’t look a bit different three years later, but I couldn’t for the life of me see a wig/wiglet. She has naturally luxuriant hair.
Does she have the dress on backwards? Because I can see the zipper and I don´t think the designer intended it this way? Are there pics of her back?
The runway pics show the zipper in the front, so she is wearing it correctly.
This is one of the few dresses she has worn that I would buy!
The shoes are nice but should not have been worn with this dress.
The speech was flat and she is ‘hugely passionate ‘….really! What have you done for this organization for the last 7 years since you are so hugely passionate???
No matter how much work is put into Kate’s hair when worn long, she ends up pushing it behind her ear(s).
The dress is pretty but silver shoes and purse don’t really mix. Also, I’d like to see accessories……Kate, get a scarf!
And she would’ve looked good here with her hair worn up. I notice she does that mostly on state or more formal occasions when HM is present.
both Meghan and Kate are subjected to the same “she can’t win” treatment depending on where you hang out. I’m finding it dispiriting these days for some reason, maybe it’s the accumulation or that’s it so directed at the women and not their husbands. I have always thought Kate was hamstrung by William as far as her work, he’s the one who sets the expectations for that couple and chose her because she’s so compliant.
I love her hair here. In the photos of her behind the podium it looks especially good. I love the whole look, I get that some people are saying the shoes don’t go with the dress, but given that she would typically pair this with nude heels I think it looks great! Is it just me or does she always look lighter without William? He’s such a downer.
She looks pretty amazing in this. One of her more modern outfits, and an upgrade on the accessories and hair from last wear. Her makeup is quite harsh though. She has smallish eyes. If I were her I would get lash extensions or do more with the eye makeup… Poor Kate. I wonder what her life would have been like if she had married some Marquess or banking heir instead of Prince Rodentface McWanderingSceptre.
Kate has been Patron of this charity for 7 years. She gives a speech as if she has been newly named Patron. Yet she is praised…such a low bar…
Pinstripes, glitter and topaz earrings-she cannot put together an outfit. Gold accessories work better with cream.
I wore platinum earrings and bracelet with my cream wedding dress.
So did I. Has nothing to do with her look. Platinum earrings and bracelet are classic bridal look. I am referring to her silver sparkle shoes and bag and topaz hanging earrings do not go with this outfit.
i don’t think the dress is flattering on her – it draws attention to her shoulders, which are already wider than her small hips but this dress makes them look even wider and her hips even smaller. i’d rather see her in a dress with a fuller skirt that gives her the illusion of hips and balances her figure out.
OR, and hear me out, women can wear whatever they want, even if they have ‘wide shoulders’.
calm your tits, tate, nowhere in my comment did i say she couldn’t or even shouldn’t wear something – i said it was unflattering on her.
no need for scare quotes either, kate does have objectively wide shoulders compared to her hips. it’s a neutral description.
I agree Olive. Kate looks good with a peplum or full skirt to balance her figure which is pretty fabulous, but not perfect.
I like this dress on her, and her jewelry, but not the shoes.
I always thought this dress and that hairstyle makes her look like a bobblehead 🤷♀️
I think her thinness and big hair contribute to that effect a lot as well.
I think her bobble head look is partly because of her slouch. It brings her neck forward in such a way that her head is not in line with her body. On such a long and lean person it’s all the more apparent.
Her whole look would be transformed if she walked straighter with her head held high and shoulders back.
Was it here I read about the fact that all the British goals and aristocrat ladies have this signature slouch?
I know comparing Kate’s public persona to Meghan’s golden run is fun for everyone but I don’t get why we have to use photos of Kate that aren’t super flattering. Would we do that with a pic of Meghan? Idk.
Yes, they really do have a knack for choosing the worst possible pictures of Kate for the front page. It almost feels intentional!
I’m pretty sure it is intentional. It’s part of the charm here 🙂
i’m sure if meghan spends the next 7 years being lazy and workshy like kate she’ll end up with unflattering photos of her chosen too.
Kate pls pls gain 10 pounds and work on your damn posture! Also get your hair out of your face!!! This entire outfit would have been stunning on a woman with a hint more curves.
If I ever ran into this woman, i would physically try to shake some sense into her before getting promptly hauled off by security.
No you would never have a chance to lay hands on her, nor should you. My god
Great dress. She should wear more modern stuff like this. The shoes do not go. They don’t match.
As for #Rosewho, I am looking at Kate here and she looks far prettier than the other lollipop head her man is alleged to be biddiddybopping.
She looks nice—it’s a simple, sleek, and elegant look.
I really enjoy this dress! She looks great in it. I am not digging he silver heals tho! I have been into rose gold or gold lately! LOL
Love the dress. She looks great in it but she looks exhausted… maybe Sleepless Mom Syndrome?
And, as always, stand up straight, Kate!
And low blood sugar.
I think she looks wonderful. I can’t believe she has had 3 children.
It’s fascinating to look at pictures of her from before 2007. She was a fairly ordinary looking woman with some weight on her figure. I often wonder if William’s cheating and passion for women like Isabella Calthorpe drove her Into extreme thinness and plastic surgery so she could “measure up” to a certain standard of beauty.
Regardless of what drove her down that path, why aren’t the royals doing anything about it – remember Diana and her eating disorders?
Good question. Why did they passively stand by as the press volleyed racist attacks on the newest member of their family and mother of their flesh and blood?
Can somebody help me out ? Is the man holding an umbrella while escorting Kate employed by the BRF ? I have seen him escorting different BRF members on many different occasions at all kinds of events.
This is the man holding the umbrella: Sir Kenneth Olisa. The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London, Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE, is Her Majesty’s representative in Greater London and is charged with upholding the dignity of the Crown.
Also for those who don’t know: the botox was topped up between her brows and the extra hairpiece clips on at the crown to fall down the back. Many who follow very low calorie diets suffer from hair loss.
CrystalBall a big thank you and how knowledgeable you are !!!! Insider?
Have taken a moment to read about him. Must say Iam impressed. Maybe the BRF members should be holding the umbrella for him instead, lol.
We can support both Meghan & Kate without shaming the other! Too much negativity towards Kate, claws out to bring her down any which way!
I have never liked this dress. To me, it seems like the kind of dress you wear when you don’t want to make much of an effort, so you throw on the one thing in your closet that looks sort of dressy and call it a day. Her makeup is also heavier, which I guess is okay since it’s an evening event, but it ages her.
The speech was better than the ones she’s given before, more personalized. I don’t doubt that she has a vested interest in early childhood development, but the people she’s chosen for her team to spearhead the “broken Britain” stuff isn’t doing much of anything. She needs to prove her commitment by doing something, rather than just talking about it every once in a while.
Longtime website lurker, first time commenter. Having read lots of articles on her about The Royals, it looks to me that her first priority is William not her royal duties. Maybe that’s why she’s gotten so much crap about not working hard and being a bit of a wallflower. If she’s so determined to keep her man happy, that’s a full time job. And since he is her main focus, she probably can not afford to piss him off by putting herself or the Realm ahead of him. If those are the dynamics of their relationship, god bless her because that would be awful for me.