Well, this is certainly one way to start a week. The Duchess of Cambridge was a surprise addition to an engagement on the books for the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry at Paddington Station. The three stopped by for a visit of the Belmond British Pullman which was carrying 130 children for a trek through the countryside with the cast of Paddington 2 from 30 organizations supported by the royal charities forum.
They spent 45 minutes moving through the train cars to visit with the children. Kate met with a group of kids sponsored by the Anna Freud Centre, one of her patronages. The highlight of the engagement, however, was a quick dance that Kate did with Paddington Bear.
All in all, I’m getting a real Harry Potter/Hogwarts vibe from these pictures, particularly from the images of the kids all set up on the train cars.
Actor Hugh Bonneville was also there, most famous for his role in Downton Abbey, of which Kate was a big fan. During her second pregnancy, she famously made a visit to the set of the television show as it was filming its final season.
Kate wore a pink Orla Kiely raised flower fitted dress, featuring a floral pattern and black velvet trim. Her clutch is by Mulberry and block heels by Tod’s. Orla Kiely, an Irish designer, is a brand Kate has turned to repeatedly over the years, however this particular dress is new to us.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of it. Orla Kiely has always been a bit hit or miss for me and this just doesn’t quite hit the mark in my books, unfortunately.
Some of that might stem from the fact that I’m not quite sure what exactly is going on with Kate’s hair today. She appears to have gotten a trim since last Tuesday’s Buckingham Palace reception, which I’m on board with since I loved her summer length. Where she loses me, however, is this curl going on at the ends while it remains flat and center-parted on top. Hard pass.
But, of course, any Kate sighting is better than no Kate sighting and I’m glad to see she’s starting to feel better and getting back out there. Fingers crossed this is a good sign that she’ll be well enough to make the Scandinavia tour next month.