I’m not going to lie, I barely paid attention to the Cambridge family yesterday despite the presence of four out of the five. Between the Givenchy gown, the ceremony and the carriage ride, it was all about the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex. BUT, I think it’s worth circling back to talk about the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte who were certainly notable guest stars at the royal wedding.
First we need to talk about Kate’s outfit because I was very confused as the day unfolded. When I first saw photos I thought, wait, she recycled the cream McQueen from Charlotte’s christening?? Kate has definitely worn recycles to other people’s weddings in the past, mainly to not steal attention from the bride, but she also has a good sense of when she needs to step up to the plate and honor the occasion. Thus, I was surprised.
Next, I heard that it was a bespoke primrose yellow number from McQueen and, bearing in mind I was only halfway through my coffee and frantically updating to see where Meghan and Harry were, I thought, oh, so she had a new coat dress commissioned that looks almost exactly the same as the cream christening one. I mean, that sounds very Kate.
Inside the chapel I didn’t think much of it – her hat, which was new, looked yellow. She wore nude shoes. Sure, it all looked like a pale yellow get up. It wasn’t until the Royal Family was standing outside and I saw Kate standing next to Charlotte in her white Givenchy bridesmaid dress that I did a double-take. I’m sorry, that coat looks white – or “cream” as I usually describe the original McQueen coat dress. So, is this new or a repeat?
These, quite honestly, are the kinds of questions that keep me up at night.
If it was a repeat, I’m frankly a bit disappointed, though I recognize Kate’s thinking was likely one or a combination of the following: 1) This is Meghan’s day and 2) This coat dress fits me postpartum.
But if what we’ve been referring to as a “cream” McQueen all these years is in fact pale yellow then 1) OMG, how can you trust anything anymore? and 2) No, this is still too pale to be appropriate.
And sorry, that’s where I land. Out in the sunshine this dress shows up white and it’s just bizarre that Kate chose to wear it to a wedding. I don’t think she did this maliciously and I don’t think she stole Meghan’s thunder (duh), but Kate had six months to commission something to fit her one month after giving birth and she’s also done this twice before. There has to be something else in that closet. I’m dubbing this a fashion miss.
MOVING ON. Well, actually, we’re still talking about Kate. It was made clear in the lead up to the wedding that the DoC wouldn’t be given an official role at the wedding, but she ended up playing a very similar one to what she played at Pippa Middleton’s last year: the keeper of the children. Accompanied by Jessica Mulroney and another mother/friend, she helped move the bridesmaids and page boys from the Castle to the Chapel and it was a nice – and likely necessary – touch.
So, let’s turn to the children. We don’t get to see George and Charlotte on a regular basis and so it’s always a treat when we do. As became quite clear when William escorted them to the hospital last month to meet Prince Louis – and to a lesser extent last summer during the Poland & Germany trip – George has become rather shy and Charlotte a bit of a ham.
I think it’s worth noting that William and Harry had similar reputations as children, though in the reverse. William was originally the wild child and Harry the sweeter, quieter one (if a bit naughty), and that did a bit of a 180 once they hit adolescence. But more clearly than on any other occasion, to me at least, this difference was marked yesterday as the Royal Family stood on the steps outside the Chapel to wave off Harry and Meghan in the carriage.
George stood slightly behind his father, while Charlotte happily waved to the crowds.
I mean, look at this kid:
I’m getting a real Eloise at the Plaza vibe from her and I respect the hell out of it:
As for William, I always love seeing him and Harry interact and I thought he showed some classic older brother instincts by chatting with the groom before the ceremony and cracking jokes to keep him laughing. Their relationship is touching and a tribute to them.
We’ll next see these four Cambridges on June 9 for Trooping the Colour (presumably). Little Louis is still too young, but it’s believed that his christening is slated for July so we’re in for a good bit more of the Cambridge family over the next couple months.
I’m still working on post-wedding recap, but will get that up later today.