I don’t remember why now, but I was recently thinking about this lilac Emilia Wickstead that the Duchess of Cambridge debuted in Germany last summer. I think I was thinking that it could be wedding appropriate if paired with the right hat or fascinator, but who can say? Anyway, when I first saw photos from today I didn’t recognize them as such – instead, thinking they were recycled images from Hamburg. But no, William and Kate are out and about at the first Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit and we have our first royal recycle of the season.
Various assortments of the younger royals, including Kate, have made a point of recognizing World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10) for the last few years. Last year was no exception, and William, Kate and Harry in fact held a small reception at Buckingham Palace that marked Kate’s first appearance after announcing her pregnancy with Prince Louis and a several-week HG-induced retirement.
This year, it seems fitting that William and Kate recognize a new government focus on mental health issues, one which brings together experts and policymakers from over 60 countries. Kate’s focus on mental health has historically been children and early intervention, however as you may recall, she announced a new arena that she is keen to wade into – maternal mental health. As such, she and William sat in on a workshop today to hear about a U.S.-based initiative called the MOMS Partnership.
Funny moment today as William and Kate join artist Dario Vargas, a contemporary fine artist from Columbia, who is painting an original piece inspired by the Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit. William originally nominated his wife to have a go ‘as she is the arty one’! pic.twitter.com/r3a1zM3HV5
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) October 9, 2018
During a meeting with artist Dario Vargas, currently working on a piece for the summit, Kate was given the opportunity to add her own flourish.
Final images from the day saw the pair sitting on a large bench that is actually a practice from Zimbabwe, according to Kensington Palace’s Twitter feed. Specially trained “grandmothers” sit on these benches and offer a sympathetic ear and advice for people that need to talk.
I was glad to see William and Kate at this event, and I’m glad World Mental Health Day is becoming such a reliable part of their calendar. Even more, I’m particularly excited to see Kate drill down into maternal mental health and was pleased that this focus area was acknowledged via the workshop. As I’ve said before, I can’t think of anyone better-positioned than Kate to really make a difference in this space and as we saw from the Heads Together push last spring, the RF can make waves.
On the fashion front, I actually went back to look at my old post on Hamburg to see what I said. The quote below feels particularly appropriate given that Kate also recently recycled the blue Catherine Walker coat dress:
“I would put this dress in the same category of Wednesday’s blue Catherine Walker coat dress – perfectly appropriate, beautiful and classic, but not necessarily exciting. It does, however, do its job, segueing Kate from her day engagements to the family’s formal departure.”
I also noted that my favorite part of the dress was its color. That last part holds true, but the dress itself has grown on me. It’s simple, classic and fun. And while she wore the same suede Gianvito Rossi heels, she did carry a new handbag by Aspinal. Side by sides of the looks also underscores that we should probably acknowledge Kate’s hair – she’s definitely cut it since the summer, and it looks like she added golden highlights. It’s not as dramatic a cut as the one she debuted last summer, and while I’m all for Kate keeping her length and famous waves, I do prefer her hair darker.
Anyway, we’ll next see Kate tomorrow at the V&A, and then again on Friday for Princess Eugenie’s wedding!