The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince Harry arriving at Westminster Abbey ahead of a service of celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Photos: Sean Demspey/PAThe Duchess of Cambridge’s outfit for the service celebrating the Queen’s coronation owed as much to her sense of fashion as a desire not to upstage the monarch, according to a fashion expert.
Kate, who is heavily pregnant, turned to one of her favourite designers Jenny Packham for a subtle dress and coat outfit for the Westminster Abbey event that marked the 60th anniversary of the coronation.
The duchess wore a delicate bespoke daisy lace dress with silver grey ribbon detail, with a soft peach silk shantung jacket.
The Queen wore an Angela Kelly dress, hat and coat, with the clothes made from oyster-coloured silk-satin brocade that had been in Buckingham Palace’s material room for a number of years.
Carly Wood, who set up the katemiddletonstyle.org blog, said: “Although the colour was perfect for summer, and it highlighted Kate’s natural glow as an expectant mother, for me it’s all getting a little ‘samey samey’.
The duchess wore a delicate bespoke daisy lace dress with silver grey ribbon detail, with a soft peach silk shantung jacket
“This outfit takes me back to the peach lace McQueen number worn by Kate at the Jubilee service last year, which she paired with the same hat and shoes.
“Perhaps this was Kate’s intention. To keep the outfit understated and elegant, perfect for a ceremony of such importance.
“Anything too bright or fancy and she would have upstaged the Queen and garnered criticism.”
Kate’s outfit also attracted online comment including praise from the website graziadaily.co.uk, whose writer Jessica Vince wrote: “Talk about pregna-chic.”
She also noticed that some of Kate’s accessories had been worn at the Queen’s Jubilee Service last June.
Vince added: “The nude, beaded cocktail hat by Jane Taylor features silk tulle and organza discs and sits atop her glossy brunette waves which are pulled into a half-up, half-down twist.
“You may also recognise those nude heels – yep, they’re the very same LK Bennett Sledges that we’ve seen her wear on countless occasions. Well, you know what they say: if it ain’t broke...”