Australia is a Commonwealth realm, which has to help. For those who still consider Harry and Meghan British royals, and there are a lot who do, this is essentially a royal tour. Victoria Ward of The Telegraph estimated at least 1,000 people showed up to Harry and Meghan’s first stop at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

The second thing that made it feel like an actual tour was the (relative) complexity. After their stop at the hospital, the two split up. Harry made himself scarce while Meghan headed to a woman’s shelter to serve and eat lunch with survivors of family violence (Harry has a solo stop planned for Day 2, which, given the time difference, has already taken place as of this writing).

The third and final event of the day was an evening visit with veterans’ families at the Australian National Veterans’ Art Museum.

The couple’s trip to Jordan was a hot mess, with limited photos from bad angles. Meghan made it 10x worse by wearing the same-old-same-old such that you couldn’t tell if they did one event or four in a single day. Plus, the items she chose were their own independent train wreck. There were several layers to that bad onion of a visit, but I digress. Thus far, in Australia, she seems to have put a lot more work into wardrobe.

She started the day in a navy dress by Karen Gee, which she paired with Dior pumps and gold accessories (Cartier watch and bracelet). She kept that ensemble on for her visit to the shelter.

for her evening event, Meghan changed into a St. Agni column skirt and bomber jacket paired with a P Johnson sweater top and Aquazzura heels. The bomber jacket flirted a little with a style that can get her into a lot of trouble, but the structured skirt and soft shell top pulled it out.

People like to pooh-pooh fashion these days, but the inescapable reality is that clothes matter, and they set a tone for a tour. On her visit to Jordan, Meghan looked like a frazzled NGO worker who needed a makeover. Today, she reminded me of the days when she was briefly known as HRH the Duchess of Sussex.

The Princess of Wales was wearing a Self-Portrait dress we have seen her wear before, which she paired with a perfectly coordinated, oak-themed hat from Juliette Botterill. I really liked this dress when she debuted it, and I thought it was a wonderful choice for Easter Sunday.

Kate was carrying a DeMellier bag and wearing Ralph Lauren heels. She wore the Bahrain diamond and pearl earrings with her diamond cross pendant. Also all accessories I love, although it could have been fun to wear her wedding acorn and oak leaf earrings as a hat-tip to her topper.

I think the big headline was how tall George has gotten. As crazy as this is, he will be a teenager in just a few months, and it does look like he is stretching out.

William and Kate seemed in great moods with big smiles throughout the morning.

Meanwhile, across the pond… Meghan shared a number of Easter videos highlighting her children from behind. I think if you are going to hide your children’s faces—which I am certainly fine with—you should not also post multiple pictures. I follow a mom account where the woman will share five pictures in a row of her children with their faces blocked. It is…odd. It’s one thing if it is a picture of you with your child and you want to share the nice shot of yourself and hide the minor’s face. But to devote multiple slides to your children, all while also hiding their faces, sends a mixed signal. Meghan has been doing more and more of this.

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In this piece, Roya recounts where the situation stands (and you would be forgiven for having lost the plot a bit in the last few years):

After losing a long legal battle with the government over his security last year, Harry wrote to the home secretary asking for a full risk assessment to be carried out. The request was granted. He is now waiting to hear if the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which makes the final decision on the level of police protection, will agree to the reinstatement. A decision is expected soon.

That’s the background. But the article is really focused on Harry’s desire to return to the U.K. with his children to visit the King. If he returns to the U.K. at the invitation of the monarch for some royal-related reason, he gets the full government-funded security for the duration of his trip.

Roya quoted one friend saying:

“If he was invited by the King, he would get a package of security that automatically kicks in. He’d like an invite to Sandringham. Would he go? It would depend who was there. If the King was to say, ‘Come up and spend some time with the family’, he’d love that.”

Another source told Roya: “H[arry] always loves seeing his father and would love to see him as much as possible.” These sources have frankly telegraphed Harry’s wishes in the past. Roya reminded readers:

Before [Harry’s] visit to the UK last September, a source close to the duke told The Sunday Times: “He’s not given up hope on bringing his family back to the UK. He wants to be able to show his children where he grew up. He wants them to know their family here. He really would like to come back to the UK much more.”

I had forgotten this, but apparently in 2023 Harry indicated he’d like to come home for a family holiday, too:

In November 2023, a friend of the Sussexes told The Sunday Times that the couple would readily accept an invitation to spend Christmas with the King and the royal family at Sandringham, or a summer stay at Balmoral. It is understood neither transpired.

Of course, there has been a lot of water under the bridge since winter 2023.

As you know, there are other reporters out there (Eden, I believe) whose sources suggest there are ongoing talks about bringing the Sussexes back into the fold in some capacity. Although we have discussed that the monarchy slimmed down in an unexpected fashion—Harry’s flameout and now the disappearing of the entire House of York—I don’t think the solution is to bring the two most toxic members of the family since Wallace and David (perhaps more toxic) back into action. Nevertheless, it is interesting that those rumors continue to circulate.

Even if the King is wavering (and I am by no means saying he is), I think we all know that William would be fighting tooth and nail against reconciliation. The betrayal simply runs too deep. I am very interested to see if Harry gets some traction this summer, though, either with a visit or some kind of royal acknowledgment of the Invictus Games.

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Kate chose green Andrew Gn and her now iconic Lovers’ Knot tiara.

Kate was wearing the Queen Mother’s sapphire and diamond fringe earrings, which she has worn a number of times. She first debuted them at the 100 Women in Hedge Funds’ gala in 2015:

I love an explosive flower arrangement, but we need to have a word with the Buckingham Palace staff about the ones that are placed in front of Kate’s seat at these events.

I didn’t hate this dress. It did look like the dress Kate wore to the Jordanian royal wedding, which, of course, was a design chosen to work for an event in a muslim nation.

So, the dress isn’t her usual look and might not be as glamorous by western standards as some had expected or hoped for. I think this look can be glam regardless, but I understand why it felt off to others. But, in fact, it is a beautiful color on her and I didn’t mind it at all.

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March 12th—Day Out in London

On March 12th, the royal couple undertook a series of public engagements. They began at London’s historic Borough Market where they toured various stalls. Then they headed to Bermondsey Beer Mile in Southwark, London, where they visited Southwark Brewing Company and the Fabal Beerhall. The couple closed their day at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Tower Lifeboat Station on the Thames.

Kate wore her Catherine Walker blazer in Prince of Wales check and WNU poplin button-down. She was wearing Jospeh trousers and Jimmy Choo boots (a debut for these ankle boots).

Kate kept the accessories simple with a Me+Em belt and Cartier Trinity earrings.

I liked this ensemble well enough. I didn’t love the boots, but they aren’t visible in many pictures. The look did not take my breath away, but it was the right call for the series of engagements she had for the day, which included climbing up a ladder to stir a vat of beer and climbing into a rescue boat to jet about the Thames.

March 17th—St. Patrick’s Day

March 17th was St. Patrick’s Day, of course, and Kate was at Aldershot for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Kate wore the green McQueen coat she first debuted in January 2023 and wore again on Christmas Day in 2024.

But, for this appearance, the princess added a belt, and it just shifted something that made the entire look off in terms of the tailoring. I think the coat has a looser fit than some of Kate’s coat, but it still has hourglass tailoring. When Kate added a cinched in belt, it made the fabric bunch up, as visible here:

I think the belt was too chunky, but upon exhaustive review, I think any belt would clash with the tailoring of this piece, which stands on its own and does not benefit from a belt. Kate’s hat—an old favorite from Gina Foster—was a big hit, as were her Asprey emerald and diamond earrings and Cornelia James gloves.

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I suspect this latest iteration was sparked by the news earlier this month that Netflix has ended its partnership with As Ever. Both sides confirmed the news, essentially saying Netflix was always going to pull back once As Ever could stand on its own. That sounds a little suspect. Netflix is, after all, a business, not a charity. Presumably it was looking for some kind of ROI.

This latest headline followed the news in January that With Love, Meghan would not be renewed for a third season. But, again, this was so self-evident from the moment you watched the first episode of the first season that I didn’t really consider it news.

It seems that Meghan is feeling the need to ramp things up, though, because yesterday she turned to her Instagram and deployed Lily in her latest video.

I think we can count on more and more teases of the children as Meghan’s other ventures fail. Anyway . . . Back to Variety!

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The King and Queen were at the Abbey on. Monday, of course, and they were joined by Princess Anne and her husband as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. I will say, Charles wanted a slimmed down monarchy and, by golly, that is what he has gotten, although not, perhaps, as he might have wanted it to slim down.

Nevertheless, the slimmer royal party was all smiles as they greeted one another. I enjoyed video from Rebecca English from inside the Abbey.

The Daily Mail ran a headline that had me rolling my eyes a bit: “Prince William told Princess Anne: ‘I’ve had enough of hearing his name’ during ‘tense’ conversations between the royals at Commonwealth Day service, according to a lip reader.” I do not think for one minute that William and Anne chose the moment they were standing in a public space with cameras, video recording devices, and reporters watching their every move to sneak in a quick chat about Andrew.

Kate chose a custom coat-dress from Catherine Walker, and paired it with a Sean Barrett hat she has worn before, but to which she added netting on the brim. She caught some flak in various quarters for this look, but I think it was perfect.

Longer hemlines are en vogue for women right now, and certainly for young moms in their thirties and early forties. The pleating on this piece gave it feminine movement, and the structure of the bodice made it feel formal without being too much. I thought it was beautiful.

Kate was wearing the Bahrain earrings and her vintage five-strand pearls, and she was carrying a Strathberry wallet clutch. As I noted on Instagram, these flowers are gorgeous. Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers, but I just found out that you have to be very careful in floral arrangements. They ooze a substance toxic to other flowers, so you have to cut them and let them sit in water for at least an hour before mixing them in with your other blooms. Random, but I wanted to share with my fellow daffodil lovers out there.

In the heyday of Kate-royal-watching, there were a lot of jubilees and other services of Thanksgiving, but it seems they have gotten more rare of late, which makes the Commonwealth Day service very special.

This is, frankly, just what the royals needed this week. This was a good start to a period of William and Kate acting as palette cleaners for the Andrew headlines. The Waleses are the family’s top stars, and these sorts of formal events are some of the family’s best.

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Last week, Charlotte Griffiths, Editor-at-Large of The Mail on Sunday, reported that Beatrice and Eugenie have been told they may not join the senior royals at Ascot this year, and, indeed, any public events “for the foreseeable future.” Yikes.

[T]he MoS understands that the move is part of a wider decision to exclude the Princesses from all public-facing events for the foreseeable future.

It follows high-level Palace meetings about the role the pair should play given that serious questions remain about the extent of their relationship with the paedophile financier, including financial links.

I was a little surprised by the headline when I first saw it, but it actually makes sense. As the royals try to keep the dumpster fire that is Andrew and Fergie from getting out of control, Beatrice and Eugenie are a reminder of Andrew and his sins. Plus, as this report notes, it isn’t fully clear yet the extent of the girls’ financial ties to Epstein, with some wondering who paid for Beatrice’s lavish lifestyle throughout her twenties. Frankly, I always figured the granddaughter of a woman worth an estimated half-billion dollars (in her private capacity alone) probably wasn’t scrambling for funding, but who knows.

It really doesn’t matter, though, if it turns out Beatrice was funded by the Queen and not Epstein. The girls are their parents’ children, and, to quote the 1995 Pride & Prejudice—they are “tainted by association.” Just like William didn’t want to be pictured next to Andrew and have people talking; the Palace won’t want any of its seniors photographed with the York girls and reminding people that senior members of the BRF were caught up in the Epstein scandal. Distance is, no doubt, the watchword at the Palace.

The report about Ascot came right after another story that claimed Kate and the York girls have always had a frosty relationship. The Daily Mail reported that it all started back in 2008:

The earliest cracks began to show in 2008, when Beatrice and Eugenie allegedly faced off against the Middletons, who were dubbed the ‘sizzler sisters’ by the media.

Beatrice and Eugenie were sitting front row for royal-approved label Issa’s show in September 2008, when organisers rushed over asking them to make room for Pippa.

They allegedly refused, as one source told the Daily Mail: ‘Pathetic, maybe, but however you look at it, people remember these things.

‘They deplete mutual goodwill, if there is any to begin with.’

Apparently, this alleged slight resulted in them both being left off the guest list for Kate’s famous disco fundraiser.

When someone else extended an invitation to Beatrice, she attended, but she was ignorant of the party’s theme and dress code (so the story goes):

Kate may have taken the snub personally, as neither Beatrice nor Eugenie was initially invited to her disco-themed fundraiser.

After all, Kate joined forces with Pippa to organise the Eighties bash to raise money for their school friend Thomas Waley-Cohen, who passed away from bone cancer in 2004, aged 20.

However, Beatrice was later photographed arriving at the Renaissance Rooms with her then-boyfriend Dave Clark - but the princess did not follow the disco-themed dress code.

Based upon her eye-shadow and lipstick, I am going to say that Beatrice was aware of the theme. Maybe she didn’t know just how all-out Kate and the other organizers were going to go, but I think she knew the theme.

In stark contrast to Kate and Pippa’s shimmering outfits, Beatrice opted for a more demure blue frock that she paired with a jacket and black ballet flats.

Kate, on the other hand, was dressed in a dazzling turquoise top and luminous yellow shorts, while Pippa lit up the dance floor in a black sequinned sleeveless top and matching skirt.

Sources told the Daily Mail that Beatrice was ‘in tears’ because she felt left out.

An even older article describes other potential early rivalries:

From Beatrice and Eugenie remaining close pals with the one woman by whom Kate has ever felt threatened — the stunning Isabella Branson, whom William is said to have propositioned during the couple’s brief split — to perceived slights against Kate’s sister Pippa by the Princesses, the relationship between the three women is not as easy as it could be.

And apparently, this frosty feeling has only been intensified by what some see as Kate’s preferential treatment by The Firm ahead of Beatrice and Eugenie.

At the same time, old-timers here at From Berkshire to Buckingham will remember that we have discussed the seemingly warm rapport between Kate and Eugenie (pre-Meghan), while the relationship between Kate and Beatrice seemed cordial enough. Eugenie did seem to be more excited about Kate, and she (Eugenie) attended Pippa’s wedding. Beatrice was not present, although we don’t know why.

That said, James Middleton attended Beatrice’s engagement party to Edoardo. So…

Ultimately, I suspect the truth is complicated and that these relationships have gone through shifts and seasons. Perhaps there was an initial slight early on. They were all pretty young, and I bet that the York girls (as Princesses of the Blood whose father is so focused on royal status) did struggle a little welcoming a royal girlfriend. Of course, once Kate married William, not only was she transformed into a royal but her international fame went instantly through the roof. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, and it seems the girls did. Eugenie’s relationship with Kate, and Beatrice’s seeming comfort with Kate, did not appear feigned.

In those first several years, they were all young royals—grandchildren of the monarch—enjoying early adulthood, independence, and notoriety. Life was glamorous and exciting, and they were all in it together.

As time proceeded, though, the differences became more apparent and felt. Everyone got a little older; Meghan entered the picture; William and Kate’s role grew in stature, family dynamics changed…the Queen died.

People do change as they age. There is such a huge difference between 25 and 35 or 40. Suddenly, they weren’t a unified group. That generation of cousins fractured as the hierarchy asserted order within the stratum. William and Kate moved into their 40s, their roles took on more gravitas, and their relationship with Harry cracked and broke. Cousins took sides—Eugenie went with Harry, the Tindalls stood with William and Kate.

Ironically, after Eugenie appeared to embrace Kate more warmly when the latter first joined the family, Beatrice has more steadily maintained a good relationship with The Firm. Just two years ago, some outlets were referring to Beatrice as the King’s right-hand-woman (while Kate was fighting cancer) and predicting she might become a working royal! Meanwhile, Eugenie seemed to damage her relationship with her royal cousins when she very publicly sided with Harry and Meghan in the split.

I understand the extenuating circumstances here, but, in general, family unity is a beautiful blessing and I cheer for togetherness. I feel sorry for Beatrice, especially, who seems to have made a real point to foster her relationship with her family. Being excluded from these major family events is a huge life change, and, of course, hard on her children, too. I wonder how long they will be excluded?

It just goes to show, sin is never just personal. There is always collateral. In the case of Andrew, that collateral is extensive and clear.

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Harry and Meghan’s second day in Jordan was anticlimactic, to say the least. You might have thought that, sartorially speaking, things could not get worse than Day 1. But the only thing worse than being a sartorial spectacle is being so benign as to go almost wholly unnoticed.

To me, this second day really highlighted how important clothes are on tour.

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Kate chose a burgundy ensemble composed of previously debuted pieces. She wore her Alexander McQueen coat first worn to the Qatari State Visit paired with a ME + EM blouse and CO pleated skirt.

Kate wore Gianvito Rossi boots and chose her Kiki McDonough citrine drops on gold hoops—always a huge hit in my book.

On March 1st itself, which fell on a Sunday this year, William and Kate (dressed in a previously debuted Alessandra Rich dress) released a video wishing the Welsh a Happy St. David’s Day.

I love daffodils, so St. David’s Day celebrations are always a big hit to me. It is wonderful that William and Kate are giving it more and more attention now that they are formally the Prince and Princess of Wales.

This ensemble was a big hit. It was a rainy cold day in Wales, and the whole look was oh-so-elegant. Anytime Kate adds boots to her coats like this, it looks luxe and cozy.

I never wrote a post wrapping up Harry and Meghan’s visit to Jordan, and I am sending out my brief thoughts in just a few minutes.

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In case you missed the headlines this morning, Harry and Meghan are in Jordan at the invitation of the World Health Organization for a two-day…PR visit . They were greeted on their arrival by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO. According to People:

The couple’s first engagement was a World Health Organization roundtable in Amman, hosted by Dr. Ghebreyesus and regional WHO leaders, convening key donors and humanitarian partners for a working discussion on health response and support for communities affected by conflict and displacement. Per PA, they were also joined by UN agencies like UNWRA, UNHCR, World Food Programme, Unicef and diplomatic attendees from countries like the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Canada.

Meghan wore a white tweed jacket and white trousers, both from Veronica Beard. Once upon a time, Meghan was a really great dresser. I loved a lot of her ensembles when she first met Harry and was engaged to Harry. But her post-royal-wipeout looks have been a series of train wrecks. This blazer is nice, but the trousers are a crumpled mess. Crumpled mess, you will soon find out, was the sartorial theme of the day.

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I have not seen anything to suggest the family already slipped away to Mustique this year. It is possible, since they have been on half term break for several weeks, but unlikely. This is certainly the year to most definitely NOT miss, given the recent headlines generated by Andrew. I think the couple would have made this event a priority regardless, because they do catch quite a bit of heat when they miss, but my guess is that with the current firestorm it was a critical command performance. And the couple put on quite the appearance, even coordinating the colors of their ensembles.

The Daily Mail reported that Kate watched the Best Picture nominee Hamnet last night, but that William has yet to see it:

[I]t was clear that issues engulfing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor weren’t far from Prince William’s mind as he admitted he had not yet watched best picture nominee Hamnet because he ‘needed to be in a calm mood’.

Speaking on the carpet before the star-studded event at The Royal Festival Hall he said: ‘I need to be in quite a calm state and I am not at the moment. I will save it.’

But Catherine, he said, had watched the hugely emotional film on Saturday night and was left in ‘floods of tears’.

Hamnet tells the story of the tragic death in childhood of Shakespeare’s son and the grief of his parents.

‘I thought it was a bad idea, actually,’ the princess joked of watching the film before the ceremony. ‘Ended up with very puffy eyes. It was so beautifully shot. The music as well. The score is fantastic.’

Kate the Great turned to her closet and wore the bespoke pink Gucci she first wore to 100 Women in Finance back in 2019 (pictured below). It was a smash hit then and it was a smash hit today.

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But the big news this morning is, of course, centered on Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor. If you are in the United States, perhaps you, like me, woke to a push notification on your phone that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested. According to The Telegraph:

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As you likely know, William spent a few days in Saudi Arabia and, no sooner did he return, than Kate headed out and about again. The Princess of Wales visited Castle Hill Academy in South London where Place2Be has an integrated mental health program.

It is Children’s Mental Health Week (launched by Place2Be in 2015), and Kate was marking the occasion. She does not always do an in-person event for Children’s Mental Health Week, so this was a treat. I also feel like it’s been a while since we have seen Kate out on an aggressively branded Place2Be engagement. Am I wrong?

It feels a little nostalgic for me to see Kate at a school for Place2Be. I think she undertook a lot more engagements for them back in the day. It is one of her earliest patronages, too, so we’ve been seeing her support them from the start.

Kate debuted some new pieces on this outing. She was rewearing her Petra Petrov brown blazer and Massimo Dutti linen button down, but she paired those pieces with a new pair of trousers from Joseph Coleman and new loafers by Boden. I have been on the hunt for loafers for a few months and this outing definitely pushed me to go ahead and purchase. A number of you messaged me about the loafers, too, so the Kate effect was in full swing yesterday.

I love the color brown, I don’t mind the occasional trouser ensemble, but this picture above does make me miss the old days. The lady in the back—wearing a pretty printed dress and cheerful pink trench—stands in stark contrast to Kate’s ensemble. I think it is hard to argue that the bright and feminine ensembles are simply more cheerful and polished than these brown trouser looks.

Anyway. I know I have pledged not to complain every time Kate wears trousers, but every now and again—especially on a school visit like this one—I just have to raise my hand and note that for more than a decade, Kate nailed these events. She was the image of a modern Princess in cute dresses or sleek coat-dresses and scarves. And these recent looks just don’t measure up.

In any event. I just had to say that. But…it’s Friday! So that’s the good news. :-). And, we all did love the shoes. Maybe this means the next outing will be a dress or skirt ensemble? I am off to see if Jessica Reed Kraus is done with aliens.

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For some years, there have been people online who claim Meghan was “a yacht girl,” and linked to Epstein. I have always dismissed these suggestions, because, frankly, it just seemed unlikely in my mind. Like, what are the odds? And given how much people hate her, there is a lot of energy out there to make up crazy things. So I have ignored. I am not a Meghan fan, but I like to deal in facts or logical speculation.

So I was very surprised yesterday when multiple people sent me screenshots of Jessica Reed Kraus’s Instagram (aka HouseInHabit) where Jessica said she has been holding slides/story about Meghan since 2018. Let’s start from the beginning. Jessica was sharing in her Instagram Stories her plans to report on the Epstein documents and these two slides came up:

Obviously, my eyes were popping out. This was the next slide:

Jessica then discussed other women linked to Epstein before coming back around to this:

Then these two in tandem, suggesting they are both part of Epstein’s harem.

She included this screenshot of her drafts folder where she says she has been holding the Meghan story since 2018:

Now, I know not everyone likes Jessica (and some love her!), but that’s really irrelevant to whether she has a story here. That’s what we are here for—the story.

I have no idea what is going to come out. The slides could be sensationalized a little. The story might end up being that Meghan was, indeed, a yacht girl (which wouldn’t come across as super out of character, to my mind) and she knew people who knew people. Or perhaps she was friends with someone who was connected to Epstein. I am not assuming that Jessica is going to report that Meghan was on the island or anything, but who knows. She does suggest in those slides that Meghan is counted among Epstein’s “harem.”

I do think that Jessica seems like an Epstein expert. She has spent an enormous amount of time studying the key players and she appears ultra-connected. Suffice to say, I am stalking her Stories waiting for her to spill the beans.

I will report back.

Interestingly, both Meghan and Harry and William and Kate hired “crisis comms” in mid-January. For Meghan and Harry, they reportedly rehired Sunshine Sachs. The Telegraph reported on the Sussexes:

The Duchess of Sussex has returned to the celebrity public relations firm she used as an actress following the departure of her latest publicist, The Telegraph can reveal.

Rather than take a punt on yet another advisor, Meghan has rehired Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis (SSML) to help publicise her As Ever brand as well as other work.

The development follows the departure of Meredith Maines, the Sussexes’ chief communications officer, who quit towards the end of last year after less than a year in the role.

Ms Maines was the couple’s 11th PR officer in just five years and rather than risk a 12th, the couple decided to revert to a known entity, and one that had served them well.

It was reported that William and Kate’s hire has a background in crisis, but was hired for run-of-the-mill communications work. That said, obviously, the Palace knows a lot of what has been and might be revealed, so it is possible that these hires were in preparation for the bombshells that are about to burst.

Time will tell. One thing is certain, Meghan continues to keep things salacious in the royal watching world.

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I was just poking around their website. I have been trying to settle on a good upholstery fabric for one of my couches (for an absurdly long time; I am just stuck in indecision), so I peeked at the company’s upholstery. They have a pattern very close to the one Kate used for the coat she is wearing. I believe Kate Middleton Style tracked down the actual vintage fabric that Kate used, in this rusty red. But Melin Tregwynt obviously still uses the general pattern.

After touring the facility, helping to mend a blanket, and greeting a gathered crowd, Kate was off to Cardigan, West Wales. There, she visited the Hiut Denim factory, which makes luxury jeans. The company was founded in 2012 to replace an earlier denim factory that shuttered in 2002, laying off 400 employees.

Interestingly, Meghan wore a pair of Hiut Denim jeans on a visit to Cardiff in 2018, several months before her wedding. That was back when she was hitting the ground running and all. I am not sure if this was before or after she started complaining that she should be paid to do the walkabouts (for the record, I also don’t know if that story is true; but, I obviously woke up on the snarky side of the bed).

Back to Kate… The Princess finished off a pair of jeans for Prince William, and she herself was gifted a pair of the yet-to-be-released Mari jeans (keep an eye out for for that release).

If this dog looks familiar, it is not Orla, but they are the same breed. Kate took a particular interest in the pup and explained that they have Orla, who is five years old, and an eight-month-old puppy. Here is a video from Hello! with the interaction:

I will admit that after Kate wore trousers to her last engagement, I was hoping for a skirt/dress, but here we are. I liked a lot about this ensemble. Kate looks really good in turtlenecks, and I think they are a particularly nice look with a jacket or coat, as styled here, because they appear sleek and cozy.

Kate was wearing a new pair of trousers by Victoria Beckham. If she is going to wear trousers, I like that she went with Victoria’s, because they are always such a flattering cut. Someone mentioned in the comments last week, when I wrote about the “embattled Beckhams,” that Kate might choose to wear something from Victoria’s collection to show support for her. And here is Kate wearing a new pair of trousers from Victoria Beckham. Should we assume this is a show of solidarity?

Ok…the coat. Obviously it is a bespoke piece using wool from Melin Tregwynt, as noted above. I love the cut and tailoring. The pattern is a vintage rose. I have gone back and forth about the coat, because sometimes I like it when my eye is scanning over and then I look closer and I am not in love. I am going to go with, no, though. The pattern is, indeed, very vintage. It might have worked in a blue or some other color, but the rusty red here takes it over the edge for me. Just a little too 1970s couch for me.

That said, I do love the cut and tailoring. This shorter length is so flattering and a nice change-up from the long coats that are en vogue right now (and which I love!). But variety is the spice of life, as my mother would say.

Most of all, I love to see Kate out supporting and promoting British manufacturing. it’s good for the economy and good for her people. That’s really excellent royal power in action.

After her time visiting with families and staff, Kate headed to Wakefield Trinity Rugby League Club to learn about programs the club uses to engage the community and combat isolation—especially with the elderly.

The rugby club was the stop before the Princess headed into the hills, so she changed her ensemble before she left. Kate greeted waiting fans outside before waving goodbye.

Then it was off to Mind Over Mountains for a wellbeing walk.

From a fashion perspective, it was a fun day combining professional and casual Kate. Her professional ensemble featured a Holland Cooper double-breasted blazer, a brown turtleneck, and complementing trousers by Jigsaw. Kate accessorized with her Trinity earrings by Cartier and block heels in a chocolate brown by Emmy London.

For her walk in the mountains, Kate pulled her Duberry jacket from her closet and layered it over her snug Seeland quilted coat. She was wearing Holland Cooper Jodhpur jeans and Berghaus Supalite II Goretex hiking boots.

Kate was wearing her baker boy hat, which many now believe is House of Bruar, and she added a cashmere snood from Brora.

I do love how House of Bruar has been popping up so much. Carole wore one of their beautiful coats to the Together at Christmas service and Kate has been adding various accessories from the company to her wardrobe. She has really embraced the Scottish wool (and country clothes) brands.

You might have seen on your Instagram scrolls that the Palace released a video of a visit Kate made to The Arc in Winchester to see The Beauty of Earth exhibition. I find these sorts of events very interesting. I assume that Kate was in the area for something she was doing privately, and her team tacked on this stop?

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For those who do not know, David and Victoria Beckham’s eldest son Brooklyn married a young woman named Nicola Peltz (daughter of American billionaire Nelson Peltz). The two wed in 2022, and there were stories around the time about wedding drama and a feud between Victoria and Nicola. Those headlines have popped up over the years again and again as it was also reported Brooklyn was estranged from his family. This is a recap from my perspective, based upon seeing headlines as I scroll the DailyMail. As I say, I am only a casual observer of this story.

Anyway, this past week, Brooklyn posted multiples slides on Instagram attacking his family, especially Victoria, claiming all sorts of wrongs—most of them ambiguous—including an unintelligible tale of his parents trying to make him sign away a trademark of his name. His claim that, at his wedding, his mother Victoria stole the dance he was supposed to share with Nicola (and danced inappropriately all over him!) almost broke the internet. Generally, he claimed he’s been controlled by his family, that his wife has been disrespected, that he wants a life free from press manipulation, that he’s super happy in his new life and just wants peace and privacy. Sound familiar?

Right up there with the tweets and Instagram posts imagining Victoria at the wedding (which were weird but also funny) were many, many posts comparing Brooklyn to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The internet immediately made the connection—two spoiled, wealthy men who were handed everything lashing out at their families for what sound like absurdly uber-rich-world problems to the common man.

It made me chuckle a little, because there is already a saying, “being markled,” which is when someone cuts you out of their life entirely after using you for personal advancement. And now the Sussexes are also the template or archetype for spoiled young people crashing out of the family in very public and embarrassing ways.

David and Victoria Beckham both have rubbed shoulders with royalty relatively frequently. David, in particular, appears with Prince William with some regularity. The two have joined forces for Earthshot, a World Cup Bid, United for Wildlife, and other charitable initiatives over the years (pictured throughout this post). The Beckhams were guests at William and Kate’s wedding (and the Sussexes’), and both David and Victoria have received OBEs. Kate, after many years, introduced Victoria’s label into her closet. She has showcased accessories as well as one of Victoria’s suits and a knit dress (pictured below). And, of course, David was recently knighted by King Charles, making the couple Sir David and Lady Victoria Beckham.

Now they have one more thing over which to bond with the royals—they both have wayward family members living in America and lashing out at them.

And I will just say, no one is perfect, and there are usually two sides to every story. I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors at the Beckhams’ barn-mansion, but it is too bad Brooklyn hasn’t been royal-watching enough to know that airing dirty laundry à la Sussex can backfire in a big way. One thing is certain, he is learning about the Sussexes this week. Will Harry and Meghan cringe over this, or invite the Peltz-Beckhams to tea?

The couple visited the National Curling Academy in Stirling. I did not know that curling originated in Scotland, but it makes sense when you think about it. Is it like stone putting on ice? (All my curling people are going to say, no! But it seems like there is a connection.) In any event, the visit was quite timely, since the Winter Olympics begin in northern Italy on February 6th.

Then the two were off to Radical Weavers, an organization that promotes traditional Scottish weaving.

Finally, the couple stopped off at the Gothenburg Pub, which generates income that is used for the benefit of the community (the pub’s history is an interesting story).

Kate’s fashion was quite a lot of fun. The Princess was wearing a bespoke coat made by tailor Chris Kerr from a wool tartan Kate created in collaboration with Johnstons of Elgin. Kate was obviously looking to emulate the colors in the Scottish flag, which she did well. This blue is gorgeous on her. She hit it out of the park in the color department.

This particular color blue and color combo reminded me a lot of perhaps my favorite Scottish ensemble from Kate—her Christopher Kane coat from 2015 in Dundee, Scotland.

The coat resembled Kate’s Blazé Milano coat, which Kate loves s much. I was interested to see the bunching at the waist, which is very similar to her Blazé Milano, and even the pattern of the tartan (if not the color) recalled her Blazé Milano. She must have chosen these details because she likes them, and it is a real tribute to the inspiration coat.

My only issue with Tuesday’s coat was the fit. To me, it looked a little big in the shoulders. And a little heavy or clunky in the waist. I don’t know; there was just something about it that looked clunky. Kate wears these long coats often—from McQueen to Holland Cooper—and usually they are a smash hit. I don’t know if the material was a little too stiff? The shoulders were, in my opinion, simply too wide for her petite frame, but I am not sure if there was more to it, or if that alone threw off the balance.

I still liked the coat, but I think it could use a little tweaking. I will admit that I can’t get behind the sweater vest. No one on earth can turn me from a foe to a fan on fashion items faster than Kate (and maybe TexaFlora on IG), but I just can’t get on board with this item. That said, I love the energy from William in the background cheering Kate on.

It was a great day. I can’t wait to see Kate out and about again. That said, I know some of you are waiting on some Meghan and Harry chit chat. We haven’t touched on the two yet this year, so that’s coming!

The first video clip shows William walking ahead of Kate at the Royal Variety last November. The anti-Wales contingent out there claims that this shows how disconnected from each other the two have become. William obviously does not love Kate anymore, we are told. Harry would never just walk off and leave Meghan.

The second video is of William, George, and Charlotte arriving by helicopter at Kensington Palace with their dogs in tow. This, we are told, proves that William and Kate live at separate homes and share custody of the children. I guess this is William’s weekend, according to these people.

There is a third video of William telling Kate to wrap it up and move along at Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa’s wedding. He must really dislike her to do anything less than fawn over his bride in public, we are told.

Moving through these three videos in the order presented…

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