July 2023 Newsletter
Overview of Kate's fashion this month; follow up on Harry and Meghan post.
July is usually a mixed month for royal engagements. The start of the month is always busy with Wimbledon and engagements, like polo, that are staples of the early summer. But as the month begins to wane, and we approach August, the royal calendars can start to get quite sparse. This was certainly the case with Kate’s this year.
The Princess of Wales kicked off July with a visit to All England Club wearing a summery white skirt and fresh mint-colored blazer by Balmain. I loved this ensemble. The colors were perfect for Wimbledon, and the blazer was beautifully tailored. Definitely a little bit of an 80s vibe, but she carried it off splendidly.
This appearance was early in the tournament, and I thought she might visit again before the finals, but she did not. Happily, she had a number of other interesting engagements on her calendar, though, in those early days of July.
William and Kate celebrated the 75th anniversary of the NHS by helping out at the Big Tea party at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. Kate recycled this Alessandra Rich dress. Kate wore this to Wimbledon in 2022, and she was pictured wearing it to a Big Jubilee Lunch. It’s the Big [Meal] Dress. I know not everyone loves Alessandra Rich, but this is one of her more subdued dresses, in my opinion, and the color and fit are exceptional on Kate.
Then, it was off to Scotland for the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication. The event was termed by some as the Scottish coronation for King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Kate recycled her Catherine Walker coat she first debuted at the 2022 Commonwealth Day Service in London and then wore again for Easter this year. On this wear, Kate changed things up by choosing a new blue satin Philip Treacy hat. The satin of the hat coordinated with the satin of her lapels. I see the thinking behind the hat, I do, but for me it was a huge miss. I didn’t think the design of the hat was very flattering, covering the front of her forehead as it did. The shine of the hat did not help, either. The ensemble was very bold blue, and a matte hat might have helped ground it a little. To me, the hat was just too garish. This was Kate’s big miss for me this month.
William has settled in to what seems to be a single charity polo match every year. This year, he played again at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor. Like last year, Kate was dressed up and sipping champagne on the sidelines. I miss the days she would show up at the field in jeans and Breton top, but I also love the glitzy polo events. At least William still plays polo publicly!
This dress was a big hit in my book. It’s a Beulah London piece, and I am a big fan of most Beulah dresses. The delicate blue and white of this one looked lovely against the green of the polo field. The neutral shoes and gold jewelry were perfect complements.
Next, the Waleses brought all the children for a day at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford. It has been some years, but you might remember this event from 2016 when Kate and William brought little George.
It was raining this year, so we didn’t get as many great photos of the family on the tarmac and climbing around planes or helicopters, but it was a lot of fun to see the family out in force. Louis is slowly stacking up his number of public engagements under the careful eye of his mother, and it is pretty sweet to watch.
Lambrook has been on break since the 6th of July, which explains why Kate’s next two events were Wimbledon, and we have not seen her since. The Princess of Wales watched both the Ladies’ Singles Final and the Men’s. On Saturday, for the ladies, Kate wore a Self-Portrait dress with a flowing pleated bottom and structured boucle top.
For the men’s final, Kate chose a beautiful green Roland Mouret. I love the color, I love the label, and this was a beautiful design, but…the fabric wrinkled badly. This was a rare misstep for Kate. I am sure the dress was new and that she was as frustrated as could be to realize the fabric was so wrinkly. Not a great look for Roland Mouret’s brand, either. It was a flawless look on paper, but failed somewhat in action.
Kate as not been seen since. I am sure she is soaking up the summer with her little ones. Of course, the family has more space in Windsor now, but my bet is they have decamped for Anmer Hall in Norfolk where they can enjoy their tennis court, pool, and the nearby beach.
Since I wrote this post about rumors of Harry and Meghan’s divorce, DeuxMoi has posted a Reel on Instagram in which she says she reached out to a source close to Harry and Meghan to get the scoop. That source told her the couple have not sold their home nor are they divorcing.
Well, we know they haven’t sold their home. Again, as I mentioned in the original post, property records are public, so if and when the two sell their home, reputable papers will be able to confirm that.
I don’t think they are divorcing yet, either. I could be wrong, but Meghan seems like someone who burns the house down on her way out. If their marriage goes south, I am betting the drama will be considerable. The question is, are they in rocky waters? We still don’t know.
Just as I was “heading to press,” so to speak, someone sent me another slide from DeuxMoi, this one sharing a comment from a DeuxMoi reader saying the talk of Montecito is the Sussexes’ imminent split. That’s not moving the dial much for me and doesn’t change the analysis from the post I wrote last week. I’m not saying they aren’t headed for a split, just that it doesn’t seem like anyone actually knows. For the moment.
Kate’s Best Ensemble of the Month
I really loved the Beulah dress Kate wore to polo. I loved its structure and floaty movement, and I love those sleeves. But I think it was gently edged out by the Self-Portrait ensemble Kate wore to the Ladies’ Final at Wimbledon. I love the contrast between the soft skirt and structured top, and I love how the top looks both formal and also soft and feminine. It was a very elegant look.