Monday Memory: March 12, 2015

The Duchess at Downton

Today’s Monday Memory is from March 12, 2015—Kate’s visit to the Downton Abbey set. I will admit that I cheated on this one. My random number generator directed me to May of 2013, but when I saw the official news this morning that there is a THIRD Downton Abbey movie in production, well, I knew I was changing the Monday Memory.

The then-Duchess of Cambridge—pregnant with Princess Charlotte at the time—visited the Downton Abbey set at the Ealing Studios in Ealing Green, London, on March 12, 2015. Kate was a devoted fan of Downton, just like many of us were/are, and the pictures from her visit were so popular.

Allen Leech, a.k.a. Tom Branson, met William at an event shortly after Prince George was born. He told US Weekly at the time that Kate had roped Prince William into watching the show with her:

"I was actually at an event last week with Prince William, now the Duke of Cambridge, so yeah -- I met him last week, shook his hand," Leech shared. "He actually said, 'I’m a big fan of the show -- only now that my wife’s had a baby...Obviously he's now got a lot of down time, so [Kate]'s gone, 'I'm watching this and you're watching it with me.'"

Just a few months ago, I decided to rewatch all the seasons, start to finish. I don’t have a great memory for tv, apparently, and, of course, it has been more than a decade since the show launched initially.

I don’t remember many of the finer plot details, so I am really enjoying every minute of the rewatch. Plus, when I originally watched the show, I was in my early twenties and focused on the characters. Although I am still focused on the characters, I now spend a lot of time ogling the wallpaper, wondering how heavy the upholstery fabric is, and poking my husband when my favorite paint color appears. My husband has never seen Downton at all, and I am “forcing” him to watch the episodes with me. If you haven’t watched Downton in many years, I highly recommend it—and what a great time to do it with a new movie coming soon.

Carole, Mike, and Pippa all visited the Downton set in 2011, and I was honestly surprised it took Kate as long as it did to make the set an engagement. The TV series concluded with its sixth season in December of 2015, so Kate was probably getting her visit in before the show wrapped up.

Kate wore JoJo Maman Bébé for her visit. JoJo Maman Bébé was created by a British woman raised in Brittany (Vive la Bretagne!), and I loved the coat. That said, when Kate wore this, although I thought it was beautiful, apparently I was a little bored by it, because Kate had recently worn very similar styles (the blue Seraphine Natasha coat) and a white MaxMara (picture right here below). I laugh now—what I’d give for coats upon coats upon coats from Kate these days.

The white MaxMara from Portsmouth was quickly forgotten, but the white JoJoMaman Bébé lives on iconically. Perhaps it worked better than a bold color, as I wished she had worn at the time. Another excerpt from the old blog:

I had hoped she would wear one of Lady Mary's deep jewel tones, a burgundy or a rich blue, or forest green. Those are colors more suited to fall, but I was hoping... It would have been really fun had she chosen a piece by a designer to whom she is quite faithful, like Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren is a major funder of Downton and Masterpiece in the United States. He created an entire collection dedicated to Downton in 2012 and continues to take inspiration from the show he so generously supports. He and his family recently spent the weekend at Highclere were they shared a few snaps from a lovely evening:

I completely forgot that Ralph Lauren created an entire collection dedicated to Downton. Those were the days! I have been trying to explain to my husband that Downton defined the decade; this is a good example.

Kate always looks happy on her public engagements, but at this event she seemed to be having a better time than ever. Her smiles are s bright! It must have been such a wonderful afternoon.

Kate completed her look with her Stuart Weitzman “Power” pumps, her Mulberry Bayswater clutch, and her Annoushka pearl drop earrings.

Although neither of the movies was as good as the show, I enjoyed both and am enthusiastic about a third movie. I just hope that Julian Fellowes gives ample attention to the Gilded Age! I need that show to continue to renew…