Platinum Jubilee Tour: Belize

On Saturday, William and Kate—accompanied by staff and members of the British press—departed RAF Brize Norton aboard a Royal Air Force jet en route to Belize. The couple landed in the late afternoon in their host nation.

It is always so exciting to wait and see what ensemble Kate will choose to kick off any royal tour. On this one, the Duchess opted for a fitted lace Jenny Packham. Kate has started other tours in similar styles. She wore a blue lace Erdem for her first ever overseas tour (Canada 2011, left below) and she wore a very similar silhouette from Jenny Packham to open her second tour of Canada in 2016 (right below).

Eagle-eyed fashion fans will note that the lace on this JP in Belize is the same pattern as the lace on her Jenny P from her visit to the Somme battlefield. My memory (and records) show that the lace dress she wore in 2012 and again to a garden party in 2014 (on the right) was a McQueen. Has it been updated as a Packham in the last few years? It certainly looks like the same lace.

Kate was wearing the sapphire and diamond drop earrings she has worn so often for over a decade. She paired it with the matching necklace she debuted just in the last few years and has been favoring a lot of late. Kate finished the ensemble with new Emmy London heels in cobalt blue and an as-yet unidentified clutch. I suspect the clutch is either Emmy London or Jenny Packham.

I thought this was a wonderful ensemble to begin the tour. When she kicked off Canada 2016, she brought down the house. This was a lovely update on that style, and a similar success. The ensemble was pretty and feminine, and it was also formal enough for the start of such a big tour. A huge win!

A quick note on William’s suit—I loved it. To me, it looks like a dove grey that is heavy on blue undertones. I am not sure what he was thinking with the shoes, but… I thought the suit was fabulous. It was a nice change from his navy ones, and he complemented Kate so well. They made a stunning pair to start the tour.

MONDAY—Day 2

On Monday, technically the first full day, the Cambridges kicked off their itinerary with a visit to a family-owned cocoa plantation where they learned all about the work of the plantation and helped grind the cocoa beans themselves to make chocolate.

Kate chose a Tory Burch sundress in a bold summer pattern. She paired the flounced dress with statement earrings from Sezane in a perfectly matching cobalt, and brought back two old favorites to accessorize—her Anya Hindmarch clutch (which we have not seen in a long time) and her Minx wedges by Stuart Weitzman!

Later in the afternoon, Kate changed into Stella McCartney’s “Hestia” espadrilles, which come with a little removable gold anklet chain. Interestingly, Kate didn’t remove the chain, and she caused a bit of stir wearing this about. :)

Tory Burch is a pretty regular label in Kate’s closet, and it was a brilliant choice to turn to the brand for this trip. Tory Burch specializes in beautiful and colorful prints, which is just what this beachy day in Belize called for. Smocked sundresses have been huge for several summers now, and I expect the trend to continue this coming summer. Kate certainly just added fuel to that fashion-trend’s fire. I was not certain what I thought about the earrings at first, but after looking at all the pictures, I think they pulled the whole ensemble together and made it all pop. I loved this look. I will be repliKating it this summer, but with cheaper TOM’s. ;)

Tuesday—Day 3

On their second full day of the tour, the Cambridges trekked two hours out into the jungle to spend the afternoon exploring the breathtaking ruins of the Mayan city Caracol. Apparently, these ruins remained hidden for centuries and were only discovered by our modern world in the 1920s! The Cambridges always do something on every tour that makes me really, really want to visit their host country, and for me, these ruins look beyond magical. I have added Belize to my bucket list.

All the royal reporters gave this stop enthusiastic reviews, too. Apparently it was a breathtaking experience. The Cambridges got a thorough, guided tour.

The first thing I noticed about Kate on Day 3 was her hair. The Duchess had it very straight and smooth, and she has continued that trend since. I assume it is loaded down with product to combat any humidity. It is a change from her usual volume and curls, but I think it looks fantastic.

After their time exploring Caracol, the two headed to visit the British Army Training Support Unit (BATSUB) Jungle Training Area in the Chiquibul Forest.

Throughout the day, Kate was wearing a John Lewis scoop-neck t-shirt and G-Star RAW slim cargo pants in olive. While at the Mayan city, she wore her Superga trainers, but when the couple dove deeper into the jungle for their rendezvous with the army training units, she changed her shoes to Palladium’s Pampa boots and added Scotch & Soda’s Long Sleeve Belted Tencel Safari Shirt.

I always like themed dressing, and these green and neutral colors made sense for the ruins and the jungle. The couple did, however, blend in a little at Caracol in the distance shots. I can’t decide if that was a cool aesthetic or an error in planning. In any event, Kate certainly looked incredible in the form fitting ensemble, and I loved the bold white shirt.

The couple returned to San Ignacio for an evening reception at Cahal Pech. Once upon a time, this was a royal acropolis-palace, and the ruins were turned into the event venue for the royals and guests. Kate chose a metallic pink dress by The Vampire’s Wife paired with the O'nitaa Crystal Drop earrings she has worn a number of times now and Jimmy Choo Mimi 100 metallic sandal heels. Kate was carrying a Mayan embroidered clutch.

We are all familiar with this label, because Kate debuted it to her closet in 2020 when she visited Dublin with Prince William.

Her ensemble in Belize, however, caused a bit of a stir. A lot of fans felt the dress was too formal for what appeared to be a far more casual event. There is a general rule that the hostess can dress more formally, and perhaps that extends to the guest of honor, too. I think it is also pretty usual for women to dress up more than their dates. I will admit that if this were a normal party and one of us showed up like this, we’d undoubtedly look overdressed. But this was a princess on tour. Some people try to play down fashion, but—like it or not—fashion is one of the primary drivers of these tours. People want see what Kate is wearing next, and it matters to the hosts! Evening events are especially exciting, and I suspect Kate did not want to disappoint Belize, particularly in light of the jaw-dropping ensemble she was going wow the world with in Jamaica!

So for me, I did not find it a glaring misstep. Floor-length has been popular for a while, from breezy maxis at day-weddings to floor-length cocktail dresses. Most of the women were in cocktail attire of some kind, Kate just went long. And when you consider this dress in comparison to the Jenny Packham she pulled out last night in Jamaica, there is a considerable difference in formality.

Wrap Up

It has become apparent that my posts on this tour will be slow, but I will get to them. :) Just keep checking your inbox. The coverage of the couple’s arrival in Jamaica was intense and racially charged in some quarters. I am trying to decide if I will address that in the Jamaica post, or hold off and address it in the March newsletter. To be determined…