The Duchess of Cambridge
Kate really glowed at this event -- she smiled a LOT and seemed to have a lovely time. You can see the gold brooch peeking out over her shamrock corsage; that's a Cartier pin that used to belong to the Queen Mum, presented to her by the Irish Guards. It's nice to have a touch of her there.
The Duchess of Cambridge
Whoever is doing Kate's hair is having a LOT of fun with it these days, even with the occasional wisps (or crookedness, as the last 'do was rather off-center on Kate's head). This is elaborate and fun and feels almost inspired by a Celtic knot.
The Duchess of Cambridge in Catherine Walker (coat), Lock & Co (hat), and Emmy London (shoes).
The hat is not terribly imaginative, or at least, not from this angle (it's better in the previous shot where you can see its slant). It reminds me of one of my favorite chocolates, the mighty Rolo. So actually maybe I should cut it some slack.
Here's what gets me: Her hat and shoes appear to be a similar brown, but the coat is not, and the gloves are somewhere in between -- closer to the coat than that hat, but not a true match for either. If one is going to drizzle oneself in browns, having them be COMPETING browns only draws more attention to the inherent monochrome brownness. As this doesn't seem to be a terribly SOLEMN occasion, it makes me wonder if things couldn't have been spruced up a wee. The impact of the shamrocks against it is strong, though, it's true. And no skinny belt, AND the length seems right. So let's take those victories. Kate herself looks very pretty; the ensemble as a whole leaves me a bit cold.
The Duchess of Cambridge
"Yes, but do you know how HARD it is to find a lot of the same brown? Especially while Prince George is shooting bananas at my head from a cannon of his own making? I should get Degree of Difficulty points, surely."
[I believe her shoes are these, which... 400 pounds for brown suede pumps? They had better give a simultaneous pedicure and inject you with youth serum.]
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Patrick's Day Parade At Mons Barracks
Informative caption time: The tradition of handing out shamrocks to the Irish Guards began in 1901 with Princess Alexandra -- wife of King Edward VII, who was Queen Victoria's heir (and who dies before he becomes king in our "Royal We" timeline -- sorry, Ed). There were two hundred soldiers there, the ranks somewhat depleted because they're currently deployed all over the world; apparently they shipped some sprigs as far as Oman to their members.
Let's go deeper. Per the Telegraph: "The Irish Guards were formed on 1st April 1900 on the orders of Queen Victoria in recognition of the many courageous acts carried out by Irish soldiers during the Second Boer War. Their regimental motto, ‘Quis Separabit’ translates into ‘Who shall separate us?’ taken from the Order of St Patrick, an order of chivalry founded by King George III. Their cap badge, referred to as the Cap Star, takes the form of the five pointed star of the Order of St Patrick."
ALSO, I wonder if it was intentional to have her gloves echo theirs in color, or if they were just the final piece of a puzzle long in the making.
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Patrick's Day Parade At Mons Barracks
"It's all right, Domhnall, Harry sends his regards. He said to tell you the goat has gotten far too big for his britches and he'll need you to pop 'round and chase it through the gardens for a bit. Tweet me and we'll set it up."
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Patrick's Day Parade At Mons Barracks
"And THEN Princess Anne said, 'There's no need. The killer has already given the game away. It's--' and then George bit her on the leg and we all quite forgot to let her finish."
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Patrick's Day Parade At Mons Barracks
Wills is the Colonel of the Regiment, and wore the Irish Guards uniform at the wedding, although this is his frock coat and so not the same look. That patch of shamrocks is looking a big mangy up there, but William looks swell. I love him in his uniform and hat.
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Patrick's Day Parade At Mons Barracks
Methinks so does Kate. This face says, "Yes indeed. I have tapped that. And I shall do it again."
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Patrick's Day Parade At Mons Barracks
"Psst, love, as Tom Jones said, you can leave your hat on."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Mons Barracks
"No, I'm quite serious. Even the baby would prefer it." "One sec, these bloody things won't stay on my hat. I'll just give them to George to gnaw on later, shall I?"
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Lest you think it was ALL fun and games and gardening.
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Patrick's Day Parade At Mons Barracks
Although let's face it, this was the part William looked forward to most.
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Patrick's Day Parade At Mons Barracks
I'd put that on my piano. Everyone looks very smart indeed. Per the Irish Guards website: "The Battalion is made up of five companies with a variety of supporting arms and has recently deployed on operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. One of the Guards' roles in Afghanistan was mentoring soldiers from the Afghan National Army. The Irish Guards can provide an exciting and diverse way of life. The opportunity for taking part in sport is fantastic. Football, boxing and rugby are just some of the team sports you can get involved with. There's also a wide variety of adventurous training packages, which include things like mountain climbing, sailing and white water rafting." Sounds like a vacation package. Is the food included? SOLD.
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Patrick's Day Parade At Mons Barracks
This one is for Harry's piano. Domhnall can sign it with a paw print.