What a day to be British! The Diamond Jubilee celebrations are underway, the River Pageant was splendid with not ONE royal person overboard, and in true British style, the rain turned everything – and everyone - rather soggy (click here for our minute-by-minute report).
But there was one lady who certainly brightened up the proceedings: the Duchess of Cambridge. The 30-year-old looked splendid wearing a vibrant Alexander McQueen frock with long sleeves and a ladylike pleated skirt, not unlike the Emilia Wickstead number she repeated last week. Kate topped off the look with her favourite nude LK Bennett pumps, a red clutch and matching Sylvia Fletcher hat from James Lock & Co enlivened by delightful floral details - it rather reminds us of the maple leaf headgear she chose for Canada Day last year, also designed by Fletcher. And note that maritime-themed brooch featuring two silver dolphins, which is a gift from the Royal Navy Submarine Service, of which Prince Wills is Commodore in Chief.
The all-red ensemble ensured Kate stood out from the crowd and was perfectly co-ordinated with the royal barge, which featured red thrones seats, 10,000 freshly-cut flowers, tremendous gold busts and a LOT of flags. Prince William looked mighty dapper by her side wearing his military uniform decorated with medals. As the weather turned gloomy, the Duchess cracked out a Strathearn tartan scarf to wrap around her neck but her gloriously bouncy hair, in a half-up and half-down style, stayed miraculously frizz-free.
The dress comes from McQueen's Pre-Fall 2011 collection and has previously been seen on Tulisa Contostavlos and Kim Kardashian (would you Jubilee-ve it?!). The X Factor sweetheart first wore the frock, costing £1,195, at the Liverpool auditions in July last year with black Nicholas Kirkwood heels and a fishtail plait-do. Then Kim followed suit one month later while out and about in NYC, accessorising the look with snake print Christian Louboutins, a black purse and statement necklace.
But Sarah Burton has customised it for the DoC with long sleeves and a suitably modest knee-skimming hemline. As Grazia's style director Paula Reed noted during her appearance on the BBC, 'Kate has taken a leaf out of the Queen's style book by realising that a bit of slim-line tailoring keeps you looking sharp and cool in a situation like this'.
Ever the fashion faithful, Kate continues to champion her love for McQueen after the legendary design house created that princess-perfect wedding dress for her royal nuptials last April. We've seen her sporting the Brit brand on many high-profile occasions from her first red carpet appearance in LA when she wore a floaty lilac gown to that sumptuous black velvet dress she wore to the Military Awards back in December.
In fact, we wonder whether it was a prerequisite for the ladies to sport their favourite designer for today's celebration because, as well as Kate in McQueen, the Queen returned to her tried-and-tested formula of an Angela Kelly dress plus black Launer bag. This ensemble, however, was extra special thanks to the lashings of twinkling Swarovski crystals, threaded silk ribbon, organza frill and a smattering of gold, silver and ivory spots.
Camilla also stuck to what she knows, wearing an ensemble by Anna Valentine polished off with a Phillip Treacy hat – a combo that she wore to both her own wedding as well as William and Kate's nuptials.
So there you have it, folks, a fabulously fashionable royal feast! We'll be back for more Jubilee shenanigans when the honorary concert kicks off tomorrow. Will Kate wear white or blue now that she's nailed the red? Will we see Prince Harry pulling on his dancing shoes again? And will Jessie J wear a Union Jack jumpsuit? We'll be bringing you the answers to all these questions and more tomorrow. See you then.
Via: Kate Middleton Wears Red Alexander McQueen Dress For Queen's Diamond Jubilee River Pageant
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