Bow down to Prince George’s Grumpy Face, peasants! The Grumpy Face was on full display today while leaving New Zealand and arriving in Australia. George is completely over this whole trip, and peasants, and flowers. But not koalas wombats.
Now that I’ve led with the most important person on this trip, let’s talk Cambridges. I am leading with their arrival in Sydney and will talk about their departure from New Zealand below. I’m doing it this way because I want to talk about Kate’s Sydney outfit first. Before I get to that, let’s do business. Prince William and Kate landed in Sydney and met some dignitaries–there was a kerfuffle with the premier of New South Wales, Barry O’Farrell, who retired a few hours before Will and Kate landed after he had been accused of accepting a £1,600 bottle of wine from the former chief executive of Australian Water Holdings. Scandal! Where’s Olivia Pope when you need her? Anyway, he was replaced in the reception line. Then the Cambridges went to the Sydney Opera House for a reception, where William gave a speech that included a reference to Diana’s love of Australia. They did a walkabout before taking a boat around the harbor and retiring for the evening.
For her arrival in Sydney, Kate wore a bright yellow dress—with a few patches of white color-blocking—from Roksanda Ilincic, a Serbian designer based in London. Yellow is one of Australia’s colors, so the dress was in honor of the host country. The dress is a bespoke design, but is modeled after the “Ryedale” dress from the Spring/Summer 2014 collection (the dress is priced at $1,441, but that doesn’t include all of Kate’s alterations). For Kate, the colors have been reversed, the neckline was changed from rounded to square, and the sleeves altered to be more fitted. Kate accessorized the dress with her Annoushka pearl drop earrings, her Mappin & Webb Fortune white gold drop pendant, Cartier watch, and those awful nude LK Bennet heels. Kate wore her hair up in a half-ponytail style. I love this dress! This is quite possibly one of my favorite things she’s ever worn. I like her dress better than the original design in the collection. The color is lovely and makes her really pop out of the crowd—but granted my favorite color is yellow. This whole outfit is great—except those damn LK Bennet shoes!
UPDATE: In this Mirror article, a woman in the crowd who spoke to Kate claims Kate said William told her she looked like a banana in her bright yellow dress. William is such a jerk. First he tells her her green dress is too bright, and now he tells her she looks like a banana. Is it just me or does William seem like he purposefully wants to cut Kate down? Little digs here and there about the thing she cares about most–her clothes–intended to make her insecure and feel bad about herself. Way to be a loving, supportive husband Will, insult your wife. He’s such an a-hole. /UPDATE
Some odd and ends: Unfortunately, there has been another comparison to a flight attendant uniform courtesy of Matilda So Blue. William held his son in public for only the third time in his life (the second is discussed below). We got more pictures of Nanny Maria, carrying George’s backpack and putting him in the car. We also got a shot of Rebecca Deacon. A Prince Harry impersonator showed up with a gaggle of bikini-clad women. They were asked to leave by the police.
[Might want to watch this video on mute, chatter is annoying. Also W&K footage ends at 2:07 mark]
Before departing for Australia, William and Kate visited the Royal New Zealand Police College where they laid a wreath in honor of fallen officers, and met the officers and some cute German shepherd puppies that will be trained to be police dogs. They also met foster families for the dogs. The puppies were tiny, only 12 days old. George got yet another gift, this time it was a blue onsie with the words “junior recruit” on the front. There was another traditional Maori performance—after they broke out a performance of “Singing in the Rain” because it was raining, which is kind of awesome. They ended by doing a walkabout.
When Kate and Will boarded the plane in NZ, William actually held George. It’s only the second time Will has held George in public—the first being when they brought him out of the hospital. I get the feeling that George really likes being held facing front. We’ve seen him held on Kate’s hip and then he squirms until she faces him forward; and now Will is holding him the same way. I have to say though, Will kind of seemed more interested in the German shepherd puppy than he did George; and he kind of held him out and away from his body.
For her last appearance in NZ, Kate wore a NZ designer—kind of. As with the Emilia Wickstead situation, this designer was born in NZ, but has lived and worked abroad for years—this time in New York, where her company is based. Also, this outfit is a repeat. So again, Kate is not wearing a local NZ designer she has never worn before—and this outfit isn’t even new the way the Wickstead one was. Also, the earrings Kate was supposed to have bought from a local NZ designer, yeah she never wore them. So if Kate was trying to “champion local designers” she failed. Anyway, today’s outfit was a Rebecca Taylor dark blue tweed jacket and skirt. Kate previously wore this outfit in April 2012. She paired today’s outfit with her Stuart Weitzman clutch, Cartier watch, and sapphire and diamond earrings. Kate wore her hair back in a half-ponytail style this time.
Links: Articles about arrival in Sydney: Express, Daily Mail, Hello! Articles about last day in NZ: Express, Daily Mail, Hello! Getty Images pictures, more pictures. More videos of Cambs arriving and visiting Opera House.
Photo credits: First photo from twitter. Second photo from Rebecca English twitter. Third and fourth photo from G-G of NZ twitter. Fifth photo from NZ police twitter.
IF YOU REMOVE WILLIAM AND GEORGE, FROM THE SCENE ANYWHERE NEAR KATE, SHE JUST DOESNT HAVE THE PRESENCE, THE ELEGANCE, THE GRAVITAS, I SEE FROM ROYALS LIKE MAXIMA, CP MARY, CHARLENE
KATE ALWAYS NEED SOMEONE WITH HER EITHER HER HUSBAND OR GEORGE WHAT A PITY!!
I’d like to comment about Middleton’s comments about William’s comments.
I agree with the DM poster who thought Kates remarks were passive-aggressive. Humour can easily reveal hostility and it does so in this case.
She’s just starting to show her true cohones now that her position is solidifying since the child came. As William gets older and horsier and she keeps getting all the attention she’ll start diminishing him more and more often.
Playing on the public sympathy worked for Diana and this one will try it too.
I agree with you about Kate’s passive-aggressive behavior. If William really did say something unkind to her (and she has no reason to make it up), why would she repeat it to a crowd of strangers? Only to make him look “bad”. I think they both seem hostile toward one another. And asking which came first, his hostility or hers? isn’t really relevant. As far as playing to gain public sympathy, I agree that Kate will try it (because she wants to be Diana), but I predict she’ll fail, because she isn’t even close to Diana. What a shame…a couple who have every advantage in the world and they are missing every opportunity to make a positive difference in the world.
I think Kate wants the adulation and love of the public that Diana had and still does. She clearly does not want to be like Diana when it comes to a work ethic nor even trying to connect with the public in the way Diana did. It appears Kate just wants to show up and be loved/fawned over/doted upon just because she chose to grace us with her presence. Somehow with her (and Willnot), there is a major disconnect between exerting even a minimal effort and the riches and privileges they enjoy, resulting in their very obvious air of entitlement. I can’t see their attitude continuing as it is and the monarchy lasting. People will grow very tired over the next years waiting.
One could only hope so.
I think people have already tired of it, hence the PR tour. But I think it will backfire (is already backfiring), because now they are too much in our faces–their pictures on the cover of papers every day, 8 articles online every day.
I agree she’s playing a passive-aggressive game with him (the way Diana did with Charles). Kate has grown more confident and is starting to really push his buttons in public.
Eh, it was quite nice of Kate to wear yellow to honor Australia, because it is totally not her color. She did look like a banana, but no thoughtful husband would say so before an event. Granted, she does really stand out in the crowd wearing that dress. I love the grumpy face! I know they are trying to evoke images of Baby Willy on this trip, but the outfits on George just are not cutting it. They worked for the Diana/William duo because Diana dressed in completely different manner than Kate, and rightfully so. Will is clearly not comfortable holding the baby because any real parent would hold the child against their body for support. He is baby, not a muddy sack of potatoes!
I think a large part of William’s problem is what many of us have said before: He’s a 15-year-old brat. Always has been. Always will be. He pays more attention to the damn puppy than to his son. I think the real reason he married Waity is b/c she and her mother badgered and manipulated him for years until he finally gave in. Not to say they don’t love each other… but I doubt it is as lovey-dovey as Buckingham Palace’s PR machine wants. Then why would he vacation (twice) separate from his wife and child in a matter of weeks? He probably doesn’t particularly like George b/c he gets 90% of the attention (and Waity gets 9%) Why would he spend so much time on his adolescent fantasies of being Top Gun? And don’t get me started on this crap that he wants to be a commercial air pilot. Does this moron with a 2:1 Honours degree realize he’s a senior royal? He doesn’t need to play at work. Just do public “duties”, much of which amounts to what ordinary people do during their leisure time (going to museums, theaters, touring the country). Thank God I’m an American so I’ll never have to praise King “William V” and Queen “Catherine”.
He’s been coddled all his life and never required to grow up and be a responsible person. He’s never had to treat people with respect because he gets away with everything. He is a brat.
The only time I have seen Prince William publicly exhibit genuine affection is with dogs. I actually get that about Prince William, dogs love unconditionally, are loyal, and want nothing but their basic needs met and affection. His entire life Prince William had to be cautious about people wanting to be around him for the kind of perks that comes with his title, I mean his own wife stalked him, dogs don’t care if he is second in line to the throne, the most they ever want is their bellies scratched.
There are a ton of pics kissing Lupo’s head.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/queen-bans-kate-middleton-dog-2971536
Which others have noticed:
http://www.blightywood.com/2012/06/hrh-lupo-steals-show.html
After a polo match, his thoughts are of Lupo:
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/v6liGSQdH1K/Will+Kate+Polo+Match/T51fFd0FFGq/Prince+William
Yes, Will does seem to love dogs. Way more than his wife or child. And I agree with your interpretation of Will’s mindset. If he wasn’t such a jerk I’d feel badly for him, always having people care more about the title than him as a person.
I’m surprised she isn’t closely guarding those little details like Willy’s criticisms of her outfits anymore. Can you imagine how many times he’s made her feel inadequate? She always struck me as being way too proud to even hint at any level of dear Willy’s disapproval of anything involving her, even something as petty as her choice of clothing. She’s been a lot more ballsy this time around, making plenty of cheeky comments. But the self-deprecating jokes aren’t going to do her any favors. I actually don’t like her outfits this time around, I think she looked far more polished and sexy on their last tour, but if I were her there’s no way I’d repeat a willy-criticism of my clothing. If she chose it, she must like it. She should tell him to piss off when he gets snarky about things. His competitive nature must be exhausting to deal with.