Prince William and Duchess Kate arrive in NYC

Prince William and Duchess Kate arrive in NYC

Will and Kate arrive at Carlyle Hotel 2
[Jason Calabretta Twitter]

The Cambridges are in New York, yo. Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived at the Carlyle Hotel at around 5:40 PM yesterday, December 7, and were cheery enough to stop for 3 seconds (literally) to pose for photographers before heading inside. Kate did a quick change before she and Will headed out to a private dinner on behalf of the American Friends of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry [longest title ever].

Will and Kate arrive at Carlyle Hotel 1
[British Consulate NY Twitter]

For her arrival at the Carlyle, Kate wore a new coat from Seraphine Maternity, the bespoke Marina in plum with black detailing. She wore a black dress underneath the coat. She carried her Stuart Weitzman Muse clutch and wore ankle booties previously seen in 2009. She also wore her diamond earrings that she usually wears for “fancy” events that [are ugly and] have never been identified. I actually like this outfit; the coat is nice and the booties are a nice change.

 

The private dinner on behalf of blah was held at the Manhattan apartment of British media/marketing mogul Sir Martin Sorrell. There were about 30 hedge fund managers and financiers invited. Though they didn’t have to pay to attend, they of course are expected to make large donations.

For the dinner, Kate wore a black lace cocktail dress in her favorite fit and flare style with sleeves, this one from Beulah London, the Amara (£650.00) from the Spring/Summer 2015 collection. Kate also busted out some large earrings we’ve never seen before. I like the earrings, but I’m so bored of Kate in black lace. Outfit #1 is definitely the winner for me.

 

About those 3 seconds… Seriously, they posed for all of about 3 seconds. But any posing is significant. They usually don’t pose or ever even acknowledge the press, so it was nice that they stopped for even those 3 seconds to pose for the cameras. William even initiated it! Though they didn’t acknowledge the fans that had come out to see them at all – and some fans had been there since 9 AM. Rude.

Speaking of acknowledging the press… Both Will and Kate even waved to the cameras when leaving the dinner!! Are they sick or something? A high fever is the only thing I can think of that would make them so cheery and willing to acknowledge the press.

To mark the arrival of the Cambridges in NYC, the Carlyle had both the American flag and the British flag displayed in front of the hotel, and the Empire State Building lit up red, white, and blue.

Carlyle Hotel flags
[Clarence House Twitter]

Empire State Building
[Empire State Building Twitter]

Link: Daily Mail article.

PS. On December 3, Kate attended a board meeting for the 1851 Trust at the Goring Hotel. Kate wore her Alexander McQueen coat she wore on Remembrance Sunday.


69 thoughts on “Prince William and Duchess Kate arrive in NYC

  1. nothing interesting about this couple, even the people outside are ignoring them, they look cheap and look like a joke!! not the same, when Diana landed in america!!

  2. 1. She looks better with the little extra weight.
    2. Black lace, AGAIN. Like the earrings, but her hair… sigh. The sleeves are pretty, though.
    3. Lighting up the ESBuilding for them? Barf.

    1. Ya Empire State building lit up for the Royals, not for Pearl Harbor (which was December 7). Something really wrong with that!!

      1. I thought of that too, but since I’m a military brat, I thought my sense of outrage would be in the minority.

    2. Completely agree with #3. Major eye roll. And I am just so sick of Kate in black lace. I get that she loves lace, but wear a friggin color!

      1. I’m tellin’ you guys she is sticking to black and dark colors because she is uncomfortable with her miniscule weight gain. Although, I think almost everyone would agree she looks so much better with a few pounds on her bony frame.

        1. I commented in my post on the Northside visit – black dress again, blah – that Kate looks like she’s in mourning since she’s been wearing so much black. Maybe she’s in mourning for her old figure.

  3. I like the first outfit, but the second looks like everything else she wears. Just another LBD. Try something new Kate!! I find it interesting that this time around she is actually wearing maternity clothes, where as with George she did not wear them until after or one time shopping. But never to a public event!

    I was wondering why William is acknowledging the press too. He always ignores them, but this time he was quite friendly. He has Kate trained well to since he had to pull her back for a quick photo pose. I don’t understand him at all!!

    1. This time they seem to be solely collecting money so propably think they should appear friendly.

      I can’t recall seeing those booties before. Where did she wear them in 2009?

    2. He’s like a whole different person. I think they replaced him with a WilliamBot.

    3. Harry is in Lesotho on a private visit working with Sentebale but is still getting press and kudos for it. Of course William will change into “Mr Nice Guy” with the press to try to spin the PR for this vacation into something as positive as Sentebale.

    4. And I’m sure the British press won’t understand why they were so accommodating to stop and pose for the New York press and won’t give them the time of day. Pretty hypocritical and selective.

    5. I think William is very resentful of royal duty, and of the idea that any obligation comes with all that wealth and privilege. Maybe that’s the sour face we see in England. Whereas here in the U.S., he’s just a British Kardashian – a celebrity to smile and cheer at and to be cosseted and feted (even though he is here as a representative of England). Maybe he likes that role.

  4. So far I am so underwhelmed by this whole thing. They really went crazy with the crowd control for no real crowd. She’s wearing black lace AGAIN!! The maternity coat is an “about time” for me, but same hair, same clown make-up, dress underneath the coat maybe a little too short as usual. William in his blue suit. Boooooring.

    1. I always wonder about the crowd control thing. On one hand, you need to be ready if people show up, but on the other hand what if you are ready for a ton of people and no one – or hardly anyone – shows up? Embarrassing either way.

      1. None of the reports ever mention the lukewarm welcome. It appears that their PR over-estimated their popularity, or under-estimated the average NYers intelligence.

        1. I read that there were all of 20 people who showed up at the Carlisle Hotel to greet them. Crowd control, indeed! And it’s good to see Kate acknowledging her pregnancy by actually wearing a maternity coat which looked really nice.

  5. Hello ! I had to leugh at the “blah” for the longest title ever.
    Well, first of all, I want to say that I’m very proud because Seraphine is french ! So, as we say in France “Cocorico !” (which means we are proud…)
    Then, but not only because Seraphine is french 😉 I really, really like her first outfit : it’s maternity wear, so one good point, the colour is nice, second good point, I like the boots, quite original and very beautiful, third good point and I LOVE these earrings !!! BUT, I’d prefered if she had kept her hair in a loose ponytail, as she did last month : not too formal, but young and classy !
    For the evening, I really liked the dress, except that as it is not maternity wear, it doesn’t fit very well, but it’s nice. Again, I’d prefer her hair up, with a nice updo, to see better the earrings – I think they are lovely. And that they add the perfect touch of bling to the evening. Like, it’s not the Crown Jewels, but it sparkles.
    So, as far as I’m concerned, except that I don’t see the point of bringing Amanda WhatsHerName to the other side of the Atlantic if it’s for having a nice but ordinary brushing, it’s a very successful arrival in NYC !

    1. I really like the first outfit and love the earrings from the second, but the second dress is just so boring and I feel like we’ve seen it on her so many times even though it’s a new dress. And apparently her shoes from the second outfit are new, but, like, she has five pairs of black pumps, why does she need more? But the first outfit is a win, I think.

      1. If she was going to wear another black dress, why not repeat one of the other ones? On second thought, it’s good she didn’t wear that horrid spider-web dress with the nude lining. But she should have worn a jewel-toned especially since this is a festive season. I liked the earrings as well even though I thought they were a tad oversized, but her hair should have been pulled back instead of wearing it in her usual flopping style.

        1. Considering she wore her hair down, I think the earrings were the perfect size. They had to fight through the hair to be seen after all. Usually her earrings get lost in her hair.

  6. The booties. No. They make her feet look like cloves hooves. I wish that she can take a page from Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Simple, lean lines. Hair was immaculate at all times. Well, at least we got some pda.

  7. Kate must get terrible back ache as her posture is terrible! On the tv footage she has her head at such a strange angle that she almost looked like she has no neck.

    I did notice William pulling her back for the photo op, he appeared to mutter at her “keep up”! I suppose we will see in tomorrow’s DM something about William giving Kate a loving hand on the small of her back, in reality he was getting her to the best stop for a photo!

  8. Well they finally arrived, after days and days of reading through countless PR bits, now we get to see if this visit will live up to the hype. I have to say I really liked Kate’s arrival outfit, the coat fit well and the color is great on her. I am currently into booties so I enjoyed seeing hers. However, the evening dress fell flat for me, really another black lace dress??? Memo to Kate and Tash, there are other fabrics and other colors in the world for the love of pete please try them. It seems to me that the cut of this dress doesn’t take into account her baby bump, is she trying to hide it? But I did like her earrings, finally a new and fun pair!!!

  9. Watch the video of the lazy duo walking into the hotel. You see the much ballyhooed shot of William with his arm around Kate lasts for all of two seconds. Just long enough for the press to get their shot. The rest of the walk is standard. William bounds out of the SUV with Kate trotting behind him to catch up. He doesn’t even stop to look at her. He’s too busy saying hello to someone. The rest of the video is William pushing Kate around like a chess piece on a board by the small of her back. I almost said positioning her like a mannequin in a shop window but that might be too loaded a simile.

    Then, I cringed when the hotel person bowed deeply to them. I must’ve been an American Revolutionary because I always cringe whenever any American curtseys or bows to any royal, even the Queen. We don’t have to do it because out first ambassador to the UK after the revolution refused to bow to the king he had just helped kick out of our country.

    As for the clothes, about time on the maternity coat and the LBD. Yawn, how many does she need?

    1. Doesn’t even help his pregnant wife out of the SUV. What a gentleman. And wearing french on a visit to the USA? She’s supposed to wear British or designers from the country she is visiting.

      1. I noticed William’s unconcern toward Kate as well, but that’s his usual MO. I guess he figures he can go on to glad-hand people while the handlers get Kate out of the car. And that deep bow by the hotel manager was indeed cringeworthy. A small nod of the head would have sufficed.

        1. Actually, no nod is required either re protocol. Absolutely no reason for a hard-working person who earned their place in this world to bow or even nod their head to W&K.

    2. @India, I understand the reaction to the bowing, but it doesn’t bother me as much. If Obama or a member of our government bowed, it would be one thing. But this guy is just the manager of the hotel – he’s got to do what the owners tell him, and I’m sure they gave him plenty of instructions to bow and scrape. Can’t blame the guy for doing his job.

      1. No…can’t blame the guy…I noticed it too…me, I don’t bow to bimbos but I also don’t have to worry about my job being on the line…..this trip is nothing but a farce as far as I’m concerned… …wasteofspace is probably gritting her ever so glaringly white chompers…..2 more days…only 2 more days…and then I have an excuse to go home and rest up for the next year….speaking of sucking up….wee willy is just smiling so purty….and actually seeking photo ops….he’s not stupid enough to mess with the American press…..they’re already pissed at the ‘this is how you dress’ memo…..so….smile smile smile….

  10. Did you see the pictures with her and Chirlane? She looks like something out if the F.A.O. Schwarz cataLogue. I love wearing black, but d*mn, this is just boring, bland, and basic.

    1. They are moderating the comments on the Kate visit today. I just put one in asking if she is in mourning because of all the black. Is she really that worried about not appearing slim. She’s expecting for crying out loud. Now would be the time to revel in the little bit of weight she’s gaining.

      1. She doesn’t look pregnant today. She has such a cute figure that she could rick a lot of the maternity wear. She just looks washed out. She should have chosen Chirlane’s look. That would have been perfection.

      2. Lol, Lisa, you and I are on the same page, I thought she looked like she was in mourning as well. Too much black lately.

    2. Chirlane looked AMAZING – totally stole the show. Kate was awful: too short, too baggy, no shape, boring colors.

      1. I would have paid money to hear the small talk between them. Chirlane is an accomplished journalist and has a separate and unique persona outside of her husband. While she may have had a colorful pasy, she has never denied it and has had a successful career since. She is Bill’s secret weapon. Kate cannot hold a handle to her.

  11. Someone here read this in dm:

    ” fundraising will continue on Tuesday night with a gala at the world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art to support a 600th Anniversary appeal by St Andrew’s University, where the couple first met.

    The extravagant £85,000-per-table event is being held at the museum’s Temple of Dendur exhibit, which was built in Egypt around 15 BC in dedication of the gods Isis and Osiris.

    After being saved from submersion during the construction of the Aswan Dam, the sandstone temple was given to the US in its entirety in 1965.

    All 800 tonnes of it was transported, block by block, across the Atlantic and rebuilt in the Met Museum.”

    is like they compare them with isis and osiris!!!

  12. Random thoughts:

    1) I like the purple coat, although I think it’s too short (especially given the weather now)!

    2) Did anyone see the picture of Kate being greeted by her “fans” (woo girls from Staten Island and Jersey, mark my words)? It was so striking. She was grinning ear to ear and her face was positively glowing. It really struck me that this was the happiest we’ve ever seen her. It was such a contrast to the pics of her doing things like meeting with kids and going to her other charities. Kind of sad.

    3) I lived in New York for several years and still have friends and family there. I asked them what they thought about Kate and Will coming, and the answers ranged from 1) “I didn’t know to 2) “Will and Kate who?” (the guys” to 3) “I don’t really care” to 4), my personal favorite, “Oh God, they’re going to eff with traffic, aren’t they?

    1. LOL, that’s the first thing I thought about the traffic with their visit. Gridlock alert especially during this holiday season further compounded by demonstrations. And Kate is just so delighted with her overseas trips that she positively glows in the dark. The Big Apple, baby!

  13. Am I the only one who doesn’t like the coat? Boring to me, although the booties jazzed it up. So glad that she is wearing a maternity coat and that nothing flew up in a NYC breeze!
    As for the black lace dress. NO, NOT ANOTHER ONE! Come on, Kate. Some color, some dazzle and some couture.

    Royals supposedly attending a Nets (Basketball) game tonight. That’s culture for you. And, NYC has so many better things to offer. I like basketball, but come on, once again.

    1. I don’t like basketball. Considering Kate is supposed to care about art history and such, you’d think Kate would be jumping at the chance to visit all the museums.

    2. Someone else mentioned and they were dead on that normally, it’s a nod to the visiting country when a woman like Kate comes for a visit, they either wear a designer from their home country or the one they are visiting, because it’s a PR event that can generate sales and raise profiles. I think it was a missed opportunity, especially with so many talented designers– I love Project Runway, and one of the AllStars made a coat that she would have looked fabulous in, actually most of them would have looked great– and it was the Sarah Ferguson one, so Kate could have easily picked one too, unless she lives in a bubble. It’s far past time for Carole to stop picking out Katie’s clothes. I’m wondering if the black dress with lace sleeves was part of a large group sent to Kate per request for “black” and “lace” and that’s why we’re seeing so much. When I pick up a bunch of things that look alike, I get one and return the rest to the racks. She needs a stylist outside of her bubble.

        1. Actually when you think about it, she isn’t a stylist. She was promoted to stylist. I think she and Kate had some bonding moments over clothes they thought were cute and/or Tash kissed Kate’s royal backside with compliments over what she was choosing clothing-wise and Kate wanted her on her team for back-up in her choices. Because Tash 2.0 The Stylist isn’t cutting it one little bit.

  14. Hey KMR I know you haven’t posted about today’s event yet, so I wanted to make sure you caught wind of this. There was an ambulance following Kate around today on standby “just in case”. Give me a break!! I wish they would stop pushing the HG thing. She would not have taken an 8 hour flight if they were really afraid of her getting sick. But of course they want the public to really believe she is sick. So tiring. I never thought she had HG, just a bad case of morning sickness. Who knows, maybe they are doing the ambulance thing so that she can skip out on one of her appearances without people getting upset:)

    1. From what I understand, it is typical for an ambulance to be a part of a motorcade such as the one following Kate, and there was probably one with William. I don’t think it had anything to do with pushing the HG narrative since a palace person even told the DM that Kate was basically fine and the only accommodations would be Kate would take extra breaks between appearances because she’s pregnant – but she’s not sick at all.

      Kate just added an appearance, actually. She’s now going to the reception with Hillary Clinton – she wasn’t originally scheduled to attend that one.

  15. One big problem I have with this trip is that they aren’t really seeing NY. Kate is doing visits to try and make herself look good, private dinners, a gala and a basketball game. What are they seeing of NY other than the streets when they are being whisked by in their motorcades? What was the point? Come back as private citizens without the hoopla and really see the city. (But then they’d have to pay for it themselves so I know that’s not going to happen.)

    1. But isn’t that the point. This trip isn’t supposed to be about sightseeing.

      1. I don’t know, this whole thing just gives me a weird vibe. When they did the Australia/NZ tour which was a properly thought out and planned trek, they had time to actually see some of the best features of the countries. This trip seems so thrown together that (at least as far as Kate is concerned) it comes off as a waste of time to me. But she does get to hear the sugars squealing for her outside her hotel so I guess she’s getting something out of it.

        1. But wasn’t one of the criticisms of the OZ/NZ tour that why were just seeing the sights and it was more of a vacation than work? I mean, I do think this trip was thrown together, at least Kate’s part, but I don’t think it’s a problem that they aren’t sightseeing. In fact, I wish they would sightsee less, going to the NBA game is dumb.

          1. In a way they are getting paid to be at the NBA game because of the donation. In the end it really doesn’t matter, all of the trips they take are under the guise of working to promote GB and I guess that’s what they do in their own way.

  16. KMR today’s events, im sooooo sick of seeing her wearing short dresses, we get it, u have nice chicken legs, now Kate, go on and work on your self esteem so we dont have to keep seeing your legs or behind.

    The couple looked so happy to be there, man, they love being D+++ celebrities lol

    1. They really do seem happy this trip. It’s so odd because we’re used to them being super grumpy. And I agree with you about the short dresses/coats. It’s like, enough already, Kate, we get it, you like showing off your legs; put some pants on now.

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