Kate Middleton gives speech at Place2Be Awards

Kate Middleton gives speech at Place2Be Awards

The second of two Place2Be-related events (you can read about Kate at the Natural History Museum here) Kate Middleton had yesterday, November 22, was the Place2Be Wellbeing in Schools Awards held at Mansion House in London.

Kate attended a reception ahead of the Awards where she met Ceri Knapton who was overcome with emotion as her son, Ethan, 13, told Kate how he used his own battle with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome to raise awareness of the condition to benefit others. Kate reportedly flung her arms around Knapton and told her: “I just had to do that as a mum.”

Ethan told Kate how he was bullied mercilessly at primary school because of his undiagnosed conditions, which can lead to problems with concentration and tics that cause him to shout without even being aware of it. He said: “It was a very difficult time but my diagnosis helped me to cope with what I was experiencing. I decided that I wanted to speak out about it. There is no point in sitting back. I’d rather stand up and make a difference.”

The Place2Be Wellbeing in Schools Awards recognize ambassadors of positive mental health and highlight the unique contribution that school communities make to the wellbeing of local communities. There are nine categories which each carry a £1,000 prize to benefit the wellbeing of school of the winner.

Kate gave a speech – yay!

    “It is a great honour to be with you here this evening for these very special Place2Be Awards. Tonight, we are celebrating the truly remarkable work taking place across Place2Be schools in support of children’s mental health. Without many of the inspiring people gathered here this evening, countless children would not receive the transformational support in their schools. It is because of so many of you, that in their time of need, children have the help, care and attention that will get them through tough times in their lives.
    “I am a firm believer that it is absolutely crucial to confront problems as early as possible, to prevent them from escalating into even greater issues later in life. This is why Place2Be’s work – prioritising children’s emotional wellbeing from the outset – is so important. I have been privileged over recent years to visit a number of schools and to meet the teachers, volunteers, and parents who make Place2Be’s work a reality. Together, you ensure your students know they have somewhere to turn, someone who will listen, or simply a safe place to escape.
    “As you all recognise through your support of Place2Be, even the luckiest people can face great challenges. No matter how invincible we seem on the surface, all of us need help from time to time. This is why William, Harry and I have set up the Heads Together campaign. We want to end the stigma surrounding mental health that stops people getting the help that and support that they so desperately need.
    “On a recent visit to Stewards Academy in Harlow, William and I were so impressed by the young people we met. I know that some of you are here tonight. I wanted to thank you again for sharing your stories with us; each of you had faced difficult times but had the courage to seek support and to speak openly about your experiences, encouraging others to do the same.
    “Our young Champion finalists here tonight are extraordinary. You have not only faced challenges but you’ve had the resilience to overcome them. You have also, in your willingness to have open conversations, become young mental health pioneers. So well done to you all. I cannot tell you how moved I was to be here this evening. Thank you once again, and have a lovely night.”

[royal.uk]

Did Kate get a new speech writer? This was way better than her previous speeches, right? She talked about how it’s a privilege for her to visit Place2Be schools, and actually named a recent visit she went on. Way to go, Kate, this was a nice speech.

I haven’t seen a video of the full speech but the below video includes parts of it (it cuts around). I’m going to continue to complain about the head-bobbing because it is still so distracting, but just listening to her words without watching the video I think she’s getting better. She’s still not very confident with her speech, but this one does seem to be somewhat better than previous ones.

Kate wore a new but familiar dress for the Awards. She wore the black version of the red Preen stretch-crepe “Finella” dress ($1,715) she wore to the Government House reception in Canada on September 26.

preen-finella-dress-black

Kate wore yet another new pair of black suede pumps: the Prada Suede Point-Toe Cutout Pump (although Kate’s are higher than the 85mm). These, though, are how you do a black suede pump and not be super boring. I love the cutout because it makes it interesting, and I hope Kate wears them again.

Kate also wore a belt with a giant crystal embellishment: the Temperley London Crystal Bow Belt ($1,055). I think it’s kind of tacky, personally, but it does add interest to the dress which desperately needed it so I’ll give it a pass because without the belt this outfit would have been very boring.

Oh, Kate carried her Mulberry Bayswater Clutch in black again.

prada-suede-point-toe-cutout-pump

Kate’s really racking up the jewelry loans this fall. The earrings Kate wore to the Awards are her third new-to-her pair of earrings loaned from The Queen in the last three months. These Diamond Pendant Earrings first appeared on The Queen at the 2012 State Opening of Parliament, however their provenance is not yet known. As far as I am aware, this is the first time HM has loaned these earrings out to a member of her family; and apparently it’s only the third time these earrings have been worn publicly by anyone.

Thankfully, Kate pulled the front pieces of her hair up so that we could see the earrings better.

Here’s a photo of The Queen wearing the earrings in 2012.


98 thoughts on “Kate Middleton gives speech at Place2Be Awards

  1. This is a win, imo. Very good job on the speech, love the hair and the outfit (even though she also has the dress in red…oh yes it’s lovely, can’t decide so I’ll take both and um, do you have it in blue as well?) blingy belt included!

    1. …but thanks to Prince Harry’s and his Meghan- who is not yet HRH Princess Henry, and already making a difference for this entitled lazy w and w cannot middleton set.

        1. Better speaking and we don’t know if that part of the meet greet was scheduled.

          Nothng like a healthy dose of working, active engaged royal gf who do good for others, highlight the need to help others with your profile, type- competition!

    2. Seconded. The whole day was a win for me– largely because Kate was happy and engaged (and also looked nice and tried new shoes! Love the black shoes especially).

    3. Agreed, she looked great today. And it is due to accessorizing. The diamond detail on the belt matches the earrings, which were of good size and able to be seen because her hair was partially up. The shoes had small cutout details, and the dress had an asymmetrical neckline. Altogether, very visually interesting. Kate, it is all in the details.

        1. Thank goodness Kate has started using the Royal jewels. I’ve never understood why she chose to wear cheap costume jewelry while she has the finest of fine jewels available to her in the Queens vault. Both dresses for the day were beautiful and fit the occasion perfect. Loved the beautiful belt. New shoes beautiful for both dresses. Kate’s makeup has really been pretty lately. She’s lightened up quite on the heavy eyeliner. Looks much better. She really did look happy and to be enjoying herself.

  2. I think Kate did well today, yes there at things to nit-pick about and things she could work on, but overall she did well. I thought she was engaged today, which was a good thing. I did notice that her voice goes up an octave when giving a speech than when talking to the children this afternoon. I found that interesting. But I was glad to actually see some interactions from her today and be able to understand her.

    She looked very pretty tonight. I am glad she finally chose a different pair of black pumps-I actually like these. I also thought the belt looked nice. However, after William just talked about materialism and wanting his kids not to partake in it, Kate’s 2 new outfits today contradicted that. Everything was brand new (minus the earrings). And seriously, who pays over $1000 for a belt?!!! A belt!!! Yes, it looked nice, but come on, a grand? Her outfit for tonight alone, not counting this afternoon, was roughly $3000. I get sick about paying $200 for a pair of shoes. But $1000 for a belt! Sorry, I am really shocked at that price for something that was very basic and costume jewelry. It shouldn’t have cost more than $50. It is just bad timing after William talked about not wanting materialism. Apparently, he should have told Kate he was going to say that. It makes him look very hypocritical (not Kate). I am happy she is wearing more of the royal family jewelry. She should take advantage of that and it costs her nothing. 🙂

    As for the ‘hug’ she gave that mother. I blame the media for making it seem like a full on hug. From the photos/video Kate pats her on the back. Which is great and is more than Kate normally does. Kate is not a touchy person which is fine, so a rub on the back is a big deal for her. But the media is ridiculous making it sounds like she enveloped the woman in a hug. lol. I would be shocked to see her full on hug someone. She won’t even put her arms around children for a photo, like this afternoon. Silly media. They could have still made her sound empathetic without lying.

    1. That’s why I wrote “reportedly” because I’ve not seen a photo or video of Kate hugging the mother.

      1. The mother of the boy (thus the women herself) said that kate gave her a hug.

        Maybe the camera didn’t capture it but why would the mother say that if she didn’t. Maybe they captured the last part because on the daily mirror you see that they both pull back and then kate’s hand is still on her shoulder.

        1. Again, that’s why I wrote “reportedly”, because I did not see it in photos or video but the Mirror reported that Kate hugged the woman so I quoted what the Mirror reported. I don’t understand the problem here.

          1. Just brush it off KMR. You said nothing wrong. The only time she comments on here is to try and stir trouble/be rude to you. 🙂

            Besides some people consider a side pat a hug, where as others don’t. Or I wouldn’t put it past the firm to feed to woman what to say. I will believe a full hug when I see a photo of it. Otherwise, Kate gave a side pat/rub on the back, which like I said is a big step for her and might as well be a full on hug. She showed some empathy so that is good

          2. That’s what i meant. If the women said kate gave her a hug then there is no question if she gave a hug or not.

            #overit I am not being rude see my other comment and i don’t comment on here to stir things up and i find that quit rude to assume that about someone you don’t know.

          3. Actually there is still a question that she gave a hug or not. There is no photo evidence, only Kate rubbing the woman’s back. Just because you think one thing doesn’t make it so (that is true of anyone on here-it’s all opinions). Words lie, photos don’t.

            Honestly nob, I said that because I have noticed your comments in the past and they always seem to be attacking KMR. The only time you comment is to tell KMR how wrong she is in her opinion and, in my opinion, you do it in a rude manner. You want to defend Will and Kate every other post, which is fine, but you do attack KMR, like telling her she is causing trouble in a place there is none. This is her blog and she can give her opinion. Key word is opinion. Just because you don’t agree doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I have avoided your comments in the past and will continue to do so, but I wanted to stand up for Jessica. Your comment this time wasn’t as bad, but i finally felt like saying something. I honestly have nothing more to say

          4. I think an issue I notice (with some commenters) is that anything negative said about Kate in the media or by someone at these events is assumed to be true but anything positive is assumed to be false without photo/video “evidence.” If the woman herself was quoted as saying Kate hugged her, I’m willing to assume she did, even if it was more of a side hug type of thing than a bear hug. But I admittedly fall more on the wanting to give Kate the benefit of the doubt side of the KMR commenting spectrum.

        2. If there had been a full, complete hug, there’s no doubt that a photographer would have caught it–with the speed in which they take photos and the relative amount of time it takes to lean in and give a proper hug they wouldn’t have missed it.

          Rather, I think what Kate did was give the woman a side shoulder squeeze. Or call it a side shoulder hug. Whatever. I’ll give Kate credit for a spontaneous reaction, but I really doubt she was so caught up in emotion that she “flung” her arms completely around her.

          1. Personally, I think this is more a matter of wording. When I read “flung herself”, I’m thinking of the type of hug I’d give my boyfriend when I come from a month long trip. What probably happened, based on the pictures I have seen, is she gave the mother a side hug. (Best term I can think of) I’ll give her credit for that because she deserves it. The wording isn’t helping her.

          2. The photographers always manage to catch Harry giving a hug so I don’t see why they wouldn’t have caught it here.
            Kate didn’t fling herself on anyone and even the mother doesn’t say that. The press themselves exaggerate a lot when it comes to Kate.

          3. “Hugging” the woman was a kind gesture. I also thought, “Oh, she flung her arms around the woman and embraced her with caring emotions,” when I read this. Still, even a slight touch on the arm, is a thoughtful gesture. I think Kate is making some steps that are positive. And, in nice shoes, too!!!

    2. Agree with everything said here. I would add that is just seems so odd to buy two dresses of similar style and wear them fairly close together in time. I had a great aunt with OCD and she would buy several pairs of the same types of pants and blouses but in different colours which reminds me of Kate. She wore two outfits today that had different colour versions. Very wasteful and certainly materialistic.

      Charles should just say no new clothes for a year. She spent 200k this year and can certainly rewear all of it.

      Points for not hiding the earrings. But the awkward grins and body language still mostly there. I just don’t understand how this is still an issue five years later. It’s not rocket science.

      1. I’ve been thinking about Kate’s shopping habits a lot since I read what William said about materialism and aspirations, and I’ve understood that I really don’t know what to think about Kate. That she mostly shows off new clothes almost every time we see her has started to irritate me enormously as it contradicts with all the values the Cambridges obviously want to show they stand for – nature conservation (I definitely think you cannot call yourself a conservationist if you or your partner shop loads and loads of clothes you hardly wear as this kind of consumption is really bad for the nature and such an attitude shows you have no idea of the big picture), simple aspirations, normal family life, mental health (if you have chosen mental health as your cause, why are new clothes a more essential part of your preparation for engagements than good speeches and showing you’re knowledgeable?) and so on. Kate should really step up her game and change her ways to make me think of her as a positive role model after all this. I’m sorry but I can’t help it.

        1. Isn’t a part of the job though to promote mostly british designers etc. Diana did it, Fergier did it, the queen did it. So why attack kate for something that is being done for decades.

          1. Yes, it’s been done for decades, but I don’t think it’s good promotion for any design if you only wear it once. It doesn’t give the public an impression those designers create something that really can be worn in my opinion. That kind of consumerism isn’t something we should encourage in today’s world, and I believe and hope we know it better now than in the 80’s. I’d rather see the royals rewear older pieces and show us those clothes still look good and can be reworn and combined in different ways. If every consumer is encouraged to change their ways, why should royals be exceptions to the rule? Aren’t they supposed to be role models? I don’t mean to attack anyone, but I think these are questions that should be adressed more.

          2. It is in an unofficial way, but she doesn’t always wear British or commonwealth designers (like the prada shoes tonight), and the brands she wears recently are mostly well established, already successful without her brands. To truly promote British/Commonwealth fashion, she needs to wear more of a range of designers and more of the lesser known ones. If she’s just going to wear the same designers, she might as well just repeat the clothes from them she already has.

          3. Liza, exactly. Couldn’t have said it better myself. And if we question other things regarding the royals, why should we accept the old shopping habits just because it has “always” been the way it is?

          4. Also, you can’t really compare Diane and Fergie’s amount of new clothes to Kate’s because, like Grace was talking about, the 80’s were a time of more consumerism in Britain, and nowadays is a time of austerity for the country.

          5. Because times change . Diana was Princess of Wales too a much more important role. Whilst married she wore British designers. Kate often, and increasingly, wears foreign and non Commonwealth designers. Kate also has many of virtually the same thing in the same colour which Diana did not.
            But Charles also never opening criticised materialism and stated he did not want his family to be so materialistic….and Will said exactly that this very week, while Kate is seen wearing the same dress in a different colour with a $1,000 belt. That is why it is legitimate to call her out for it, in my opinion.

          6. Kate doesn’t overly prioritise British or Commonwealth designers. She has designs altered to the point where they neither flatter her nor does the designer’s reputation much good. Bespoke is one thing, hacking away with no discernible skill is another.

            Kate could also wear the designs of younger, less established designers, working with those in the know in UK fashion. Had she retained the services of a professional stylist, she would have a much more streamlined, versatile wardrobe with nowhere near the wastage we see now. Plus, she’d be put together a whole lot better.

            Wastage offends in the 21st century; overt consumerism is grotesque. Why should ‘royalty’ be immune to scrutiny? In Kate’s case, this equates to wearing clothes once and then replacing them with similar items, as well as having multiples of the same item. These days we are much more attuned to considering our environmental footprint now and not being slaves to consumerism. More does not equal better. While Kate needs to be appropriately dressed for the occasion, it does not necessarily mean new or ridiculously expensive outfits every time she steps out. The UK is under huge pressure economically and socially; to swan around in new outfits is being totally tone deaf to the very people she is charged to serve and who, by the way, fund her extravagant lifestyle.

          7. How many times have we seen Prince Charles in an old suit? I think KMR may have posted a photo of the Prince wearing a suit with worn material that was mended.

            Kate has too many similar and expensive items. For the amount of *work* she accomplishes, she spends a good deal of her FIL money.

        2. My granny actually used to say “the oldest of traditions is that times do change!”. She and the Queen were actually born on the same day, which I’ve always found quite funny.

        3. I wish she would wear less established fashion houses that gain nothing from her wearing them. Michello O got the names of up and coming designers and helped give them their big break. Kate could do the same thing

        4. G., not only old suits but I remember a picture of Charles hosting someone at Clarence House and the sofa cushions were torn/shabby!!! Not even shabby chic. Just shabby
          We can blame Kate’s clothing budget =)

  3. If Kate had left the tacky belt at home and made her hair up, this would have been a stunning look (although I don’t think she needed a new dress – William, please, maybe you should talk about materialism at home as well). I used to wear my hair like that as a little girl, so I just can’t think it’s a festive look for a grown woman. But this still is one of her best evening looks ever. The speech was nice and she seemed to be at ease during this engagement, which was nice to see.

      1. Totally agree! Maybe I’m guilty of under accessorizing but a belt slapped on top of a dress with no belt loops and a to-be-noticed zipper makes me cringe. Now the earrings are a nice step up!

  4. Good things first:
    This was a good speech. Her hair looked geat tonight and she showed us the gorgous earrings. I love the shoes and think it was a nice outfit. The belt made the dress interesting.
    BUT why did she buy the same dress in two colours? The red dress had a possibility of becoming one of the iconic looks people will remeber. It was elegant with a nice little vintage, old Hollywood vibe. A great repeat option with more bling for a big occasion. This option is gone now. No wonder shops make profit by having her wearing their clothes. If she buys at least two of everything. I have no words.
    A belt for $1,055? You can buy stuff like that for like $50. Why did she not do that? People loved her for wearing affordable things.
    It is like she stuck her middle finger to Wiliam.
    That makes me sad. She did well and instead of being happy about that I’m grinding my theeth because of stupid stuff like clothing.

        1. Well at least that would be a good excuse for it! I admit I’m not a huge fan of costume jewelry or pieces. Only exception would be Sophie rocking her heavenly necklaces fakes. She pulls of the “I’m so regal I don’t need the real stuff” look so well. Kate needs help… Stick with what Granny gives you. Those earring outshine that belt any day. Gosh I hope they gave it to her with the coat. I can’t imagine buying the thing intentionally!

    1. I buy things I like in different colors. So the black version of a dress didn’t bother me. I hated the belt tho. Took away from it. I loved the shoes that were paired on the model version! I give Kate props for deviating away from the same ol same ol boring tho.

      1. Totally agree. I have many things in several colors. Ditch the belt and it was a win. Add something like a Hermes scarf and I’d really love it!

      2. I also buy clothes I like in different colours, but it’s usually things that I’m going to wear a lot. I don’t see the point in spending more than $ 2000 on two cocktail dresses that she’s going to “recycle” once or twice. Oh how easy it is to spend other people’s money.

    2. Yes, congrats to Kate on the speech.
      As for her materialism? Now, William, you said….
      The dress was not of my taste, especially on Kate. So similar to the one in red that she wore in Canada. The belt was not to my liking, but I think she is trying new things. I’m with Jenny on the dress and its length. I would have liked it on Kate if it was a bit shorter, too. A woman with a fuller figure could carry it at the length that Kate wore, but her body type made the dress seem to hang.

      I wonder if she bought the dress in a few other colors? Green? Blue? Just a thought.

  5. I am not considered a very on point observant person but when I saw a photo of this black dress I said to myself that sure looks like the red dress she wore in Canada. I was so proud to learn I was correct. (Maybe she gets a special price buying same dress in more than one color. )

    Kate looked nice….not outstanding but nice. I love the earrings and shoes. I will admit I was quite shocked at price of belt…Whewie. (Are there any jewels in that buckle of the belt. )

    The speech was long and yes very well written. I can always hear her giving these speeches without any sound. I like to think that perhaps some words in her speeches might be her own.

  6. Very nice speech, and I like the Preen dress very much, but agree with all of you that it is ironic that Kate wears a new LK Bennett today that is similar to the Obama LK Bennett dress, and then wears a new Preen tonight that is similar to the Canadian Preen (with an expensive belt) right after we rolled our eyes at William saying he highly values simplicity in his life.

    Love that she is wearing more jewelry from the family – these earrings are beautiful.

    I’m happy she is getting better at speeches because someday I want her to reach the level of Victoria or Letizia at giving them!

  7. I think it was a really good speech. A huge improvement from the ones we got before and really hope she continues to give speeches and improves over time!

    Also I think the outfit is a good one and her hair looks nice. Appropriate for the event and one which suits her well.

  8. I call it a win. She looks nice and appropriate. She engaged with her audience and gave a speech. This is why I get frustrated with her: she does well yet, regresses.

    One thing I didn’t understand was her comment “I’ve had to do that as a mum” What does that mean? What was the context?

    Thanks for the back to back reviews, KMR!

    1. I think she said “I had to do that as a mum”– meaning, she just had to hug the crying mother because she could empathize with her pain at her child’s pain, as a mother.

  9. Big win from Kate today. She looked beautiful and she looks engaged and natural. I especially love the last photo. Such a cute baby and I love his cheeky little smile.

  10. I think Kate has finally been working with someone to coach her in speech giving. This was probably the best speech she has given since her marriage. She also came across as being very sincere and more involved in this cause. I like this dress, both in red and black, loved the black pumps, a bit more daring than usual for her. I still am not sure about the belt, in some pictures it looks okay and in others it looks kind of cheesy. I just hate her hair, I had long hair when I was 16 and used to pull back the 2 front pieces like that and that was in the 70’s. If she had a more age appropriate hair style it would have given this outfit a major shot of sophistication, but overall it is a win for her.

    1. I agree that she has to have been working with someone on public speaking–clearly, this was the best. Took nearly six years to reach this point, but, hey, good for her. I hate her hair like this, too–flower child hair, and with her age and her status now the hair does not work. And it was such a distraction from the speech–those heavy sausage curls just went boing every time she jerked her head up from her notes.
      Loved her shoes, but why does she feel the need to increase the heel height so that she towers over everyone? That seems to force her to lean down a bit to talk to people and makes her poor posture even more pronounced.

      1. I think people are either high heel peeps or not. I love high heels! I say I’m a tall person trapped in a short person’s body! My sister is nearly 6’0. I knew it was love when I met her(now husband) bf and he didn’t mind that she wore heels. He’s 5’8.=)

        1. I agree. I LOVE heels! I joke that it’s because you can’t wear heels when you’re driving around lights and sirens in an ambulance. I don’t think I own a pair shorter than 4 inches tall. And I’m 5’7. I end up being the same height or just shorter than my boyfriend when I’m in heels.

        2. I’m naturally a high heel person. The arches in my feet are too high and curved to tolerate flats. 2inches are the lowest i can go without pain.

          I’m very happy about the trend for extreme heels because i find them super comfortable to extent that i can run in them.

  11. I agree it’s a win all around. Though personally, I would never buy that belt if I had access to real diamonds. She could have put a splashy brooch on a sash around the waist and that would have been so chic. Would love to know the protocol for borrowing jewels. Does one ask or does one wait to be offered?

  12. I know that Charles covers the cost for Kate’s clothes, hair, etc., but does she have to work within a set budget? Or does she have no real limits?

  13. Ever since the Canada trip I’ve been very harsh on WK. Kate actually gave a decent speech so I’ll give her credit for not saying 10 words and have it sound nice,
    Loved that for whatever reason she seems to have stepped up the bling game.
    Now if she would only fire the hairstylist and straighten her posture out..

  14. I give her points for improving on the speech and being more empathic towards others, but I don’t think I should give her an applause or a parade for work she should have been serious about from the start.. what I mean by serious is they always tend to do the minimal hour/ half hour and kate seemed to have visit her patronages only a few handful of times. Her comments she has made on mental health doesn’t add up with her speech. You can tell someone else wrote for her compared to her eyebrow raising comments in the past.

    I still say this is all PR cleanup because they were confronted earlier this year by the press, least William was. I think part of my problem is we didn’t really see kate active in charity/humanitarian work while she was dating William for about 8 years. I think theres only a handful of times she attended charity events, other than that she never really showed an interest in humanitarian work and now that she is a ‘duchess’ it’s part of her duty to go to charities. It just seems like she is obligated than willing to go on her own free will.

    Now, IF PH were to Marry MM I would take her humanitarian work as more genuine as she has been active in such activities for awhile. I know other people who have married into the royal family took up charity work, it’s just kate seems more obligated. I I know it comes off as comparing I just didn’t know how else how to word my thoughts.

    1. I get what you’re saying. Kate does it because she has to. Others do it because they want to. Makes a huge difference in their demeanor.

    2. I agree. I find her insincere and uncaring and she makes a mockery of public service. That smile looks like she’s gritting her teeth. She might just be getting better at the image but she remains self-absorbed, vain and vacuous. Her engagements continue to be not that onerous. I doubt I could ever take her seriously.

    3. I totally agree with you. Kate needed a royal title and still had to be forced into doing anything charitable. And, unlike Sophie and Sarah, who were both working full time before marrying, and even unlike Diana, who worked and was so young, Kate did basically nothing but serve William and herself for nearly 10 years. Hate to admit it, but I will always hold that against Kate.

      Same can be said for the other Middleton siblings–Pippa did nothing for charity before being cast in the media spotlight and had to justify her idleness, and James as well. Partying, holidaying, shopping, and hooking up with the rich and connected–that’s all that Carole and Mike as parents emphasized.

      1. And since hooking the Terribly Rich James, Pippa’s charity work has been zero. But did we ever think it would be otherwise? I have nothing but disgust for women who drape charity/humanitarian ‘work’ around them as bait to appear suitable to a wealthy and/or titled man. There are words for such women, none of them good.

        1. I haven’t heard anything about Pippa’s charitable works lately either. Hopefully just been overshadowed by the press obsession with her big fat English wedding, but if not I am truly disappointed. I really thought it was all more than a huge man trap in her case. Ugh Carole, another one bites the dust eh?

          1. Speaking of the two daughters I’ve never heard of Carrol being involved with charity work at all. So why should her daughters be any different. Nor Kate’s dad or brother working to help any charity. To be as wealthy as they are they could help in many ways. Being so tied in so close to the Royal family you would think the Middleton family would be eager to help anyway possible.

  15. Those are the biggest fake smiles I’ve ever seen on her. Looks like her jaw might crack. Also, did she put fillers in those suspiciously cherubic cheeks?

    On the upside, she looks nice. The oversaturated warm tones of the photos help.

      1. Someone on Twitter posted photos of Kate in the red dress in Canada and the black one the other night. There is a notable difference in her weight. Not just her face looking fuller, but her collarbone doesn’t protrude as much and her arms look fuller. That person commented “eating for two?”

        Either way, she does look like she’s picked up a little weight. And she appears to be taking some coaching in her speeches and may be listening to try to up her shoe, jewelry and make-up games. Love the shoes, not too crazy about the belt and would have preferred the hair up, but I’ll give her a B for effort.

  16. I think she looks stunning. I loved the dress in red and I love the way this has been accessorised in black. She looks fresh, healthy and vibrant. Although a slick of red lips à la Charlene would have been a wow! One thing about belts……they don’t really date like other pieces so although the retail price of this is obscene I bet she never even paid half that and I fully expect to see this piece again and again over the next ten years. I’m not excusing the cost but if she had spent £5k on a hideous, red D & G coat or a hideous floral Erdem evening dress that was such a screw up that we never saw them again that would be far worse IMO.

    Well done YRH, you got it nearly perfect tonight.

    1. Really? I feel like the opposite. I don’t think we will see this belt again and if we do she will only wear it once again. It is a belt that won’t go with much and I don’t see her finding ways to wear it again. It is not a versatile belt. But I hope you prove me wrong.

      Oh and a red lip would have looked amazing. I don’t see her being that daring, but we can hope 🙂

      1. On the one hand i agree with the red lippy, but Kate has thin/ non existant lips. Red lippy would highlight this fact and look all kinds of wrong. Nude/light pink lippy is the best option for her lips.

        It’s probably why she over-does the eyes as a distraction from the lips.

        Sidebar: i understand she’s following the smoky eye/nude lips make up rule, but in her case she picked the better option to emphasise.

        1. I have a thin top lip but careful use of contouring and lip pencil can improve it. I don’t try to go really plumptious but as we age the lips do seem to be less full naturally and need a bit of help.
          I think one of the reasons she doesn’t is like you say she’s opted for the smokey eye option but also I think William isn’t big on the whole made up woman look…..and we know that Kate has to please William and emulate Jecca. Like some men who know little of nothing about make up I think William thinks nude barely there make up is a woman’s natural state not realising how much make up goes into achieving that ‘natural’ state. I also think Kate is just too controlled in everything she does that experimenting is just not in her orbit.

          Such a shame really because she has the connections to access the best in the industry and yet her make up hasn’t evolved with her Royal look at all.

  17. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! I hope this day will be filled with love, laughter and joy for each and every one of you! And Thank You KMR for creating this wonderful community!!

  18. Another good effort by Kate. I thought she spoke well and seemed more relaxed. She engaged with people, too. As for the hug? Whether it was a typical embrace, or a pat on the arm, I think it was nice that she reached out to the Mum whose child suffered so much. Made Kate seem warmer and more approachable and must have made the woman feel great.

    Now on to the dress? I did not like the red one she wore in Canada too much. Specifically, although others don’t seem to agree, because of the length. A bit shorter, and I would have thought it was lovely. Also, the metal zipper? Ugh, really don’t like those exposed, heavy zippers. They are trashy looking. I liked her shoes, though. And, that belt? Too expensive and not really to my taste. As others have said, there was William talking about how he does not want his children to become too materialistic, and the wardrobe of their Mum keeps getting larger and is expensive. Not that I want her in rags, but come on. She has enough clothes, right?

    I do think Kate is moving forward, though. Nice to see that.

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