Duchess Kate

Today, Kensington Palace released a piece of fantastic news. Duchess of Cambridge touched another milestone in her Early Years Initiative Project. She launched a landmark survey Five Big Questions on the Under Fives survey. It gives people across the UK an opportunity to provide their view on raising the next generation. About the survey, Kensington Palace said,

“The launch of the survey follows eight years of work by the Duchess of Cambridge in which she has explored how experiences in early childhood often lie at the root of the hardest social challenges the country faces today. What we experience in the earliest years – from in the womb to the age of five – is instrumental in shaping our future lives.”

After yesterday’s show-stopping appearance at UK-Africa Investment summit, I was expecting Duchess to make an unannounced appearance at least once this week as we didn’t have any scheduled engagement. But we might be in for a handful of them.

Last year we were told that we will be hearing more about Catherine’s dream project and here we have the first glimpse. The ‘Five Big Questions’ contains five short questions and aims to spark a national conversation on the early years that will ultimately help bring about positive, lasting change for generations to come. It is designed to bring together the thoughts of as many people as possible – recognising that everyone has a role in ensuring strong, healthy foundations for the youngest in our society that will positively affect their lifelong outcomes.

The findings should provide a vital source of information for the early years sector, helping it to better understand public perceptions of the importance of the early years, and the first-hand experiences of parents, families and carers. This public feedback will also help to focus Her Royal Highness’ work through the Royal Foundation as she endeavours to provide children across the UK with the best foundations to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. The results of the survey will be made available in March and will determine the next step in Catherine’s early year’s work.

For the big launch, today Catherine visited Birmingham, where she visited ‘Thinktank’ – the city’s science museum. Catherine met with children at MiniBrum, an interactive, child-sized mini-city in the museum before speaking with various parents who have been involved in the project. Speaking about the project Duchess said,

Parents, carers and families are at the heart of caring for children in the formative years, so that is why I want to listen to them. As a parent, I know how much we cherish the future health and happiness of our children.

I want to hear the key issues affecting our families and communities so I can focus my work on where it is needed most. My ambition is to provide a lasting change for generations to come.

During today’s engagement, Catherine spent time with a group of children from Henley Montessori School and St Paul’s Nursery in Balsall Heath. Duchess of Cambridge is a passionate champion of family and children support. From Daily Mail’s report,

After being presented with a posy by Poppy as a thank you for visiting the ‘city’, the duchess met various parents who have been involved in the project, including Giovanna Fletcher, whose podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby is aimed at ensuring that new mothers do not feel alone.

The group then sat down together to discuss various issues surrounding parenthood and the role that local communities can play.

Kate, 38, said: ‘What we experience between the ages of nought and five shapes the developing brain.

‘They help us avoid adversity, or certainly build resilience to adversity in later life, prevent challenges with mental health later down the line.

‘As a mother, it’s given me a different perspective.

‘There’s so much pressure on parents to feel the responsibility is just down to them but actually it’s important to work together as a community.’

Duchess put the focus of her public life on helping families and children to provide a healthy and happy childhood. In 2018, Duchess convened a steering group of academics, practitioners and charities to focus on early intervention to support the social, emotional and mental wellbeing of young children. More from DailyMail’s report,

One of its members, David Holmes CBE, chief executive of Family Action, of which the Duchess is patron, said: ‘Every parent, carer and family wants the best for their child and raising the profile of the vital early years in a child’s life is work of national importance.

‘The insight this survey will give the early years sector valuable direction in designing and delivering services and support which reflect what matters most to people.’

Kate Stanley, director of strategy for the NSPCC, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see The Duchess of Cambridge launch this survey today. The results will provide fascinating insight into how we think about the early years and it will be a vital source of information for the sector.’

Catherine will be undertaking a 24-hour tour of the country to trigger country-wide participation. Tomorrow, the Duchess of Cambridge has engagements in London, Cardiff, and Surrey to continue promoting the initiative. You can participate in the survey by clicking here.

For the visit to Birmingham, Catherine wore a new printed Pansy Pussybow blouse in green from Tabitha Webb. Thanks to UFONoMore for the id.

The £295 Pansy Pussybow blouse is described as, “It’s the Pansy Pussybow in all its glory in our new green chevron print. Our signature style is ready to take you through the spring season”. Crafted from 100% silk the blouse is from label’s Autumn 2019 collection but now is back for pre-order.

Duchess of Cambridge paired the blouse with her Jigsaw High Waisted Sport Luxe Trousers.

Catherine was wearing her Emmy London Josie Block Heel Pointed Shoe

and Monica Vinader Siren Earrings.

Another new element in today’s look was Halcyon Days Gold Plated Maya Torque Bracelet in Aquamarine. (Thanks to UfoNoMore for the id).The £110.00 is described as, “Our new Maya torque bangle has the blues. Dive into the Caribbean with this latest blue and bejewelled twist on our classic design” and is available online. 

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day when Duchess will join parents at LEYF Nursery in Southwark for the nursery drop off, before helping nursery workers serve breakfast to the children. Next, Catherine will travel to Cardiff to attend a baby sensory class at Ely and Careau Children’s Centre where she will hear about the support that parents receive.

Dress Like Duchess

Tonight, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, hosted a reception in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace to mark the UK-Africa Investment Summit. It was the couple’s first solo event of this level where they received State heads in the absence of Her Majesty or Prince of Wales.

William and Catherine arriving for the reception. The UK-Africa Investment Summit, hosted by the UK government will bring together heads of state and government and senior representatives from African countries, key multilateral agencies and high profile the UK and African businesses to showcase and promote the breadth and quality of investment opportunities across Africa.

Both William and Catherine share a special bond with the African continent. While William has spent much-needed family time with his father and brother at the continent, the couple also got engaged during a vacation in Africa choosing Kenya specifically.

The summit will demonstrate the strength of the relationship between the UK and Africa, showcase and promote the breadth and quality of investment opportunities across Africa, and highlight the UK’s commitment to supporting economic development in Africa, including through the creation of jobs and new partnerships. It will mobilise new and substantial investment to create jobs and boost mutual prosperity.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stood for a group photograph after receiving the 21 delegations that included British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, African heads of state –  President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, the Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara, and Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta among many others.

The Royal Couple welcomed the Heads of state and Government and their partners, prominent business leaders other representatives from the United Kingdom and from across Africa at Buckingham Palace. The Duke of Cambridge is the patron of the Royal African Society since 2017. He recently visited the African continent in 2018 and I believe we will see Duke and Duchess of Cambridge undertaking an African visit in the near future.

From British Foreign Policy Group Research, “The UK-Africa Investment Summit should serve as a springboard, not just to greater investment in Africa, but the start of serious relationships with major African governments. The Department for International Development has made clear that they want to make it easier for African governments to access, and make the most of, trade and investment opportunities – but articulating a post-Brexit, independent foreign policy means more than that, and the UK can now begin to present itself as the central convener on global conversations on the pressing issues of today”.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by Princess Royal Anne with Earl and Countess of Wessex. On a pleasant note, The Countess of Wessex Sophie is celebrating her 55th Birthday. I wish her a very Happy Birthday. Given the current situation in the Royal Family, it is believed that Earl and Countess of Wessex will have a more prominent role in Family as there are very few senior royals under the age of 70.

 

“The African continent holds a very special place in my heart.” — The Duke of Cambridge at a Buckingham Palace reception to mark the UK-Africa Investment Summit #InvestinAfrica pic.twitter.com/MVylx0ijiB

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 20, 2020

Speaking at the event, Prince William talked about his personal relationship with the African Continent. Emily Nash on Twitter reported,

“The African continent holds a very special place in my heart. It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died.

And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee.

As Catherine and I have said to several of you here tonight, we hope to have the chance to visit many more countries in the future and share our mutual love of your continent with our children.”

A video of the day.

For the evening event, Duchess of Cambridge was looking royally elegant in an all-over red look. She wore a gorgeous red dress from British label Needle and Thread.

Looks like Duchess was wearing a customised version of label’s ‘Aurora’ dress. Thanks to Kate’s Royal Closet on Twitter for the quick id. It was the first time we saw Catherine wearing any piece from British Label. Crafted from delicate tulle, the a-line dress has sequin work on it.

The £410.00 dress is described as, “The Aurora Gown in Cherry Red. This light-catching floor-length dress is decorated with silver shimmering sequins inspired by vintage lace tablecloth. The Aurora is a long sleeve dress with pretty floral elements, engineered to flatter the A-line silhouette. There is delicate frill lace detailing around the neck and arm for further intrigue.”

The dress comes in both Gown and Mini version. Catherine’s dress looks like a customised version with midi Length. A lovely description of Catherine’s look from Telegraph’s Tamara Abraham,

Kate made the challenge look easy, making her entrance alongside Prince William in a red evening dress that looked suitably celebratory, identifying her as co-host, but not so over-the-top that other guests looked underdressed – a tricky balance to strike.

Kate’s dress, a customised version of the £410 Aurora gown from the Cruise 2020 collection, was unquestionably dazzling. The tulle creation was inspired by the design of a vintage lace tablecloth and is decorated with tonal sequins and a frill detail at the arms and neck.

The deep red hue was spot on: bold, regal, elegant, and no accidental stroke of luck – the 38-year-old will have learnt from the Queen that it is important to wear an eye-catching colour for such engagements so that people who may have waited to catch a glimpse of you can identify you easily in a crowd or from a distance.

It looks like Duchess paired the dress with her red Gianvito Rossi’s ‘Gianvito 105’ Red pumps

and Jenny Packham Casa Clutch.

Catherine wore a pair of Gold Ruby earrings from Soru Jewellery. Kate’s Royal Closet received confirmation from the label’s representative. The earrings are from 2017 collection and they will be available for pre-order.

In other news, the Goring Hotel – Where Catherine stayed a night before her wedding with her family, shared this unseen picture of Duchess giving the final touch to a painting that is now hanging in the hotel. The picture is from March 2015 when Catherine was expecting Princess Charlotte and visited the Hotel to mark its 105th anniversary.

Today Palace announced that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony in Westminster on January 27th. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Dress Like Duchess

Today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had their first official away day of the new decade. The couple visited the diverse Yorkshire city of Bradford to undertake a series of engagements. The Royal couple visited several projects which support the community while bringing a spotlight to the vibrant culture and community of Bradford.

It was Duchess’ first official engagement of the year 2020. The family spend Christmas and winter break at their country residence, Anmer Hall, where they celebrated Catherine’s 38th birthday with a pre-bash before joining Her Majesty at the Sunday Church Service.

William and Catherine arrived began the day from the City Hall in Bradford’s Centenary Square where the Lord Mayor of the city welcomed the couple while the church bells were chiming to announce the arrival of the Royal Couple in the beautiful city.

Bradford was named the “most improved city” to live and work in the UK in November last year. A video of the arrival.

Catherine received a beautiful posy from kids who were wearing pink hoodies saying, “Welcome to Yorkshire”.

At the City Hall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met a group of young people from across the community to hear about life in Bradford. William and Catherine met representatives from local employers and businesses who are helping young people into employment.

Before departing the City Hall,  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge greeted the members of the public who had gathered outside City Hall to greet them. The couple received a really warm and happy welcome from the locals who cheered them up when they step out of the 19th Century building.

Continuing from Daily Mail’s report,

At one point the screaming crowd was so loud the Duke beamed and said to a group: ‘Hello! You’re the noisy corner – You’re in fine voice’, sparking squeals of excitement from some women waving Union flags and clutching bouquets for him and his wife.

Next, William and Catherine visited MyLahore’s flagship restaurant where they met students from Bradford College who are on a kitchen apprenticeship scheme.

The couple learnt about some of the charitable work that the restaurant does to support the community. At the restaurant, they were joined by the Boxer Amir Khan, who is a friend of the family who owns MyLahore.

Founded in 2002, MyLahore is a British Asian restaurant chain which has taken inspiration from Lahore, known as the Food Capital of Pakistan. The visit reminds us of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to Lahore during their tour to Pakistan in October 2019.  I believe it was the same for the royal couple as Kensington Palace said it “evoked memories” of the successful tour.

It was time to put their cookery skills to test. The Duke and Duchess joined students making mango lassis before sitting down to meet representatives from the UK Women’s Muslim Council and those who have benefitted from the Council’s Curry Circle. The Curry Circle, which is sponsored by MyLahore, is an initiative that provides a hot two-course meal for people who are homeless or struggling to feed themselves.

William and Catherine met with the Chefs and Staff of the restaurant. The Duchess told well-wishers the trip to Pakistan was “such a special visit, we really enjoyed it”. In a very rare glimpse of their private life, Duchess of Cambridge remarked about the possibility of the 4th Cambridge kid. From Mirror’s report,

During a chat with Josh Macpalce, who told her he had sent her and William cards congratulating them on the births of all three of their children, she replied: “I don’t think William wants any more”.

Another video of the visit.

Next stop was one of Bradford’s Khidmat Centres, whose main focus is to help the most vulnerable members of the community from minority ethnic backgrounds. On arrival, William and Catherine heard about the activities and workshops offered at the centre, and the organisations that they support.

At the Khidmat Centre, the couple was surprised by a very creative and beautiful ‘William and Kate’ cake.

The cake was made by a resident Siama Ali. Siama depicted the journey of the royal couple from childhood to their kid’s birth on the cake and mini cupcakes. Simon Perry reported that after looking at his childhood picture on the cake William said, “Is that me? Because that looks just like Charlotte. That is incredible”.

William and Catherine also received some cute gifts for their three kids.

The Duke and Duchess then joined a session involving groups supported by Better Start Bradford, which delivers over 20 projects to pregnant women and families with children under the age of 4.

The couple met families from the ‘Older Yet Wiser’ project, a unique and innovative workshop series for grandparents who have child-caring responsibilities for their grandchildren. Participants in the workshop are given tools to enhance their relationship with their grandchildren whilst receiving up-to-date information on raising children in the 21st century.

A mother of three kids, Duchess is always quick to notice little kiddies in the room.

They met with local businessmen and members of the Chamber of Commerce in the city. Local business helps in keeping the economy strong given the economic flux of the country. From Rebecca English’s report,

They also met local board member Adeeba Malik CBE who told them: ‘Your trip to Pakistan, please don’t underestimate the importance of it. It was phenomenal. It was so powerful.’ ‘We loved it,’ William grinned.

Finally, The Duke and Duchess joined a workshop run by Near Neighbours, an organisation which brings people together in communities across the UK that are religiously and ethnically diverse, so that they can get to know each other better, build relationships of trust, and collaborate on initiatives that improve the local community that they live in. From the BBC,

Before they left, the couple were asked by social entrepreneur Kamran Rashid their opinion of the city.

William replied: “You can see that communities are trying to come together, trying to help each other, get to know each other and that is really crucial. If we can replicate that more across the country then it can only be for good.”

Now to What Duchess Wore- Catherine chose to debut a new stunningly elegant winter look. She was wearing a new Alexander McQueen olive coat.

The long coat features a structured Miliary silhouette with high neckline. It looks like a bespoke piece of the label.

Underneath the coat, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a ZARA Printed Dress. The dress is another new addition to her wardrobe. Described as, “Flowing long sleeve dress featuring a high neck with ties and a V-shaped opening, an elastic inner waist, a detachable belt in matching fabric with a covered buckle, and a front button fastening” dress was on sale for just £16 before selling out.

Duchess paired the outfit with her Gianvito Rossi Piper 85 suede pumps that we first saw in March 2019 for the first time when she visited Henry Fawcett Children’s Centre.

Catherine was carrying her Aspinal of London Midi Mayfair Bag in deep shine black croc that she first carried in November 2018 when she visited Leicester city to pay tribute to the victims of the helicopter crash.

The Duchess of Cambridge finished her look with Zeen Dazzling Ceramic Drops that she debuted in October 2019 during Aga Khan Center visit in London before Pakistan visit.

Next, we will see Catherine on January 20 when she and William will host a reception at Buckingham Palace to mark the UK-Africa Investment Summit on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

Dress Like Duchess