Duchess Kate repeats a great Catherine Walker coat for Beating Retreat

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It took me forever and a day to get the gist of exactly what Trooping the Colour was all about – a parade and plane-show for the Queen’s fake-ass birthday – and now I have to learn what a whole new thing is? WTF is Beating Retreat? Apparently, it’s a thing. It’s a thing that happens two days before Trooping the Colour. It’s a thing which is sort of a military parade, with some fireworks thrown in. Sometimes the Queen attends, sometimes she asks someone else to attend in her place, like Prince Charles or William or Harry. This year, she asked… the Duchess of Cambridge. And Kate actually looked like she had some fun with it. I guess this is why Kate couldn’t attend the D-Day event with William earlier in the day (sidenote: it’s actually completely possible that she could have attended both events, considering the, like, seven-hour staggered start-times, but whatever).

For this event, Kate looked really great. It always feel so refreshing to see her in a clean and modern silhouette, in a coat which isn’t slathered in buttons, ruffles, peplums, butterfly collars, mini-capes or puffy shoulders. This Catherine Walker coat is a repeat, but something she hasn’t worn in years – we first saw this during the Cambridges’ Canadian trip in 2016. I truly have no memory of it, but I wish it was a coat we had seen more of. She paired it with one of her favorite pairs of earrings, the Cassandra Goad Cavolfiore Pearl Stud Earrings, which I always thought were super-fake but it turns out they retail for like $5000. She also wore her shamrock brooch, which usually only gets worn for her St. Patrick’s Day trip to the Irish Guards. Seeing it out of the St. Patrick’s Day groove is… odd. Maybe she just thought it would look nice with the coat.

Also: for those of us wondering just how William and Kate got out of doing a bunch of events with the Trumps, apparently they scheduled a “private meeting” with some people from The Royal Foundation on Tuesday, the morning after the state banquet. Very convenient, that was absolutely the ONLY time for a private meeting, I’m sure!

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

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97 Responses to “Duchess Kate repeats a great Catherine Walker coat for Beating Retreat”

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  1. Kittycat says:

    Am I the only one who see the great face work she had done?

    • Renee2 says:

      Nope.

      I can see it too and I am sure that others can as well.

      • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

        What has she done? Aside from a bit of botox, which she’s always used (when not pregnant)….?

      • BlueOrange says:

        Yeah it looks like she’s just had botox and only a little on her forehead too but it’s made a massive difference.

    • Moses says:

      It’s her face. She should do what she wants with it. 🤷‍♂️

    • Seraphina says:

      Nope, her face looks like it’s been touched and looks really good.

      Now to throw some shade, while I think she looks great here, especially her hair and face, I really wish she’d play up the clothes and shoes she wears. This coat looks so much like everything else she wears. It’s boring. And I know she doesn’t always need to be a fashion plate, but some color would do her good. And enough with the nude heels. She could have really mixed in some color and slammed it out of the ball park.

      BUT, she is working and looks appropriate and looks like she is enjoying it. So I’m giving her a thumbs up 👍🏽

      • Becks1 says:

        I am laughing because we say that so often in these posts. “at least she is working!”

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      Yes, she’s back on the botox. Her face is very smooth looking and these photo’s haven’t been photoshopped, otherwise they would have got rid of the makeup blending issue.

      • Sunny says:

        Definitely back on the ‘tox. She must’ve just finished breastfeeding and finally got the OK

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @Sunny, Is not Louis like over a year old? Would not breastfeeding been finished months ago?

      • Becks1 says:

        @bay – depends. I BFed both of mine until they were well over a year. No clue how she fed her babies though.

      • Digital Unicorn says:

        Also if she’s back to botoxing it means that she is not planning on having no 4 anytime soon.

      • Mel M says:

        I noticed the work as well as the makeup blending which surprised me. Maybe it was that evening lighting that she’s not used to going out in?

      • Cate says:

        @bay, BFing can definitely go on past a year, though many women cut back quite a bit at that point. I nursed mine exclusively to 1 yr, then we switched over to cow’s milk for daycare (so I could stop pumping) but we still nursed in the morning and evening for several months after just because it was a nice way to spend time together (BFing “for fun” is sooooo much nicer than BFing because you “have” to!). Around 15 mos my son decided he was done with it though, so that was that.

      • Gia says:

        Gentle fillers in the cheeks and some botox? Upper lip, too.

    • Becks1 says:

      Yeah she has definitely gotten touched up. She looks good, but touched up.

      • Seraphina says:

        @Becks1, sad when so many of say that. I’m sure it’s not easy having to do what is expected at these events. BUT, this is the life she signed up for. 10 years and a very famous position where the entire world knows what’s expected. No false advertising. It’s like me telling my husband: “yeah, I know I wanted kids and to be a mom, but I don’t feel like cooking or bathing them or nurturing them. Hope that’s ok, en route to the spa and the vineyard for dinner”.

      • yeahyeahyeah says:

        The WHO recommends breastfeeding until 2.

    • Beli says:

      Nope. It’s good work and deftly done, but she’s definitely had a tweak.

    • mjmanansala says:

      kininangina vyu vovo\

  2. Befrazzled says:

    No shade here, she looks terrific!

  3. Mignionette says:

    She looks fantastic and this look really works on her. Ages her a little, but also gives her a touch of that European elegance that the likes of Leticia effortlessly carry off.

    As always however the shoes and clutch ruin what could have been a 10/10/

    Would have loved to have seen this look with say emerald green suede shoes and clutch as jewel tones suit her so well.

    Apart from that every thing else looks great.

  4. Digital Unicorn says:

    One of her few looks that I like, thou the makeup needed better blending u can see the obvious line in a few of those shots.

    Its going to be a wet Trooping this year sadly.

  5. Becks1 says:

    This is a lovely look on her. I don’t like a lot of her Catherine Walker coats, but I have always been a fan of this one. Nice clean lines, interesting but not busy, no big buttons LOL.

    Camilla was dressed very similarly which cracked me up.

  6. Melmella says:

    This is the third time Kate has worn this coat. She last wore it at the Easter Sunday service in 2017.

    Also William’s event yesterday was not in London but in Staffordshire.

  7. Kk2 says:

    Nice coat, but coats in June? Wtf England? That seems miserable.

    • Mignionette says:

      It’s freezing cold today and was even raining on the way to work. I don’t blame her…

    • AryasMum says:

      I’m jealous. I’ve been roasting in Atlanta for the last six weeks.

    • Jo says:

      You’ve not been to England then? Ah, the English summer – miserable one day, freezing cold and raining the next!

    • A Fan says:

      Hell, we had snow yesterday where I live…

  8. Casey20 says:

    Kate is just as vanilla as her coat! Boring alert!!! Camilla update, please!!

    • Millenial says:

      I would honestly be happy to see a Camilla roundup every once in a while. Especially if she’s going to do hilarious things like need a drink to see the Trumps.

    • Mego says:

      I agree. She looks appropriate but nothing to rave on about for sure.

      • ZL says:

        Staffordshire is up North, but whatever… It’s better when the Royals spread out for these events, so they can , you know, commemorate with everyone, instead of a few, but whatever.

    • Bella Bella says:

      To me this look ages her. She looks 45. I find her very dowdy.

  9. LORENA says:

    The work she has done is done very well. I don’t mind it, she looks refreshed

  10. RoyalBlue says:

    Oh she looks amazing. She hit this one out of the park big time. I remember the coat and would love to have it in my closet.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      @All UK Sisters, What kind of shoes??? Would black patent leather have been appropriate for this event?

      • Mignionette says:

        Very much so, but I am not sure I have ever seen her wear patent black.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        Must be a personal choice as QEII appears tp wear black patent leather all the time.

      • hunter says:

        It’s very rare to see Kate in a pair of heels that aren’t suede.

        Exceptions include a pair of summer sandals with toes, summer straw wedges and any boot-related footwear. Almost ALL her heels for formal day events are suede.

        I don’t know why, suede is difficult to keep clean (maybe that’s why – shows class comforts).

  11. Enn says:

    I really loved this look when I saw it last night. I was surprised she didn’t wear her poppy brooch, though, unless that’s only for Remembrance Day (Veterans Day here in the US).

    • Hyacinth Bucket says:

      Poppy would not be appropriate for anything other than Poppy Day or other remembrance events.

    • Lunde says:

      Kate’s event was a bit different from the other D-day events. Hers was an annual charity event with fireworks for veterans and families rather than an event specifically remembering the War and its military deaths.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      The Beating Retreat has nothing to do with the D-Day commemorations – it’s a 2 day event that happens every year a few days before Trooping the Colour.

      https://www.householddivision.org.uk/beating-retreat

      She wore the shamrock as the Irish Guards are part of the Household Division who take part in these ceremonial events.

  12. t says:

    Cute outfit. She should wear sleeker cuts more often.

  13. Nico says:

    She looks amazing! 10/10

  14. minx says:

    This is a big win—outfit, hair, everything.

  15. DS9 says:

    How much of this “new face” is actual work and how much is just less eyeliner and bronzer

  16. HK9 says:

    She looks fantastic. And furthermore, she looks like she’s having fun, which is nice to see.

  17. Lisa says:

    Kate looked lovely. This is a great coat dress to repeat.

  18. Beli says:

    This is a really good look for her. This is what she should be aiming for if she’s trying to look timeless and mature.

    And if Trump was going to try and see me I’d be booking a conveniently clashing meeting too!

    • minx says:

      Yes, exactly. I think she tries to dress mature and it comes across dowdy. This is the kind of look that suits her.

    • Lunde says:

      If I was a younger female Royal I wouldn’t want to be within 10 feet of Trump. I think the younger Royals (presumably with the Queen’s approval) played it very well. They were there but managed to avoid the Trumps rather deftly and Trump was paired up with Air-miles Andy – who Trump does not want on his Twitter feed!

  19. yiza says:

    just curious do you have an excel file where you write her outfits. I cannot imagine keeping track of them and remembering one from five years ago!

    • Becks1 says:

      I can remember them pretty well – honestly, she does not work that much. It’s fairly easy to track her outfits if you follow the royals.

      Also, often sites like this and What Kate Wore will link to previous appearances in a certain outfit, so if you follow along, you can remember them pretty well.

    • Leena says:

      @ yiza – glad I’m not the only one. 🙂

  20. OriginalLala says:

    Her makeup looks terrible though – caked on and not softened/blended enough. The Royal ladies struggle with daytime outside makeup

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      I’ve seen Kate in person and yeah the make up is caked on but its normally blended better.

      Its rumoured that she sometimes does her own makeup and you can tell when its her – the panda eyes, bad blend job. You can tell when a pro does it, its way better looking.

  21. Chimney says:

    I like the coat and the fact that she looks happy and relaxed! Probably because William isn’t there and she doesn’t have to take a back seat. I really dislike the hair though, too matronly. I feel like I’m about to be scolded

  22. Coffeespotnyc says:

    She didnt have any work done. The difference is that shes smiling and laughing so her jowls arent visible. Zoom in and you can see every line on her forehead and under her eyes.

    Botox gives you a pillowy face, none here. Theres no shininess either.

    • Leena says:

      Not a popular view on here. 😆

    • TheMummy says:

      Botox does not give you a pillowy face. I’ve had botox four times over the last few years and all it does is smooth lines because the muscles aren’t moving much (or at all, if one gets regular or large doses–I get “baby botox” and only in my forehead and bunny lines). There is a lot of misconception about what botox does and how it works. It literally paralyzes muscles and that’s it. It doesn’t make anything fluffy or pillowy. It causes muscle paralysis–not inflammation, not swelling, and it doesn’t do anything to fluff muscle or skin. Botox has one function only: muscle paralysis.

      • MissM says:

        People have no idea how botox works. My co worker gets mini injections meaning a half dose. You would literally never know that she has it even if you’ve seen her without because it looke so good and natural. She just looks fresher after getting her injections done, not puffy or frozen a la Nicole Kidman. I’ve completely changed my opinion about botox since knowing her and other people who do the same.

  23. vava says:

    Generally I like the coat, but if I were the designer I would have brought the edge of the right side of the coat all the way over to that left side seam to make it sleeker looking. The edge of the front flap next to that side seam bugs me.

    The pin is for that troop, right? I think it’s a cool brooch and I would have played off it’s colors with my accessories instead of those boring nude shoes. Kate has no imagination when it comes to such things.

    I don’t particularly like that hairstyle, and it makes me sad that someone her age is tweaking her face like this. I’m so glad I don’t live her lifestyle.

  24. TheMummy says:

    It just occurred to me that at this point, that the irony is that the writers here are more obsessed with buttons than Kate is. By far. (And I say that all in good fun. No snark intended.)

  25. TheMummy says:

    Also, her makeup is awful here. She is orange, for one thing, but you can see the line at her jaw where the foundation ends and was not blended at ALL.

  26. Hope says:

    I have a lot of criticism for Kate but it’s not easy being a woman aging in public. She really can’t win on this one.

  27. Casey20 says:

    Great photos of Camilla today and she’s dressed appropriately for her age. She looks great! Kate looks 45 at this event. Camilla has the same color block as Kate but it’s styled much better and not not boring at all!!!

    • Tate says:

      Kate does not look 45, she looks her age. Which is ok!!! Let’s not be dramatic, she looks lovely here.

    • Lauren says:

      +1 Casey. She has always looked older than her age.

    • MsIam says:

      My thoughts exactly @Casey20. For some reason I get a Nancy Reagan vibe from this look. Not in terms of her face, lol of course she is not that old! But it is such a matronly look for a woman who is not even 40. I think Melania Trump dresses more youthful and stylishly than Kate ( I know that is not a popular opinion on here, don’t shoot me!) and Melania is in her mid-late forties.

    • Harla says:

      @Casey20, I think this updo is rather aging on Kate. It seems to be her favorite style of updo but imho, it looks rather like a helmet, too stiff and matronly. She has gorgeous hair that could easily look so much better when done up.

      • Chimney says:

        @Harla Agree the hair is too stiff. It’s a look straight out of the Princess Anne playbook

    • Maria says:

      Kate has always looked much much older than her actual age, at least starting in 2013.
      The pictures from the Paddington Recreation Ground…..she looks about 50.

  28. s says:

    She looks absolutely perfect!

  29. Fluffy Princess says:

    I love how Kate looks here! Modern and appropriate for the ceremony.

    Honestly, her solo events is where she shines.

    When she is with William she always seems “on guard” and the smiles seem “too much” and her natural exuberance seems tamped down.

    On her own, Kate seems like she’s fun and probably laughs easily and, honestly, more empathetic and caring about the people she is meeting.

  30. Busyann says:

    Let’s just remember this post if and when Meghan is asked to take the salute. As Kaiser pointed out, other members of the royal family, including 6th place Harry, have done this and it can’t be used to prop Kate up because she is the future Queen consort. It’s just her doing her job, which good for her. She gets a cookie.

  31. magnolia says:

    It’s a shame so many do not understand the traditions of the British monarchy, but that is precisely why they get upset with why things are done they way they are. A thousand year old institution and pillar of social, political, economic, and international influence isn’t going to change with the addition of a celebrity. Venting may help outsiders cope, but it will not change the institution. Change will only come from the taxpayers and members within.

    • Starkiller says:

      Just because something has existed for a thousand year, does not make it right. Slavery has also existed for thousands of years, would you also say that it’s “a shame people just don’t understand it”?

      • Coffeespotnyc says:

        Not the best example, really.
        No one is being ‘forced’ to do anything. Both women were adults and came into the relationships with eyes wide ope . They wanted this life and they know it comes with a fair amt of criticism.
        Lets not forget all the women harry and william were with only wanted a good time with them. None wanted marriage.

      • magnolia says:

        Oh dear. So much wrong with this straw man argument. I assume venting makes you feel better, but it still won’t change the monarchy.

  32. ZL says:

    Everyone gets Botox, what’s the big deal??? It’s not like Royals are telling the world “we don’t get work done; we don’t freshen up our faces with cosmetic procedures, it’s all natural!” like certain celebs…. Sensible people know that it’s better to keep the work looking natural – no need to go overboard.

    • Coffeespotnyc says:

      The point is to call it a botox face when it is one. She didnt get it. If so, i’d like to know where? Her under eye area is all wrinkley and shes got deep forehead lines that are visible even when you zoom in. The woman even has jowls which arent visible because shes actually smiling for a change. And THAT is why she looks ‘good’. Shes laughing and smiling.

      • ZL says:

        Lol, I didn’t zoom in, so I don’t know. I was just trying to point out why it seems to be a big deal here that women get Botox, fillers, peels, etc. If Kate has lines on her forehead, and under the eyes, then no, it’s not Botox… Maybe a light peel or mask to freshen/plump the face? Seems more likely.

  33. khaveman says:

    That is some of the best “freshened up” botox I have ever seen, unless there is Photoshopping done here. She looks great (skin).

  34. TaniaOG says:

    She looks great. No shade here.