The Duke and Duchess were met on their arrival at Henderson Airport by a traditional and colourful welcome, replete with garlands of flowers. Tens of thousands of people turned out to line the five mile route from the airport to Honiara.
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| Rebecca English Twitter |
The Duke and Duchess viewed fearsome warrior dancers.
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| Rebecca English Twitter |
The Royals were formally welcomed by the Queen's representative the Governor-General and his wife, before reviewing a guard of honour at the airport. The Solomon Islands have no military so the honour guard was made up of members of the police force (With thanks to @allthingsregal)
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| Simon Perry Twitter |
Kate watched William inspect the guard of honour.
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| Rebecca English Twitter |
The Palace said the couple were 'hugely looking forward' to the celebratory and lively visit.
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| Rebecca English Twitter |
The Royals were transported in an open topped vehicle (a truck dressed as a canoe)
Final preparations were made on William and Kate's vehicle yesterday :)
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| Edwina Bathomolew Twitter |
The people of Honiara have been hugely excited about the royal visit and making preparations for some time. 'Welkom Will and Kate' billboards have been placed all over the capital city of Solomon Islands.
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| Mark Stewart Twitter |
People named William or Kate received free ice cream from local shops (I wonder if the number of William and Kate's rose mysteriously after the offer was made :))
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| Simon Perry Twitter |
The couple's next stop was The Church of Melanesia cathedral where they attended a service of thanksgiving for the life of dedicated service by the Queen.
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| Georgina Brewer Twitter |
William and Kate received floral headdresses.
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| @MrsRegalEyes Twitter |
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. The Solomon Islands are believed to have been inhabited by Melanesia inhabitants for many thousands of years. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence in 1978. The official language is English. If you wish to find out more pop over to Visit Solomons for more information.
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| @ntv7 Twitter |
A new designer for Kate today.
The Duchess wore the green check-print Johnathan Saunders Evelyn Cotton Dress.
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| Matches |
The pretty dress is available for £816 and described as
'From a collection inspired by designer Charlotte Perriand, this green check-print Evelyn cotton dress by Johnathon Saunders captures a retro-cool 60's vibe. A figure-flattering shape cuts a classically feminine silhouette'.
The dress is also available with shorter sleeves at Harvey Nichols for £820.
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| Harvey Nichols |
I have personally been a huge fan of Johnathan Saunders for quite a while and I'm delighted to see Kate supporting a young British designer. Born in Scotland Johnathan graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1999 and subsequently winning the Fashion Enterprise Award in and Elle Style Awards Designer of the Year in 2007. Saunders trademark is his use of traditional silk screening techniques.
A look at pieces from the Resort 2013 Collection.
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| Johnathon Saunders |
Kate wore a cream hat with green detail by milliner Jane Taylor.
The Duchess wore her 'off white' LK Bennett Sledge Pumps.
Kate wore her gorgeous £1900 Kiki McDonough 18K carat green amethyst and diamond earrings that are thought to have been Christmas gift from William.
You can watch a video from the arrival at Sky News.
A wonderful reader named Alice photographed Kate leaving the Shangri La hotel this morning and was kind enough to send me the photo. As you can see Kate waved at Alice as she walked past No doubt a very memorable moment. To view photos of William and Kate departing Kota Kinabalu take a look at talented photographer David Aramaitii's Facebook Page.
Kate recycled a black and pink printed wrap dress that she first wore to a St Andrews party in 2002 and most recently in 2005 (With many thanks to Fashionably Royal and Elizabeth) Kate keeps her clothes in excellent condition and the dress still looks quite new despite being in her wardrobe for a decade.
The Duchess wore her ever reliable Pied a Terre Imperia Wedges in 'natural'. The simple slingback espadrille wedge is available in many colours for £80.
The Duke and Duchess will attend an outdoor Island Feast next, hosted by the Governor-General at his residence where William is expected to make a speech. Very much looking forward to this.
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| Rebecca English Twitter |
The Duchess wore her 'off white' LK Bennett Sledge Pumps.
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| LK Bennett |
Kate wore her gorgeous £1900 Kiki McDonough 18K carat green amethyst and diamond earrings that are thought to have been Christmas gift from William.
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| Kiki McDonough/Rebecca English Twitter |
You can watch a video from the arrival at Sky News.
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| @ecilamathew Twitter |
Kate recycled a black and pink printed wrap dress that she first wore to a St Andrews party in 2002 and most recently in 2005 (With many thanks to Fashionably Royal and Elizabeth) Kate keeps her clothes in excellent condition and the dress still looks quite new despite being in her wardrobe for a decade.
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| Big Pictures |
The Duchess wore her ever reliable Pied a Terre Imperia Wedges in 'natural'. The simple slingback espadrille wedge is available in many colours for £80.
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| Pied A Terre |
The Duke and Duchess will attend an outdoor Island Feast next, hosted by the Governor-General at his residence where William is expected to make a speech. Very much looking forward to this.
I thought the shoes could possibly be the Harper shoes again but it's hard to tell from the back :) I like the check print dress its not a designer I've heard of before so it's nice to see Kate wearing one of their pieces.
ReplyDeleteGrace
Oh better photos now :) the off white sledges I wonder how many pairs she has she probably has one or more in every colour haha! They're obviously comfortable because she wears them for a long period of time when she wears them. I'm surprised we haven't seen her wearing more outfits by designers from the tour. Some of the outfits you picked out in a previous post were very Kate I thought :)
DeleteGrace
They must be super comfortable shoes for sure. I do think the green dress is very pretty and the hat is a very nice touch.
DeleteCharlotte, you're a wonder! Another lovely, timely post along with background info! :o) I can't tell you how much I appreciate all your hard work.
ReplyDeleteI hope Kate & William have an amazing, stress-free remainder of their trip! I can only assume that the Queen is proud of them for carrying on amidst the furor over those dispicable photos.
Thanks for going above and beyond to keep us all informed, Charlotte. You rock! ;o)
Thank you so much, I recognised the dress instantly and that helped to get the post written up quickly!
DeleteMany more updates and photos shortly :)
It's not Johnaton but Johnatan Saunders.
ReplyDeleteI'm also a fan and very happy Kate chose him!
It's a very appropriate colourful dress. He also has other model I could easily picture kate in, the Mila peony print dress: http://www.matchesfashion.com/product/130017
Hello people, it's JONATHAN! Trust me, that's my name and what's on his website.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI thought the same thing about the Mila Peony Dress when I saw it on the website! It would look beautiful on Kate.
DeleteAn unexpected, but delightful choice!
ReplyDeleteThe hat was a bit of a surprise too, and I wonder if it was chosen - along with the hairstyle - to help keep her hair tidy while riding in the welcome vehicle.
the colours in the dress are the same as in the solomon islands flag...beautiful and a nice touch :-)
ReplyDeleteVery nice touch, yes.
DeleteThey also appear to be the colors of the water and the palm tree in the photo above of the island - how appropriate! Kate is definitely a very arty/visual person and it shows in her wardrobe choices.
Delete(smacks forehead) - perhaps that is the reason for the flag colors - to echo the water and the trees - !!
love the dress and i love the hat a lot people cheer them i must be enjoying this tour and update with you charlotte you rock again your the best blogger
ReplyDeleteThank you bluefire :)
DeleteThank you for the timely updates! I started following another website for Kate's photos after her wedding last year. But when she arrived in Singapore (I'm Singaporean), I chanced upon your blog. You are fantastic. Kate's dress sense is impeccable!
ReplyDeleteThat is so sweet. I appreciate it :)
DeleteI have to say, im totally impressed with her wardrobe,...to hold on to outfits that long!! Andshe always looks beautiful and modern!
ReplyDeletePerhaps she wore a hat today because they are going to attend a service at the cathedral. God bless the lovely couple and Prince Harry and keep them all out of harm's way.
ReplyDeleteI like the old dress better than the new one...
ReplyDeleteHi I am a great fan of the Duchess in every way. Her composure is an inspiration and I think she is right to hold her head high and try to disregard the photo fuss. There is no accounting for some low types.
ReplyDeleteI mostly love her fashion choices....and the way she pays homage to her hosts. The gold and white gown was not her usual style and I thought it was clearly worn in the spirit of diplomacy and respect.
Having said that, I have to say that the funny little straw hatworn with the checked dress looks for all the world like a local item worn for the same reason..... unflattering and not her style, but worn as a courtesy, in the same way she wore the long beaded necklet on her exquisite blue lace frock.
I was very suprised to read it was a designer hat chosen by Catherine herself. Its pretty awful actually, and the little dress not much better. Of course, this beautiful lady would look lovely in a hessian bag. Just look at her effortless style in the jungle!
Her previous wardrobe contains mostly timeless pieces which she can wear years later, a tribute to both her style and to the care she clearly gives these clothes.
Catherine, you are very impressive. Just toss this hat in the same charity bin as that awful yellow coatdress you wore in Scotland and we will promise to forget about them!
Warmest wishes to you both.
Camilla
What can one say except that she looks lovely and so right for the occasion and you Charlotte, as always) manage to beat everyone else with the information.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that she can wear a dress she has had for 10years and still look good, shows how right she is to choose classic clothes,
The garlands suit Prince William too.
Jean
there are really nice photos of the island feast on getty images :-) kate looks lovely...they are both in local styled clothes
ReplyDeleteLovely Kate just lovely
ReplyDeleteLovely Kate , doing a very good job.
ReplyDeleteShe looks GORGEOUS in that first photo!!
ReplyDeleteWish she would have stuck with the outfit she was wearing leaving the hotel. It was perfect. Not a fan of the hat, the green/blue dress and the heels together. Love the strapless batik dress and adore those tan open-toe wedges!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful dress! This is definitely my favorite from the tour so far!
ReplyDeletePrints are always tricky, and although the shirtwaist style of the check dress is fine, I don't think the print is very attractive. I felt the same about some of the earlier prints in this tour, but the batik dress is wonderful!! So colorful, and I'm so glad Kate is flexible enough to wear a gifted dress on a moment's notice.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the earlier poster that the hat was for the Thanksgiving Service.
This is an interesting dress choice,, lovely colors and suits Kate perfectly. The hat reminded me of a nurses' cap :))Thanks Charlotte for all the hard work you are putting into this blog! It is greatly appreciated :)
ReplyDeleteThe woven ribbon print of the Jonathan Saunders dress is lovely, and the seaming and darts are so skillfully done; just wonderful quality. The hat looks as though it may be set too far back on her head?
ReplyDeleteThe hat kind of looks like something Amish women wear? The dress is okay but I actually prefer the white/gold. Love the pink dress
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful cool strapless dress! Perfect for the climate there. N
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful dress, perfect for the climate, their hosts knew how to welcome William and Kate.
ReplyDeleteLove Kate and everything she wears usually but doesn't this hat resemble an Amish bonnet a little too much?
ReplyDeletelove the hat but not the dress.
ReplyDeleteKate can't put a foot wrong. She always looks divine.
ReplyDeleteI actually rather like that hat (though not sure about the back beading yet). I think perhaps her hairstyle is keeping it looking "small" though? It needs to sit closer to create more harmony with her head. The way it is, it almost looks like it's jutting out, doesn't it? It reminds me of something CP Mary would wear, actually.
ReplyDeleteAnd that boat-truck got a giggle out of me. Anyone else?
Though, I think the real question is HOW does the Duchess keep her clothes looking so well. Mine look worn out in just a few months, never mind years! Do you think she washes everything by hand? Some type of magic dry cleaner? I actually really, really want to know. Any ideas, anyone?
Well I love the batik dress and the green patterned one is OK toom, but the hat - absolutely awful I think. It didnt look like it was sitting righth on he rhair at all, it was too far back, and it did ook somethign like Florence Nightingale might have worn. Oh dear!
ReplyDeleteNice hat: small, and very appropriate for the occasion and that part of the globe. The print of the Saunders dress is excessive, it doesn't look very well. (The old St Andrews dress is just out of fashion right now...)
ReplyDeleteZ.
Very pretty unusual dress
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