Kate is right to follow a royal tradition
THERE has been criticism of the Duchess of Cambridge’s white outfit at the Passchendaele ceremony (above left) as not being sober enough for such a solemn occasion. However, there is a royal precedent. In 1938, three weeks before George VI and his wife Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, were due to make a state visit to Paris, her mother died and the court went into mourning. Norman Hartnell, the newly appointed official dressmaker to the Queen, suggested that white, a royal prerogative for mourning, be worn instead of the traditional black or purple. The effect on Paris was sensational and Elizabeth’s white ensemble (above right) was much admired. Kate looked beautiful, too, in her white outfit worn with such dignity. Mrs W. WILLIS, Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex.