The head in a £250 dress by one of Kate’s favourite designers
THERE to meet Prince George and the Duke of Cambridge at the gates was the lower school’s headmistress Helen Haslem – and her appearance turned a few heads.
From a £250 dress to perfectly manicured nails, the teacher looked impeccable as she welcomed the young royal to Thomas’s by crouching down to his level for a warm handshake, and then holding his hand as she accompanied him inside.
But what really caught the attention of onlookers was that there was something undeniably familiar about her look... For Miss Haslem seemed to have taken some inspiration from the Duchess of Cambridge herself.
The teacher would have known all the eyes of the world would be on her and yet she absolutely could not steal the show – a situation Kate must often find herself in too. So Miss Haslem headed straight for one of the duchess’s favourite high street shops, LK Bennett.
Her £250 rose-coloured Amana dress from the retailer is very similar to the sorts of outfits Kate likes to wear, including an Alexander McQueen frock she donned on the Royal tour of Australia in 2014.
Leading stylist Nicole Kerr thinks Miss Haslem got it just right. ‘My first impression was that she had made a real effort, not least because at £250 this is a very expensive dress for a teacher to wear to work,’ she says.
‘Choosing LK Bennett was her way of offering a subtle compliment to the duchess. She clearly knew that this was her moment to shine but in a very understated way so as not to detract from Prince George.
‘Equally it’s an unusual style and colour for a teacher of young children to wear – all it would have taken to spoil her efforts was one set of sticky fingers on the pale colour, or a gust of wind whipping up the fit and flare skirt.’
Clearly covetous of Kate’s style, Miss Haslem also chose £ 129 ‘Simone’ scalloped pump shoes from another of the duchess’s goto high street brands, Hobbs, to go with her dress. After all, toppleinducing heels would have been a risky strategy for her moment in front of the world’s media.
And, as Miss Kerr points out, ‘they are stylish but practical for running around after young children and being on her feet all day and also meant she didn’t have to stoop lower than needed to greet Prince George’. Meanwhile Miss Haslem’s highlighted blonde ‘updo’ is probably part DIY, part professional, according to hair and make-up artist Amanda Clarke. She explains: ‘It looks as though she may have had her hair washed and blow- dried the day before, then on the big day it was slightly back-combed and twisted into a low bun.
‘It’s a great shape at the crown and the back, but I can’t spot any hair pins and the sides look very natural, which makes me think she may have put it up herself as it’s a style that’s very easy to achieve at home.’ Make-up artist Virna Baillie says Miss Haslem’s cosmetics make her look soft and approachable to the children in her charge.
‘Everything about her look is natural and fresh,’ she says. ‘She has complemented her features with pastel eye shadow and a soft rose pink lip colour. Although the look . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY ORIGINAL COPY
is understated, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she was professionally groomed for her big day in front of the cameras.’
There were also no ink-stained fingers for this teacher. Instead, her nails, like everything else, were perfectly prepped and a vital detail of her appearance. ‘Her French manicure is almost certainly a professional job and makes her nails look pretty and neat,’ says Miss Baillie. ‘They add to her professional look.’
Completing her simple yet stylish look, Miss Haslem’s watch appears to be a basic Rolex design, according to Tamara Hamed, a director at luxury Mayfair retailers Watch Collectors.
‘It’s difficult to tell without seeing the face of the watch but it looks like a stainless steel Rolex on an oyster-style bracelet,’ she says. ‘The price would depend on the year the watch was made, but I’d expect it to have cost £3,000 to £4,000, maybe a bit less. It’s a very popular Rolex design as it’s more affordable and not too bling or crazy.
‘It’s stylish and simple, which is what a lot of professional women, particularly teachers, are looking for in a luxury watch.’ Cha-cha-Charles – Page 31
FOR once he knew exactly what to do with his hands.
There was no time for his customary cufflink-fiddling or tie-fumbling. Within seconds, Prince Charles had one arm wrapped around his wife’s waist and was guiding her on to the dance floor.
As usual when Charles and Camilla are together there was laughter. But what really shone through as they put royal protocol aside for an energetic jive during a previously sedate tea- dance was the sheer pleasure they share in each other’s company.
Twelve years after their wedding, this was a couple as deeply in love as they have been at any time in the four and half decades they’ve known each other.
looking at them as they twirled to an Elvis impersonator at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, it is tempting to wonder at the apparent ordinariness of a couple who once imperilled the throne.
Yet here, in the autumn of their years, is a picture that captures their contentment.
After enduring a summer that marked the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death, the prospect of dancing was surely the last thing on his mind.
But the scottish air has always worked wonders with the Prince of Wales. In the old days, it was to his late grandmother’s home at Birkhall on Royal Deeside that he escaped to lick his wounds.
In recent years the Queen Mother’s retreat has become his and Camilla’s refuge from the frustrations of the modern world. scotland is also home to one of his proudest achievements, Dumfries House, the stately pile that he saved for the nation a decade ago. Yesterday, it was a day for celebration – for the Prince’s audacious act has breathed new life into a community. The couple were guests of honour for particularly scottish revels. The highlight was meant to be a tea-dance with Elvis impersonator John Reid. But taken either by the music, the moment or the celebratory air, the Prince decided to top the bill. Without even discarding his jacket and still clasping an umbrella, he gathered Camilla in his arms for a twirl. A flag draped round his shoulders, he was soon into a groove as he hoisted his wife’s hand high for a rock ’n’ roll number. on this occasion, the Prince really did outshine the king.