JOHNSON KATE’S A CARIBBEAN DREAM
Without meaning to brag, given how few people have enjoyed a sunshine break in these Covidblighted times, I was lucky enough to jet off to Mexico for a week with my husband last month.
And, after almost two years without a long-haul break, to say I was rusty when it came to choosing what to pack, is an understatement. Ridiculous really, given that all I had to do for seven days was sightsee, swim and sink tequila shots.
Needless to say I took way too much with me and lots of clothes came back unworn.
So I can only imagine the Herculean effort that must have gone into packing the Duchess of Cambridge’s suitcases (I bet they are trunks, royals have trunks, don’t they?) for her and Prince William’s tour of the Caribbean, which kicked off on Monday.
With a packed itinerary that involved travelling from Belize to the Bahamas via Jamaica and meeting everyone from politicians and dignitaries to schoolchildren, plus the obligatory dancing with the locals that seems to be part of every royal visit abroad, Kate’s wardrobe had to do a little more than take her from beach to bar.
And, with protests in Belize and the Jamaican part of the tour risking being overshadowed by demands for the royal couple to apologise for the monarchy’s role in the slave trade, the last thing this trip needed was a dodgy frock from Kate making headlines.
Fortunately she is an absolute pro when it comes to diplomatic dressing and her Caribbean looks have been among her best yet.
From the moment the 40-year-old stepped off the plane in Belize wearing a Jenny Packham blue lace skirt suit that reflected the colours of the country’s flag, it was clear that Kate had got this.
The Painted Roses smocked dress by American high society favourite Tory Burch, the to-die-for pink floor-length gown from the cool girls’ favourite label The Vampire’s Wife, that breathtaking canary yellow Roksanda number – it has been one winning look after another.
When she sashayed into the Governor General’s residence in
Jamaica on Wednesday night wearing a custommade emerald green Jenny Packham gown that echoed a famous dress worn by her late motherin-law Princess Diana in the
Eighties, I literally swooned.
Yes, Kate leaned on old faithfuls like Packham and McQueen for this trip but she also made some choices that I didn’t see coming, like the
1950s vintage sun dress and the vintage red Yves Saint Laurent belted blazer. Not only did those pieces look chic but they played up the Duchess’s all-important eco credentials.
Just over 10 years since the mother-of-three embarked on her first royal tour, and almost two decades since the world first heard her name, Kate has never looked more confident or at ease in her clothes.
She has found a way to have fun with fashion while navigating the tricky territory that is royal protocol. She has also miraculously mastered the art of keeping her hair sleek in the tropics. No wonder she never stops smiling.