A Family-Filled Polo Day Out!

It was a family-filled day out as the Cambridges and Sussexes spent the afternoon at the Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Memorial Polo Trophy at Billingbear Polo Club cheering on William and Harry in the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day.

With George and Charlotte on summer holidays, the family have been spending time at their country home Anmer Hall. Yesterday, the Duchess was spotted with the children at Pensthorpe - a North Norfolk inland haven for nature. The day of outdoors fun coincided with news the Duchess is backing a nature campaign started by children in the UK. In a statement supporting Backyard Nature, Kate wrote: "Spending time in nature can play a pivotal role in helping children grow up to become happy, healthy adults. The great outdoors provides an open playground for children to have fun and learn lifelong skills – from balance and coordination to empathy and creativity – with their friends, their parents, their carers, or their family members. I hope the Backyard Nature campaign inspires children, families and communities to get outside and engage with nature, wherever they live."

Today it was another outdoors packed day for the family. This year, William and Harry have markedly reduced their polo commitments. I recall a Palace aide telling People it was due to "family commitments over the summer", so it was excellent to see the children there.

This little man made his polo debut in style :)

As did his two-month-old cousin Archie.

George checks in on the polo in between activities with Meghan and Archie.

George and Charlotte enjoy a kickabout.

Louis sucking his thumb as Kate holds him.

In a contender for 'moment of the day' Louis decides to (very adorably) try on mum's sunglasses :)

A very sweet wave to Cousin Archie.

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Kate and Louis watching William and Harry.

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Time for a little picnic.

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Hello! has a brief video from the match.

Today's match raised over £1 million for causes close to the princes' hearts. These organisations include African Parks, the English Schools Swimming Association, Fields in Trust, Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund, the Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund, the Invictus Games Foundation, Irish Guards Appeal, Map Action, Mountain Rescue England and Wales, the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, Rhino Conservation Botswana, the Royal Marsden, RFU Injured Players Foundation, the Passage and the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust. William's team were victorious in the end.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was a Thai billionaire businessman and the founder, owner and chairman of King Power Duty Free. He was also the owner of Premier League football club Leicester City from 2010. He was awarded an honorary doctorate as a Doctor of Laws by the University of Leicester in 2016. Throughout his time in Leciester, he was described as a man "whose acts of generosity knew no limits". The Mirror reported: "Supporters were treated to free breakfasts, food, scarves, clappers, flags, free away travel and even free beer. He did anything he could to help enhance their experience. He celebrated his 60th birthday...and marked it by giving away 60 free season tickets to dedicated fans and throwing a party for young hospital patients at Leicester Royal Infirmary, whom he is also believed to have donated £1m to - that on top of another £1m donation to Leicester University’s medical department and a £2m injection towards a new children’s hospital. Srivaddhanaprabha quite simply changed Leicester for the better." Very sadly, he lost his life in a helicopter crash at Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium.

Last November, William and Kate visited Leicester to pay tribute.

The Duchess was stylish in summery pink and her favourite accessories.

Kate wore a past season LK Bennett 'Madison' dress. The floaty and feminine pink silk dress has delicate animal-print tones, and a loose, tiered silhouette. It's been sold out for some time.

The Duchess also owns the piece in purple and orange. She was spotted wearing it in 2016 for a private dinner.

Kate carried the Mulberry Darley bag in ruby red croc. The bag is on sale in several colours on Mulberry's website.

Kate completed the look with her current summer 'go-to' accessories, including her Catherine Zoraida Fern Hoop earrings.

And Castaner Carina wedges.

It looked like a lovely family day out. I expect we'll see Kate over the weekend for the Wimbledon finals.

The Duchess is Pretty in Pink for Archie's Christening

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travelled to Windsor Castle this morning for their nephew Archie's christening in the Private Chapel.

The service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby and attended by close family and friends including Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, Diana's sisters Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, and the chosen godparents and their spouses.

Afterwards, two photographs taken by Chris Allerton in the Green Drawing Room and the Rose Garden were shared with the message: "The Duke and Duchess are so happy to share the joy of this day with members of the public who have been incredibly supportive since the birth of their son. They thank you for your kindness in welcoming their first born and celebrating this special moment. Their Royal Highnesses feel fortunate to have enjoyed this day with family and the godparents of Archie."

A closer look at adorable Archie.

Queen Victoria commissioned the small private chapel at Windsor Castle when she ascended to the throne.

During the terrible fire at Windsor Castle in 1992, the chapel was gutted. Hello! reports:

'The fire, which broke out on the Queen and Philip's 45th wedding anniversary on November 20 1992, started in the original 19th century private chapel when a workman's spotlight accidentally set a curtain alight. More than 200 firefighters tackled the flames, while staff rushed to remove precious works of art from the path of the fire - forming a human chain which included the Duke of York, who was in the castle at the time.

The original gothic chapel, which was added by Queen Victoria, was irreparablydamaged in the incident. It was later redesigned and relocated from the end of St George's Hall to the more practical position within the area of the old Holbein Room. The new chapel has room for just 30 people, with short rows of red-backed chairs, and is rectangular in shape, rather than the irregular shape of the original.'

A detailed painting of the interior of the chapel by Alexander Cresswell following the restoration.

Buckingham Palace shared details of the traditional christening ahead of the event this morning. The baptism took place in the Lily Font with water from the River Jordan.

The silver baptismal font which was commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840 after the birth of their first child, Victoria, Princess Royal. It was first used at the Princess Royal’s christening in 1841 and has been a feature of Royal christenings since then.

Archie wore a handmade replica of the royal christening robe, made by Angela Kelly, dressmaker to the Queen. The original Honiton lace and satin robe was last used in 2004, with Lady Louise Windsor being the last royal baby to wear the piece. After years of wear it had become too fragile to use, so in 2008 Her Majesty commissioned a replica. It features the same length skirt, elaborate collars and bow as its predecessor. The first baby to wear it was was James, Viscount Severn, son of the Earl and Countess of Wessex. As you can see it's pristine, with striking attention to detail.

More from the Royal Collection Trust:

'This is an exact replica of the original royal christening gown, commissioned by Queen Victoria and first used at the christening of her eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, in 1841. The original, made by Janet Sutherland, was made of Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace. It was worn by 62 royal babies including Princess Elizabeth at her christening held here at Buckingham Palace on 26 May 1926.'

Prince Louis wore the robe for his St James's Palace christening one year ago.

An overview of Archie's cousins George, Charlotte and Louis wearing the gown.

The Duchess was pretty in her pink Stella McCartney pleated dress with bow detail.

It's been suggested the dress is the same piece she wore in 2011 for Prince Philip's birthday dinner, however, I think the fabric is different and the hue lighter. (Click here to see images). My guess is the Stella McCartney dress Kate wore today is the same one she chose for the Queen's pre-Christmas luncheon in December.

The Duchess teamed the dress with her Gianvito Rossi pumps.

The talented UFO No More team received confirmation the Duchess wore a custom-made headband by Juliette Botterill. Kate's piece is based on the Pleated Pillbox hat in red.

And in a touching gesture, Kate wore Diana's Collingwood pearl earrings, the same pair the late princess wore for Harry's Windsor christening in 1984.

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I thought the red and pink a vibrant and stylish pop of colour for the summer occasion. I know not everyone is a fan of the headbands, but the styling with this look worked particularly well for me, especially with Kate's hair down. All the ladies looked terrific and coordinated in whites/creams and pinks. It was a lovely christening.

For more on the christening, click here to view the full post over on Mad About Meghan.

Duchess Kate in 'Wimbledon White' For Day Of Courtside Action!

It was a day of courtside action for the Duchess of Cambridge for day two of the Wimbledon championships.

The Duchess arriving this morning.

The Duchess was in attendance in her role as patron. The Queen passed her patronage of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in December 2016. It was an ideal fit for the Duchess, who has been attending almost every year since her pre-engagement days.

The entire Middleton family adore tennis, with Kate once revealing Roger Federer is her mother's secret crush. Kate's also a keen amateur player. The Cambridges have a tennis court at their country home Anmer Hall where they enjoy a spot of friendly competition. Kate revealed George and Charlotte are already taking it up - it won't be long until Louis joins his siblings.

Spot the Duchess...

During the fortnight of spectacular tennis, spectators from all over the world descend upon the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club for what promises to be unforgettable tennis. A parade of glamorous style will be on display, 320,000 glasses of Pimm's and 140,000 portions of English strawberries will be consumed. Steeped in tradition, it is also the only tennis major played on grass, with players donning white, precisely as they did a century ago. It is the only Grand Slam tournament with a Royal Box.

Upon arrival, the Duchess met a number of finalists and winners nominated for the annual LTA Tennis Awards which took place today.

The awards recognise volunteers and supporters who devote their time at grassroots level to growing the sport and encouraging players.

Kate chatted to staff and volunteers involved in the game.

Kate visited Aorangi Park to see the practice courts and warm up area.

The terrace is named after Aorangi Park, the London New Zealand Rugby Club's grounds, which were on the site until 1981. Aorangi refers to the Māori description of Aoraki, the highest mountain in New Zealand. In the 1990s, a huge new screen was installed on the site at the peak of British player Tim Henman's popularity. Over the course of his career, it became affectionately known as "Henman Hill".

In recent years, fans have taken to calling Aorangi "Murray Mound".

Speaking of Andy Murray, it was just lovely to see Kate with him today. It's been an incredibly difficult year for the three-time Grand Slam winner. A painful hip injury led Andy to announce his retirement from singles tennis in January. I remember watching the press conference and Andy was visibly devastated. The whole nation felt for him that day and mourned the end of the career of one of Britain's finest ever players. Since then, there's been positive news for the Olympic champion - following a "life changing" hip surgery Andy is participating in the doubles at Wimbledon this year.

The Duchess chatted with British player Johanna Konta.

Kate talked to Johanna about her match later in the day and asked about her thoughts on the new roof at the tournament.

Whilst we're accustomed to seeing Kate in the Royal Box, her first port of call was Court 14 this morning as she lent her support to British wildcard Harriet Dart. Harriet was nurtured and supported by Kate's patronage SportsAid for years.

The Telegraph reports: "A spokeswoman for the All England Club said: "We are delighted that the  duchess in her capacity as Patron of the AELTC was keen to see the full breadth  of The Championships and we were pleased to facilitate a visit to watch play on  the outside courts and to watch practice at Aorangi Park." Kate was joined by players Anne Keothavong and Katie Boulter.

Dart played a three-set match against American player Christina McHale and proved victorious after a very strong performance. Kate said she "very much enjoyed" the game.

From there, the Duchess moved to Centre Court and took her seat in the Royal Box to watch an afternoon of terrific tennis between Angelique Kerber and Tatjana Maria before watching Roger Federer win his first round match.

A fun video from Hello! of Kate's best expressions.

It was 'Wimbledon White' for the Duchess in the 1940s inspired Suzannah Wiggle dress (with thanks to Caroline Parr).

The £1,850 dress is made from Italian silk crepe and is lined throughout the bodice and skirt in lightweight silk habotai. It's described as: "A re-interpretation from our own archive. The original inspiration derives from a late 1940’s Wiggle Dress, which we have re-cut to have a skimming fit over the bodice and fluid gentle soft movement throughout the skirt hemline. The silhouette is contoured around the waist with delicate pin-tucks. Pin-tucks are also placed at the front yoke detail. The dress is designed to be an elegant tea-length. The silhouette has beautiful half sleeves with buttoned cuff. Contrasting silk covered buttons are a simple closure and a beautiful delicate feature, with the buttons working from double to single breasted down the centre front."

It's available for pre-order with a six week lead-time.

Kate wore her Gianvito Rossi Piper block heel shoes. They are available at My Theresa.

Kate accessorised with her Catherine Zoraida Fern Hoop earrings.

A closer look.

Kate carried Alexander McQueen's Wicca raffia satchel (with thanks to UFO No More). It's available in several colours at FarFetch.

Kate removed the original belt from the dress and added her McQueen Bow-Front Leather Waist Belt.

Kate wore her citrine cocktail ring. She's had the piece for years.

And debuted a new pair of Ray Ban Sunglasses (with thanks to UFO No More). The Wayfarer II Classic style retail for $230 at Sunglasses Hut.

Kate sported an official Wimbledon bow in the official purple and green colours.

I expect we'll see Kate at the tournament at least once more.