A Very Regal Gathering For Garter Day!

It was a decidedly regal day at Windsor for this year's Order of the Garter ceremonies.

The Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Countess of Wessex gathered in the Galilee Porch to watch their husbands participate in the procession. The trio were delighted to be joined by not one but two Queen's today. It was quite the royal reunion as Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and Queen Letizia of Spain attended to support their husbands.

The Duchess arrived with Queen Maxima.

The video below has outstanding footage of guests arriving and the royal ladies enjoying each other's company.

Kate chatting with Letizia. Chris Ship reports the Cambridges will undertake a tour towards the end of the year; today Rebecca English suggested Spain might be on the cards.

King Felipe VI was appointed to the Order by Her Majesty during the State Visit in 2017 and King Willem-Alexander during the Dutch State Visit last year. They were installed in St. George’s Chapel as Supernumerary, or Stranger, Knights of the Garter today.

Supernumerary, or Stranger Knights, are overseas monarchs appointed to the Order, and are in addition to the twenty-four knights or ladies. Princess (formerly Queen) Beatrix of the Netherlands was made a member of the Order in 1989. The former King Juan Carlos of Spain was also given the Order in 1988.

The Duchess has previously met the Dutch and Spanish royals on several occasions.

Both couples' attended the Royal wedding in 2011. For Remembrance Sunday 2015, Maxima joined the Duchess and the Countess of Wessex on the balcony at Whitehall.  Kate visited King Willem-Alexander during her first solo visit overseas to the Netherlands in 2016. In 2017, William and Kate attended the Spanish State Banquet in honour of Felipe and Letizia.

It was a royal fashion extravaganza with the ladies attired in pastel shades and whites. Camilla wore a pale pink Anne Valentine coat and Philip Treacy hat. Sophie selected a Suzannah dress and Jane Taylor hat. It was a twill print Cherubina dress and hat for Letizia (with thanks to Queen Letizia Style) and a Claes Iversen creation for Queen Maxima.

Each June, the Knights of the Garter gather at Windsor Castle where new knights take the oath and are invested with the insignia. A lunch is given in the Waterloo Chamber, after which the Knights proceed to a service in St George's Chapel.

The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain, established by King Edward III nearly 700 years ago. The Order includes The Queen, who is Sovereign of the Garter, several senior Members of the Royal Family, and twenty-four knights or ladies chosen in recognition of their work. Knights of the Garter are chosen personally by the Sovereign to honour those who have held public office, who have contributed in a particular way to national life or who have served the Sovereign personally.

Prince William was the 1000th Knight on the register when he joined the Order in 2008.

The Order's motto is 'Honi soit qui mal y pense' which translates to 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it'.

The patron saint of the Order is St George (patron saint of soldiers and also of England) and the spiritual home of the Order is St George's Chapel, Windsor.

The Order's members must wear vestments for ceremonial occasions. Members have worn the blue velvet robe since the 16th century. The heraldic shield of St George is sewn onto the left shoulder of the robe. The hat is a Tudor bonnet of black velvet with a plume of white ostrich and black heron feathers.

The insignia of a knight of the Order of the Garter.

An overview of the procession.

The royal ladies watch on.

King Felipe VI and King Willem-Alexander.

This year Lady Mary Peters and Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury were installed into the Order.

More from Buckingham Palace:

'Lady Mary Peters, CH, DBE (born 6 July 1939) served as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast between 2009 and 2014. In the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich, Lady Mary won the Gold Medal in the pentathlon. In 1975, she established The Mary Peters Trust to support talented young sportsmen and women across Northern Ireland.

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, KCVO, PC, DL (born 30 September 1946) is a former Leader of the House of Lords. Lord Salisbury is a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, and was Chairman of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, which organised the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames in 2012. Lord Salisbury is also Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire.'

During a two-day visit to Northern Ireland in February, William and Kate met Mary Peters and during a speech William paid tribute to the sporting legend. "Mary Peters, is not only one of the United Kingdom's sporting legends, she's also inspired generation after generation to come together in times of trouble and work for the common good - a lesson I hope many of us can learn from. So it was fitting today that Her Majesty The Queen has appointed Mary to be a Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter - one of the UK's highest honours."

The Queen leads the royal party.

A curtsy for the Queen.

A great shot of Kate with Willem-Alexander and Maxima.

The Cambridges travelled with King Felipe and Queen Letizia in the carriage procession.

The foursome chatting.

Her Majesty and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The scene at Windsor.

A roundup from the afternoon.

It's Kate's sixth appearance at the event. She memorably made her debut in 2008 (the year William was installed as a knight) wearing her black pin dot suit and a Philip Treacy hat. At the time, the appearance sent the engagement rumour mill into overdrive. 

Since the wedding, Kate attended in 2011 wearing Katherine Hooker. In 2012 she repeated a favourite McQueen coatdress and in 2014 it was Christopher Kane.

For Kate's last appearance in 2016, she chose her red Catherine Walker coatdress with her wedding earrings and a matching Lock & Co hat. This remains one of my all time favourite Kate looks. 

Kate was elegant in Catherine Walker's Liza coatdress today.

The piece is described as "A contemporary take on a ’50’s look, this coatdress in ivory wool crepe has copped jacket ‘panels’ edged in fine black lace." The garment has a peter pan collar and falls just below the knee.

The piece bears similarities to Kate's grey and black Catherine Walker coatdress.

The Duchess chose one of her favourite Lock & Co hats for the occasion. Kate debuted the piece for Trooping The Colour in 2011.

The Duchess accessorised with Princess Diana's Collingwood pearl earrings.

Katie notes it appears Kate carried her Stuart Weitzman Muse clutch in black.

And her black Prada cutout pumps.

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In other news, today marks the beginning of Children's Hospice Week, a national campaign raising awareness for children's palliative care services. This year's theme is 'Moments That Matter'. The Duchess shared a letter of support in her role as patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices. "It (Moments that Matter) aims to make the most of the very precious time that those using hospice services have. Throughout the week we will hear amazing stories from families facing the toughest of futures. I hope that they will inspire each and every one of us to similarly make the most of the time we have with our own families, by ensuring every moment matters and that we create memories that last forever."

Royal Ascot kicks off tomorrow. I expect we'll see William and Kate at some point during the week.

Duchess Kate Makes Blue Peter Appearance To Encourage Families To Spend More Time Outdoors

How many of you have fond memories of watching Blue Peter growing up? I certainly do, and I imagine it was a staple growing up in the Middleton household. The landmark children's programme has been entertaining youngsters since 1958. Following Kate's 'Back To Nature' garden at RHS Chelsea, the Duchess wanted to encourage more children to participate and knew the perfect way to access a large audience was to join forces with the iconic show to launch a very special competition. The entire segment can be viewed below (don't miss keen young gardener George Hassall taking the lead dividing Kate and presenter Lindsey Russell into teams).

When Kate arrived, it was time for pond-dipping and den building, which she described as "massively up my street". Kate told presenter Lindsey "It encourages creativity, confidence and even a short amount of time, 10-15 minutes outside makes a huge difference to physical well-being but also to our mental well-being". The Duchess added George, Charlotte and Louis are "dragged outside, rain or shine" to play outdoors. In Cumbria, Kate revealed she took the children to the Lake District for three days over half-term. The segment was filmed on 30 April, the Court Circular notes Kate visited Sayers Croft Wildlife Garden and Forest School that morning.

More from The Telegraph:

'Joined by a small group of school children at Westminster City Council’s Paddington Recreation Ground, she first helps them with a spot of pond-dipping, and is shown a figure-of-eight technique to best catch wildlife in a net.

"I didn't realise there's an actual technique,” she said, before asking her young friends what they have caught before. Told about their favourite tadpoles, she asks: “Do you know what tadpoles eventually turn into? Have you ever seen any froggies?”

When one girl carefully picks up a newt for a closer look, the Duchess praises her bravery with an admiring “wow”. A second task sees her under the instruction of George Hassall, an RHS young gardener of the year and Blue Peter regular, to plant flowers in “upcycled” containers including colourful wellington boots and old colanders.

“They're good gifts as well, aren't they?” she said, in a hint at how the Cambridge children may be spending their pre-Christmas playtime. “You can do something quite fun.”

More from the BBC: "The Duchess wants to highlight the benefits of the great outdoors and inspire children, families and communities to get back to nature. She is a strong advocate for the importance of early years and the positive impact that nature and the environment can have on childhood development. In the Blue Peter film Her Royal Highness talks about her passion for the great outdoors and how she enjoys getting outside with her family whatever the weather."

During the visit, Kate planted her own Dianthus Barbatus, more commonly known as a 'Sweet William'.

The appearance marks the official launch of a competition with the aim of encouraging families to get outdoors. Young viewers are asked to design a sculpture which will form part of Kate's Back To Nature garden when it arrives at RHS Wisley in September. In addition, the winner will have the opportunity to meet the Duchess. The winning submission should be made from natural materials, include a design element for play or interaction and a paragraph on the thought process behind it. It's open to 6-15 year olds. 

To inspire families to spend more time enjoying nature, the Duchess created a selection of outdoor activity cards to accompany the garden. Two runners-up will also get to design their very own Blue Peter activity card.

The Leaf Wand card encourages children to make their very own wand decorated with beautiful coloured leaves, feathers or fallen petals.

Click here to view all the activity cards.

At the end of the segment, Kate was thrilled to receive her 'Green Badge'. You might recall William and Kate received their Gold Blue Peter badges (Kate wore hers today) in December 2017 for an appearance they made in support of children's mental health.

For the Blue Peter outing, the Duchess wore her Troy London Tracker jacket. Kate first wore the piece publicly on Tuesday for engagements in Cumbria.

And accessorised with her Kiki McDonough Lauren leaf earrings.

For outdoor activities, Kate chose a pair of Superga Cotu shoes in 'Sherwood Gum' (with thanks to Middleton Maven). They retail for £50 on the Superga website. 

It was a treat to see Kate's efforts to inspire families to spend more time outside continuing. I'm sure George, Charlotte and Louis were tickled pink to see Mum on Blue Peter :)

See you Monday for Order of the Garter!

The Duchess Brings Back Barbara Casasola Dress for Action Awareness Week Gala Dinner

Following an away day in Cumbria yesterday, it was back to London for the Duchess of Cambridge this evening for the first annual gala dinner in recognition of Addiction Awareness Week, hosted by Action on Addiction and chef Skye Gyngell.

The Duchess was in attendance in her role as patron of Action on Addiction. The national charity offers high quality, effective residential rehab and community based addiction treatment. They provide residential and day treatment for addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling and other behaviours. The charity offers life-saving treatment to individuals and families at its flagship treatment centre, Clouds House in Wiltshire, and its community-based treatment centres in Essex and Liverpool. It also offers education to degree level at the Centre for Addiction Treatment Studies and funds and promotes research into effective responses to addiction. Action on Addiction is the only UK addiction charity that works across all the areas of research, treatment, family support and professional education.

Ahead of the engagement Kensington Palace touched on Kate's work with the organisation and the role it's played in preparations for her upcoming project focused on supporting children in their earliest years. "Her Royal Highness’s experience with Action on Addiction has helped lay the groundwork for her work and understanding on mental health, and is currently helping inform her work in developing a major project around support for children in their earliest years. Experiences in these earliest moments, before the age of five, are proven to have significant impact on adult lives, including resilience and the ability to cope with adversity."

The Duchess meeting guests.

Before the dinner, Kate met Action on Addiction clients Jay, Otty and Melanie who are working as apprentices in the kitchen, and worked with Spring Restaurant’s head chef and owner Skye Gyngell to prepare the evening’s meal.

The dinner was held at Spring Restaurant in Somerset House, a commanding Georgian building on the Thames.

The restaurant is known for bringing "warmth and elegance within a beautiful dining space set in the New Wing of the iconic Somerset House, in the arts and cultural heart of London. At Spring food is celebrated for its conviviality and the joyfulness of sharing seasonal produce. Cooking is heartfelt, wholesome, produce driven, and cooked by a team of people who are passionate about what they do and who feel truly privileged to work with beautiful ingredients."

Skye Gyngell, originally from Australia, is now one of Britain's most acclaimed chefs. Following years of training in Sydney and Paris, she moved to London where she became known for her elegant cooking and seasonal dishes. In addition to penning several cookbooks, Skye opened Spring in 2014.

The Duchess gave a short speech in which she described her work with Action on Addiction as the "catalyst" for her interest in early childhood development.

The video below features footage of the speech.

Kate's full speech:

'Action on Addiction was one of my very first patronages, and as such, it is very close to my heart. I’m hugely passionate about the support it provides, especially for parents,children and families who suffer from, or through, addiction. And in some ways, it was the catalyst for my interest in early childhood development too.
For the last few years, I’ve been focusing on the importance of prevention:how can we all really support the earliest years of life, build foundations, and help avoid adversity later on in life. Having met so many people who’ve suffered from addiction, I have seen over and over again that, sadly, the root cause can so often be traced right back to the very earliest years of someone’s life.

Trauma experienced in early childhood, in some cases, as a result of separation, abandonment, abuse, or even emotional neglect, can have a lasting effect. What we experience during our earliest years, even while we’re still in the womb, shapes the developing brain. It is therefore vital that we support everyone who cares for children in those formative years, especially if we want to help with the inter-generational cycle of addiction. Sadly, for many who are suffering with addiction, they just don’t receive the help they need early enough. They have already reached crisis point before they find the support they need.

What’s remarkable about Action on Addiction is that it goes beyond helping those who are suffering on the courageous journey into recovery – it also lends direct support to the children and families affected by addiction – for as long as it takes.

This evening’s dinner not only marks ‘Addiction Awareness Week’, but it also provides an opportunity for us all to remember the vital work being done to help all those affected by addiction feel able to access help, hope and freedom from their addiction. There was never a more important time for Action on Addiction to succeed. And I, for one, could not be more delighted to support such a special organisation.

Graham, I look forward to working together, and, as your Patron, doing all I can, to help your important mission in the future.'

The Duchess with Action on Addiction Chief Executive Graham Beech.

Embed from Getty Images

Addiction Awareness Week (10-16 June) aims to bring addiction out of the shadows and to encourage those battling addiction and their loved ones to discuss the elements and challenges involved. It is hoped awareness will be raised across the UK and more individuals in need of support will learn about the availability and services offered by organisations such as Action on Addiction .

A recent YouGov poll revealed 60 percent of people know an addict, whilst 27 percent say they have a relative with an addiction. I was shocked to see a recent BBC Panorama investigation found just 14 out of 100 alcoholic products included proper guidance and health advice recommending the maximum number of units men and women should consume weekly. I've long thought labeling within the alcohol industry certainly needs to be addressed as does the self-regulatory system.

Below, a searingly honest account of living with a relative in the grip of addiction from MP Caroline Flint: Click here to read the full piece on The Guardian's website.

'Addiction is a life-threatening condition. It affects those around the addict who may never have touched a drink or taken drugs. As a child, I lived with an addict – my mother, Wendy.

She was hardworking, great fun and loving. But I saw her struggle during, and in the aftermath of, failed relationships, with three children in tow. As a child, I could start the day loving my mum and end it hating her. Alcohol changes people. Addiction invades the homes of rich and poor alike. Its effects are far-reaching and its causes run deep. From mental health, abuse, debt and homelessness the daily challenges of living with addiction are multiple and complex.

Looking back, I think my mum turned to drink because of low self-esteem. She didn’t deserve to be alone. She deserved to value herself more. As a child, I had no idea who knew that we had this problem under our roof. You didn’t talk about it to friends. I hoped no one at school knew. It was a secret problem. Our problem. And, even as a child, we knew it had to stay hidden.

My mum did know she had a problem. We once had a family meeting arranged by a social worker. My mum chose the meeting place – the local pub. It wasn’t a success. But she tried. She attended Alcoholics Anonymous and other groups; she even spent time in hospital. Years later, I found a diary from 1986. For months she wrote a daily entry: “1, 2, 3 …” Wendy was trying to stay sober to support me during my pregnancy. On Day 86, the entries stopped.'

Moving onto Kate's style tonight.

The Duchess brought back the very popular off-the-shoulder mesh-paneled dress she debuted in 2016 for the Art Fund Awards by London based, Brazilian designer Barbara Casasola.

The $2,210 midi dress is cut from figure-sculpting stretch-jersey and paneled with sheer mesh inserts for a sporty feel. Made in Italy, it it designed to create a flattering, feminine silhouette.

The dress is from the designer's minimalist Spring 2016 Collection.

Kate styled the dress with the drool-worthy Jimmy Choo Romy 100 Silver and Dusk Blue Fireball pumps she wore for the BAFTAs. The $725 style are described as: "The classic Romy heel gets a contemporary update in silver and dusk blue fireball glitter dégradé. Leather lined with a leather sole, the 100mm heel height creates a leg-lengthening effect."

In fact, my only quibble with this look is the shoes rather outrank the dress in terms of formality and sheer sparkle factor. The Choos are screaming 'Take me to the ball'. I love them both separately, but I do think the dress worked better with the sandals the first time round.

Laura quickly identified Kate's clutch as the Wilbur & Gussie Charlie Steel Classic Silk Clutch. The light grey bag features a silver crystal bee brooch.

And Kiki McDonough hoop earrings.

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Blue Peter fans are in for a special royal surprise tomorrow! Kensington Palace just confirmed the Duchess has filmed an appearance for the landmark CBBC show which will air tomorrow at 5.30 pm.

Duchess Kate has taped an appearance on iconic British children’s show #BluePeter to launch a competition as part of her mission to get more children and families outdoors🌿🍃

In the episode Kate goes pond-dipping with local school kids, which she says is “right up my street.” pic.twitter.com/TZvN4RLUZ2

— Omid Scobie (@scobie) June 12, 2019

Kate joined a group of children for den building and pond-dipping, which she described as "massively up her street". The Duchess is wearing her Troy London Tracker jacket and Superga Cotu shoes in 'Sherwood Gum' (with thanks to Middleton Maven).

More from The Telegraph:

'The Duchess, who last month unveiled her “back to nature” garden at Chelsea Flower Show, is taking part in a special segment to be broadcast on Blue Peter on Thursday night to make the case for spending "ten to 15 minutes" playing outside as often as possible. 

She will also launch a “once-in-a-lifetime” competition for young viewers to design a sculpture to put in her garden at RHS Wisley in September, with two runners-up invited to design their own activity cards to help their peers into the garden.

The programme will see the Duchess speak about the importance of outdoor play, confessing her own children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are “dragged outside” come “rain or shine”.

“It encourages creativity, confidence and even a short amount of time - 10-15 minutes outside - makes a huge difference to physical well-being but also to our mental well-being,” she said, in discussion with presenter Lindsey Russell.

A seven-and-a-half minute segment of the show, which is broadcast on CBBC, sees the Duchess introduced as a "gold Blue Peter badge-holder” before taking part in three outdoor activities children can try at home'

I'll post the full segment once it becomes available.

We'll almost certainly see the Duchess at Windsor on Monday for this year's Order of the Garter. There's going to be quite the turnout with Queen Letizia of Spain and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands expected to support their husbands. King Felipe became a Stranger Knight of the Order in 2017 and King Willem-Alexander was appointed a supernumerary Knight last October. Royal Ascot kicks off next Tuesday, it's possible we'll see the Cambridges there on one of the days.