Kate’s tribute to the Queen: Princess donned a replica of the late monarch’s brooch for St David’s Day parade – after Diana and Camilla wore similar copies
- Kate Middleton donned replica of the Queen’s brooch for St David’s Day parade
- Read more: Princess of Wales seems to want a ‘normal’ upbringing for children
Kate Middleton paid a subtle tribute to the Queen yesterday as she donned a replica of the late monarch’s brooch for a St David’s Day Parade.
The Princess of Wales, 41, was accompanying her husband, Prince William, who was making his first visit to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards at Combermere Barracks in Windsor as their newly appointed Colonel of the Regiment on St David’s Day yesterday.
The royal mother-of-three opted for a vibrant Alexander McQueen coat for the occasion, which she paired with black accessories and a distinctive fascinator by Juliette Botterill.
Meanwhile she pinned a glittering copy of the Welsh Guards Leek Brooch on her lapel for the outing.
The original Welsh Guards Leek Brooch was designed for Queen Elizabeth II in 1960 using the drawings of the Welsh Guardsmen, but both Camilla and Princess Diana have worn replicas of the brooch.
Kate Middleton, 41, paid a subtle tribute to the Queen yesterday as she donned a replica of the late monarch’s brooch for a St David’s Day Parade
The original Welsh Guards Leek Brooch which was designed for Queen Elizabeth II in 1960 using the drawings of the Welsh Guardsmen (pictured, the Queen wearing the brooch in 2020)
The Queen’s brooch was presented to the late monarch as a regimental gift, and was funded by the guardsmen themselves who each paid 12 and a half pence.
In the decades that followed the Queen made sure to wear the brooch at most events involving the Welsh Guards.
Most recently, she sported the heirloom at the New Colours to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards at Windsor Castle in 2015, and also at a scaled-down Trooping the Colour in 2020 in the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Princess Diana, who held the title of Princess of Wales, also wore a replica of the brooch while watching a parade of the First Battalion of Welsh Guards in London in 1990, when Britain’s Queen Elizabeth presented the regiment with New Colours.
Meanwhile Camilla wore her replica of the brooch during her first visit to Wales after the Queen’s death in September.
Each of the brooches is slightly different in design – with different twists in the leek’s leaves, as well as differences in the colour of the roots of each brooch.
During yesterday’s visit, Kate proved she is the queen of the rewear as she replicated an outfit she wore in 2006 to attend a St David’s Day parade.
The royal mother-of-three opted for a vibrant Alexander McQueen coat for the occasion, which she paired with black accessories and a distinctive fascinator by Juliette Botterill.
Princess Diana, who held the title of Princess of Wales, also wore a replica of the brooch while watching a parade of the First Battalion of Welsh Guards in London in 1990 (left). Meanwhile Camilla wore her replica of the brooch during her first visit to Wales after the Queen’s death in September (right)
The look was remarkably similar to one that she had worn 17 years ago to attend the Prince’s graduation parade from Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst.
The Princess even opted to wear the same distinctive pair of black leather gloves for both occasions, which featured cut-out detailing.
The gloves are by the Serbian designer Evica Milovanov Penezić.
The Sandhurst parade was particularly significant occasion for both William and Kate – it was her first official appearance alongside the Royal Family.
Kate wore glamorous make-up with pink lipstick and a dark smoky eye during yesterday’s appearance.
The late monarch, pictured at Trooping the Colour in June 2020, wore the Welsh Guards Leek Brooch several times over her 70 years on the throne
The late monarch was gifted the leek brooch in 1960 by the Welsh Guards, who designed it from their own drawings and paid for it themselves (pictured at trooping the colour 2020)
And unlike 2006, when she wore her hair loose around her shoulders, yesterday she swept her locks into an intricate updo.
Yesterday’s visit saw Kate impressed by nine-year-old Thomas Lucas, who managed to steal the show when he decided to perform an impromptu backflip.
Speaking to Thomas afterwards, the princess said his backflip had been ‘extraordinary’ and that she had been ‘super impressed’.
She asked his parents ‘who he gets his back-flipping talents from’ and Thomas responded that he had taught himself.
The primary school pupil explained to the royal visitor that he was really into ‘parkour’, a popular type of ‘free running’ that involves athletically vaulting, jumping and climbing over obstacles to get from one point to another as quickly as possible.
Kate – who had referred to it as dancing – said ‘not dancing sorry – I need to learn all this lingo I’m not very good at it’.
The royal mother-of-three pinned a glittering copy of the Welsh Guards Leek Brooch on her lapel for the outing
The princess appeared amused when a young boy performed a somersault for her at the event yesterday
The Princess appeared particularly excited ahead of the parade as she prepared to watch her husband take part
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