The Duchess in Catherine Walker for Tyne Cot Cemetery Commemorations & Kate's New Private Secretary!
Day two in Belgium saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend commemorations at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Tyne Cot Cemetery to mark the centenary of the first day of Passchendaele.
Prince Charles quoted his great-grandfather today.
Last night William spoke in front of 200 descendants who fought, and said: "During the First World War Britain and Belgium stood shoulder to shoulder. One hundred years on, we still stand together, gathering as so many do every night, in remembrance of that sacrifice." Today, Charles echoed William's words of unity "Drawn from many nations, we come together in their resting place... to promise that we will never forget."
The Belgian Royal Palace shared this photo from the service.
The Duchess laid a posey as William read: "A Soldier of The Great War Known Unto God.
Four Belgium Defence F16's fly the Missing Man Formation over Tyne Cot Cemetery bring the ceremony to an end.
The royals watch the display.
The commemorations were incredibly moving and fascinating to watch. I will add a video for those who were unable to view the BBC coverage once one becomes available.
Earlier this morning the Duke and Duchess visited Bedford House, the final resting place of more than 5,000 Servicemen of WWI.
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Catherine joined the Charity Commission as a board member in December 2016 School and is currently a Trustee of The Royal British Legion and on the board of the Met Office. Other appointments of note include serving as Non-Executive Director of the National Memorial Arboretum (William is patron of the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal, which raised �15.7 million to construct the new Remembrance Centre to honour the fallen.). She is also a Governor of the Contemporary Dance Trust and a Trustee of London Children�s Ballet. You can read an interview with Catherine here. On her time at Oxford University she said: "We listen constantly to our students to find out what they want, and we have taken time to tune into our faculty's needs". She is also a graduate of the school�s Women Transforming Leadership course, and has said: �I can vouch for the fact that when women come together, they can create incredibly powerful networks and start conversations that lead to positive change.�
It was also announced the Queen's private secretary Christopher Geidt will be replaced by his deputy Edward Young. It's certainly a period of change for the royal household.
Catherine Quinn is a tremendously accomplished woman bringing a wealth of experience in several sectors to Kensington Palace with her. Since the departure of Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton it was felt there was a lack of experienced aides to properly guide the young royals. It's very interesting to see the choice of Ms. Quinn, there had been reports someone from the household would be be promoted. I thought the choice an excellent one. Catherine will be by Kate's side as the Cambridges make the transition to full-time royals. The Mail on Sunday reported they would be a "slew" of changes in the royal household in order to impose greater unity before Christmas. It's no secret, there's been disharmony between the households, and KP's relationship with the media struggled for years with young staff members without a huge amount of experience at the helm. Apparently, William and Harry's private secretaries Miguel Head and Edward Lane Fox are considering their positions at present. Recruiting fresh blood and reorganising senior staff could prove a very wise decision.
The Duke and Duchess were joined by Prince Charles who is carrying out several engagements in the area today.
The royals are greeted by Prime Minister Theresa May.
The royals joined King Philippe and Queen Mathilde once again today. It's always good to see the royal families assembling together especially for important commemoration events.
Prince William with Queen Mathilde and Kate with Commonwealth War Graves Commission Vice-Chairman Sir Timothy Laurence (Princess Anne's husband).
Kate talking with King Philippe.
Tyne Cot cemetery near Ypres in Belgium is the largest Commonwealth burial ground in the world with 11,971 servicemen buried or remembered there - with 8,373 of them identified.
Tyne Cot cemetery near Ypres in Belgium is the largest Commonwealth burial ground in the world with 11,971 servicemen buried or remembered there - with 8,373 of them identified.
The history of the cemetery: "On 4 October 1917, the area where Tyne Cot CWGC Cemetery is now located was captured by the 3rd Australian Division and the New Zealand Division and two days later a cemetery for British and Canadian war dead was begun. The cemetery was recaptured by German forces on 13 April 1918 and was finally liberated by Belgian forces on 28 September. After the Armistice in November 1918, the cemetery was greatly enlarged from its original 343 graves by concentrating graves from the battlefields, smaller cemeteries nearby and from Langemark. The cemetery grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war".
The Cross of Sacrifice that marks many CWGC cemeteries was built on top of a German pill box in the centre of the cemetery, purportedly at the suggestion of King George V, who visited the cemetery in 1922 as it neared completion.
The King's visit, described in the poem The King's Pilgrimage, included a speech in which he said:
'We can truly say that the whole circuit of the Earth is girdled with the graves of our dead. In the course of my pilgrimage, I have many times asked myself whether there can be more potent advocates of peace upon Earth through the years to come, than this massed multitude of silent witnesses to the desolation of war.'
Prince Charles quoted his great-grandfather today.
Last night William spoke in front of 200 descendants who fought, and said: "During the First World War Britain and Belgium stood shoulder to shoulder. One hundred years on, we still stand together, gathering as so many do every night, in remembrance of that sacrifice." Today, Charles echoed William's words of unity "Drawn from many nations, we come together in their resting place... to promise that we will never forget."
The Belgian Royal Palace shared this photo from the service.
The Duchess laid a posey as William read: "A Soldier of The Great War Known Unto God.
Trumpeters from the Band of The Royal Marines play the Last Post and Reveille.
Trumpeters from the Band of The Royal Marines play the Last Post and Reveille. #Passchendaele100 pic.twitter.com/Q1iarNja3D� Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) July 31, 2017
Four Belgium Defence F16's fly the Missing Man Formation over Tyne Cot Cemetery bring the ceremony to an end.
The royals watch the display.
The commemorations were incredibly moving and fascinating to watch. I will add a video for those who were unable to view the BBC coverage once one becomes available.
Earlier this morning the Duke and Duchess visited Bedford House, the final resting place of more than 5,000 Servicemen of WWI.
They met interns who help visitors understand the stories of servicemen in this cemetery, before viewing some of the graves.
The Duchess looked elegant in the Catherine Walker Melrose coatdress. The delicate dusty pink Venetian wool coatdress features hand applique taupe corded lace spreading up from the hem and cuff.
A closer look at the details.
Cyrus, co-founder and head of design at Catherine Walker & Co. told The Telegraph the Melrose is one of their most popular pieces:
Anna discovered Kate had the Jane Taylor Fleur hat she wore in Belgium in 2014 for commemorations re-trimmed for today. I actually prefer the updated version of the hat - a nice nod to the previous visit.
"Our coatdresses are made by skilled tailors and in photographs their strong silhouettes work well at every angle. The most popular styles are our Melrose Coatdress worn with the Florence Dress or the Melrose Dress."
Anna discovered Kate had the Jane Taylor Fleur hat she wore in Belgium in 2014 for commemorations re-trimmed for today. I actually prefer the updated version of the hat - a nice nod to the previous visit.
Kate carried her pink Prada clutch.
Several readers pointed out Kate sported a new pair of Gianvito Rossi pumps. The eagle eyed HeavenQRF believes they are the Suede Gianvito Heels. The praline pumps are available at Forward.
Kate wore Diana's Collingwood pearl earrings.
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| Gianvito Rossi |
Kate wore Diana's Collingwood pearl earrings.
Kate selected the striking pair for the State Banquet earlier this month.
And completed the look with the Queen's pearl and diamond leaf brooch. A photo of the Queen wearing the brooch in South Korea in 1999 can be viewed here.
And completed the look with the Queen's pearl and diamond leaf brooch. A photo of the Queen wearing the brooch in South Korea in 1999 can be viewed here.
Kate's updo.
We also have news on the appointment of a new private secretary for the Duchess. Victoria Murphy revealed Catherine Quinn will replace Rebecca Deacon as Kate's new right-hand woman. Catherine has an MBA from Oxford University�s Sa�d Business School and degrees from US and UK universities. Her last role saw her working as Chief Operating Officer and Associate Dean of Administration for the University of Oxford. She will begin her new role in October. Richard Palmer noted an assistant private secretary was also hired.
More on Catherine's biography from the University of Oxford:
'Catherine joined Oxford Sa�d at its Chief Operating Officer and Associate Dean for administration and operations from The Middle Temple, where her role as Chief Executive combined direction of commercial and not-for-profit activities, including the running of a heritage estate with Local Authority status in central London and a professional membership and training institution for barristers. Prior to this, Catherine led the grant-giving operations of the Wellcome Trust, a global charitable healthcare foundation, where she restructured the Trust�s services and operations and led the establishment of a sister organisation in India. Before Wellcome, she spent several years in Oxford, where she directed the University�s institution-wide Research Services and co-founded Oxford University Consulting.
Catherine joined the Charity Commission as a board member in December 2016 School and is currently a Trustee of The Royal British Legion and on the board of the Met Office. Other appointments of note include serving as Non-Executive Director of the National Memorial Arboretum (William is patron of the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal, which raised �15.7 million to construct the new Remembrance Centre to honour the fallen.). She is also a Governor of the Contemporary Dance Trust and a Trustee of London Children�s Ballet. You can read an interview with Catherine here. On her time at Oxford University she said: "We listen constantly to our students to find out what they want, and we have taken time to tune into our faculty's needs". She is also a graduate of the school�s Women Transforming Leadership course, and has said: �I can vouch for the fact that when women come together, they can create incredibly powerful networks and start conversations that lead to positive change.�
It was also announced the Queen's private secretary Christopher Geidt will be replaced by his deputy Edward Young. It's certainly a period of change for the royal household.
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| Rebecca English Twitter Feed |
Catherine Quinn is a tremendously accomplished woman bringing a wealth of experience in several sectors to Kensington Palace with her. Since the departure of Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton it was felt there was a lack of experienced aides to properly guide the young royals. It's very interesting to see the choice of Ms. Quinn, there had been reports someone from the household would be be promoted. I thought the choice an excellent one. Catherine will be by Kate's side as the Cambridges make the transition to full-time royals. The Mail on Sunday reported they would be a "slew" of changes in the royal household in order to impose greater unity before Christmas. It's no secret, there's been disharmony between the households, and KP's relationship with the media struggled for years with young staff members without a huge amount of experience at the helm. Apparently, William and Harry's private secretaries Miguel Head and Edward Lane Fox are considering their positions at present. Recruiting fresh blood and reorganising senior staff could prove a very wise decision.
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