Friday 2 September 2016

Kate's Canada Wait: the 2011 duchess debut


The Duchess makes her debut as a royal in Canada on June 30th 2011
(photo UK in Canada Flickr)

As Canada waits to see Kate again, there's plenty to look forward to in the Cambridges' latest visit. But with just over three weeks to go until they arrive, there's also a chance to look back at some of the highlights from the first tour. And today, it's flashback Friday to the dress worn for Kate's first full set of engagements there and her debut day as a duchess on tour.






The Duchess of Cambridge began her royal tour on June 30th 2011, landing at Ottawa airport alongside the Duke of Cambridge with two weeks of engagements in Canada and North America ahead of her.



 
For her duchess debut overseas, Kate chose a dark blue lace dress that depending on the light looked either very black or very navy. It's by Erdem and we've seen it since but it never became a go to piece.
 
 
 It's sharp and chic and very appropriate for a day of different events which included an official welcome by then Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, and his wife, Laureen, and a visit to the National War Memorial in Ottawa where William and Kate laid a wreath.

 
 
 The dress was worn with nude coloured heels (the beginning of a long love affair with these shoes for Kate on official business) and a nude coloured clutch bag.

 
 
 The back of the dress has a low scoop effect which was mostly obscured by Kate's hair, worn down for her Canada arrival in 2011. The sleeves are three quarter length and only lace - the rest of the dress has an ivory coloured shift beneath it.  
All in all, it was a rather stylish statement for the start of her tour - simple and easy to wear yet with a polish that told everyone Kate was a duchess now. The beginning of the 2011 Canada tour grabbed a huge amount of interest and Kate was more than ready for her close up.

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