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Prince William and Kate Middleton have just arrived at the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey. For the occasion, the Princess of Wales wore a navy Catherine Waker dress.
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The Waleses arriving at Westminster Abbey.
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The Princess of Wales chose a monochrome navy outfit, and carried a Strathberry clutch.
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The Princess chose pearl jewelry.
She accessorized with a five-strand pearl necklace from Susan Capan and earrings that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth—the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings. Kate has frequently worn the earrings over the past few years, including at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall this past fall.
This is Kate’s ninth time attending the service and just her third time as Princess of Wales. According to Buckingham Palace, the royals today will “join a 1,800 strong congregation” to “celebrate collaboration as the defining strength of the modern Commonwealth.” The Palace added, “the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration brings together government representatives, young people and leading voices from the creative community, providing an example of the Commonwealth at its best – its diverse voices harmonised in common purpose.”
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Kate after visiting the Aakash Odedra Company.
The Princess of Wales has made a few recent appearances; this past Thursday, she visited Leicester the day after Holi to spotlight the British Indian community. The week prior, she and Prince William stepped out for a day of engagements in Powys, Wales.
Commonwealth Day is a strong showing of royal unity amid a particularly tumultuous time for the royal family, just a few weeks after the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew) on suspicion of misconduct in public office. (He has always denied any wrongdoing.) At the BAFTAs in late February, Prince William revealed he was not in “a calm state,” perhaps a reference to his uncle, though the Waleses have not released any official statements on the matter. It is understood that the Prince and Princess of Wales agree with King Charles’s statement, where he wrote in part, “The law must take its course… it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all,” but will not be sharing their own message.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.