Archive June 14, 2025

The Princess of Wales returned to her major Trooping the Colour duty alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla today. In her role as as Colonel of the Irish Guards she took her seat on the dais alongside the King and Queen to watch the spectacular military parade at Horse Guards Parade.

Last year she was sat upstairs in the Major General’s office to watch the display with her children after marking her return to duty following the start of her cancer treatment. Today, Kate arrived at Horse Guards Parade today in an Ascot Landau carriage alongside her three children. She dazzled in a turquoise Catherine Walker coat dress, a hat by Juliette Botterill, her Irish Guards Regimental brooch and a pair of earrings late that belonged to the late Queen before taking her seat on the parade ground.

At last year’s Trooping the Colour, Kate made a triumphant return, making her first official public appearance since she revealed she had received a cancer diagnosis. She took pride of place on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the RAF flypast standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the King.

It came two months before she later revealed that she had finished her chemotherapy treatment and in January of this year she revealed that she is now in remission.

The princess is still gradually returning to royal duties but has slowly been increasing her workload. However, it is the second time she has taken part in a major royal event in months after joing the Firm for commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Earlier this week, she visited the new V&A East Storehouse in London’s Stratford to learn about its “order an object” system where paintings, furniture, books and sculptures can be requested and a room set aside for viewing with staff.

With a keen interest in the arts and a love of the natural world, she choose a number of items themed around nature, a large William Morris samples book, rolls of ornate textiles and a musical instrument for the private moment.

Trooping the Colour sees more than 1,000 servicemen taking part in the military display who when not performing ceremonial duties are fighting soldiers. The colour – regimental flag – being trooped this year is the King’s Colour of Number 7 Company, Coldstream Guards, a prestigious regiment known as the sovereign’s bodyguard which is celebrating its 375th anniversary this year.

In addition, today the King requested a minute’s silence be observed in tribute to the 241 passengers and crew killed, and others affected, when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick Airport came down on Thursday in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.

Black armbands were also be worn by the head of state and senior royals riding in the ceremony, also known as the King’s Birthday Parade, staged in Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the King requested amendments to the Trooping the Colour programme “as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy”.

In 2017, Trooping was held a few days after the Grenfell Tower blaze and the loss of life was marked by a minute’s silence, a decision taken by Queen Elizabeth II.

The King issued a written message soon after the Air India plane crash saying he was “desperately shocked by the terrible events” and expressing his “deepest possible sympathy”.

He was kept updated about the developing situation on Thursday and it later emerged there was a sole survivor, UK national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.

As the Trooping The Colour ceremony gets underway, Kate Middleton stuns in a vibrant turquoise ensemble that emulates one Diana wore by the same designer in 1992

The Princess of Wales and her three children have delighted the crowds by waving from their carriage as Trooping the Colour got underway. Kate was seen beaming in the Ascot Landau carriage with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as they made their way from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade. Their carriage followed that of the King and Queen’s, while Prince William was on horseback.

Check out our Live Blog here to keep up to date with today’s Trooping The Colour proceedings.

Kate Middleton made a stunning appearance. Her outfit for this year’s Trooping the Colour turned heads and had us all eager to know where the dress was from. The Duchess of Cambridge’s ensemble beautifully echoes one of Princess Diana’s iconic looks, crafted by the same designer, Catherine Walker.

But don’t be disheartened, just because you can’t shop the exact coat dress Kate wore to this morning’s proceedings, doesn’t mean you can’t emulate her vibrant, summery look for your next formal occasion this summer, as we’ve found the perfect piece to copy her Trooping The Colour attire. And it’s on sale.

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In the same turquoise colour that Kate opted for today, this Polished Tailored Double Breasted Sinch Detail Blazer from Karen Millen is the ideal piece to copy the Princess of Wales without splashing out on a designer piece.

Currently on sale for the reduced price of £161.40, down from £269, this dress does come to a shorter length than Kate’s outfit, but it maintains the formal and feminine silhouette that blends Kate’s go-to coat-dress style with an 80s-blazer-inspired finish, just like Diana’s look too.

Fully stocked in all sizes, from 6 to 16, this dress is sure to make a striking impression, as it balances power dressing with feminine flair. The tailored silhouette creates a commanding presence and a Royal air, while the cinched detail adds definition to your waistline and flatters your body for that designer-made effect.

For daytime, pair with sleek court shoes and a structured tote, maybe even a decorative hat like Kate’s if you’re heading to a more formal event like a summer wedding. This Karen Millen piece easily transitions to suiting evening events, as you can pair it with your favourite heels. This blazer dress offers the perfect blend of authority and contemporary style for the modern professional woman, without needing a royal budget.

For today’s prestigious event, Kate donned a turquoise and white coat dress by Catherine Walker, mirroring an ensemble once worn by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, from the same designer. The chic turquoise and white outfit perfectly encapsulated Kate’s flawless style while seamlessly balancing contemporary and timeless style.

The Duchess of Cambridge is often seen in pieces by Catherine Walker, a favourite designer of hers. Princess Diana was also a big fan of Catherine Walker’s designs, even coordinating with a young Prince William in an outfit from the designer for an Easter Sunday service back in 1987, and a look from February 12, 1992, when Diana was photographed wearing a similar turquoise and white Catherine Walker suit during a visit to New Delhi in India.

For alternative pieces in Kate and Diana’s favoured colour, check out this Victoria Beckham Dolman Midi Dress, now available for £297, down from £990. If you’re looking for a slightly subtler colour, check out this Soft Pleated Woven Kimono Sleeve Maxi Dress from Karen Millen, available for £89.40.

Strictly Come Dancing star Tess Daly was one of the well-known names to be included on King Charles’ birthday honours list as she was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List

Tess Daly has said she is “genuinely pinching herself” over her MBE as she speaks out on the honour. The Strictly Come Dancing host has taken to her social media to say she can’t believe she has been given the award.

Alongside fellow Strictly presenter Claudia Winkleman, Tess was one of the people to be given an MBE in King Charles’ birthday honours list. However, she has since said that she’s struggling to believe what has really happened.

The TV star has been given the MBE for her Services to Broadcasting after being a staple on our screen for decades. She has said it is an “utter privilege” to be named alongside other TV legends.

Posting to Instagram, Tess shared a photo alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth along with a lengthy caption describing how she is feeling. She wrote: “Genuinely still pinching myself… Feeling extremely humbled and very honoured to be awarded an MBE for Services to Broadcasting in King Charles’ birthday honours list.

“If I could, I would dedicate it to all the wonderful people I have had the pleasure of working with over the past 26 years. What an utter privilege it has been to work with so many legends of broadcasting and Knights of the Realm including Sir Trevor Macdonald [sic] and Sir Terry Wogan-and also to the Strictly viewers who have brought us so much joy over the past 20 years-thank you to every one of you for being there for the ride; it means the world having you there.

“From Back in 2004 when it all began with the wonderful Sir Bruce Forsythe [sic] til now – 21 years later. Huge congrats to my brilliant girl @claudiawinkle on receiving her award too – who would’ve thought we’d be celebrating this together 20 years after we first met? Thank you so much for your lovely messages. Not sure I’ll ever be able to take this in! Xx.”

Friends and fans of the star took to the comments to share their congratulations messages. Claudia Winkleman, who has also been given an MBE this year, wrote “Love you,” along with five red love heart emojis.

While former Strictly star Tasha Ghouri said: “Go you!!! Huge inspiration,” as Dragons’ Den alumni Sara Davies commented: “Absolutely amazing huge congrats xx.”

Tess has admitted that she almost didn’t receive the letter saying she has been chosen for an MBE on time. She said: “This genuinely came as the greatest surprise of my life. I don’t think I’ve come back down to earth yet, I didn’t see it coming, and it almost didn’t happen, because the letter went to the wrong address.

“And thank goodness, someone very kind found me. And so by the time I got it, I only had, I think it was two or three days left to accept it. There’s a deadline of acceptance. I can’t imagine not ever wanting to accept such a wonderful award. But of course I did.”

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Olympic diver and knitting enthusiast Tom Daley has shared the best way to store your knitwear without risking them stretching or misshapen when you hang them in your wardrobe – and people are impressed

Former Olympic diver Tom Daley has become known for taking his knitting hobby with him to competitions. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Daley was often seen knitting or crocheting when he was sitting on the stands, waiting for his turn.

Speaking on the Kelly Clarkson show about where he got the idea to try knitting and crocheting, Tom revealed it had been his husband, director Dustin Lance Black’s idea. He revealed: “My coach said to me that I’m so bad at just sitting still and resting and recovering on the weekend. So it was my husband who said, ‘some people on film sets just knit or crochet to pass the time’ and I was like, ‘I’ll try that’.”

Since first been seen knitting in March 2020, Tom was often seen working on a new crochet or knitting project when he attends competitions, even when he competed in the Olympics.

And because of people’s interest in his knitting projects, the former diver decided to start his own knitwear clothing line as well as his yarn The Cottony One, which is made from a plant-powered cotton blend rather than a sheep’s wool.

Because of this, you could say that Tom has become somewhat of an expert in knitwear and everything that comes with it. And to share his knowledge, he took to social media to urge people to change the way they’re storing their knitted clothes.

“All these years, you’ve probably been hanging your knitwear wrong,” Tom said in his video. “I’m going to show you how to hang your knitwear, whether its handmade or not, so it doesn’t get misshapen.”

Holding up his infamous ‘don’t drink and dive’ jumper that he made himself, Tom went on to show what he claims is the best way to store your knitted jumpers between wears.

“First, you’re going to take your jumper, fold it in half so that the sleeves are touching,” he explained as he folded his jumper. “Then, you’re going to take your hanger, put it in the armpit like that. Then you’re going to fold one side over the other side over.”

As he said this, he showed how he but the hanger so that the hook was poking out by the ‘armpits’ of the jumper. He then folded the bottom part of the jumper to meet the neckline. Finally, he folded the sleeves over the rest of the jumper before lifting it up with the hanger.

“And then it hangs like that,” he said. “And you’ll never get your knits to be misshapen ever again.”

People soon took to the comments to share their thoughts on Tom’s hack, with many saying they were ‘too scared’ to hang their knitted clothes on hangers in case they stretch or get misshapen.

One person commented: “I just fold them and keep them on a shelf, too scared of the stitches stretching if I hang them in any sort of way lol.”

“Hanging clothing lets the air circulate better around it, keeps it fresher than folding,” another person said.