Ever since Duchess Meghanbecame a member of the royal family and showed that you can be a working royal woman and wear pants, Duchess Kate took notes accordingly. Now she too displays a willingness to mix it up after a decade’s worth of Princess Diana-esque vibes. The long coat she wore during a visit to a school in Scotland is admittedly by one of the late Princess of Wales’ favorite designers (Catherine Walker) but Kate created an overall modern and fresh look by pairing it with belted pants and a funnel-neck blouse by Cefinn Studio, in a lovely cornflower blue. In fact Duchess Kate’s entire look was blue: navy coat, navy pants, blue blouse, blue pumps, and a very cute navy leather handbag. The color choice was a clear tribute to Scotland’s flag—however, the Duchess of Cambridge’s clothes raise the question as to why she didn’t wear anything by a single Scottish designer. The duchess’s reluctance to wear anything by Caribbean designers other than the occasional bangle was also noted during her and Prince William’s tour of the region earlier this year. In fact, Cefinn—the design house behind Kate’s blouse—was founded by Samantha Cameron, wife of former prime minister David Cameron. At a time when the question of Scottish independence is being raised once more, it’s a curious choice for Kate. David Cameron was strongly opposed to the idea of Scotland becoming independent, and even urged Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary to encourage the monarch to make some sort of intervention on the issue (which she then did, indirectly, but in a move that was nevertheless widely perceived as a boost to the pro-union campaign.) It’s not the first time the Cambridges have found themselves wading into the topic of Scottish independence when the royals are supposed to remain neutral in the face of such issues. During the duke and duchess’s tour of Scotland last year, William had a secret meeting with former prime minister Gordon Brown, who had recently launched a campaign to keep Scotland in the UK. Earlier this week Kate and William opened the Glade of Light Memorial in Manchester, which commemorates the 22 lives lost in the 2017 bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena. The youngest victim was an eight-year-old girl. Kate wore a pair of earrings for the occasion that were specially designed for her by VanLeles Diamonds. Featuring bee and honeycomb charms, they pay tribute to Mancunians’ “hard work ethic.” The bee is the symbol of Manchester. Next up, 10 Things That Will Happen When Queen Elizabeth II Dies
