ON the third day of their Australian tour Kate has opted for the Roamer Day Dress by Zimmermann – a cream lace number from the Australian designer’s upcoming Summer Swim 2014 range and retails for $495. Naomi Watts has previously been photographed wearing the same dress. Kate has paired it with her tan wedges.
After opening a new pavilion, the Royal couple take in the District Products display, observe a sheep shearing demonstration and meet with a young fashion designer who last year won a competition to design a dress, which was made entirely from wool, for Kate.
This afternoon Kate and Wills will visit Bear Cottage, a children’s hospice in Manly, and Manly Beach.
Chelsea Clinton and her husband Marc Mezvinsky have announced they are expecting their first child.
The only daughter of former US President Bill Clinton and potential future US President Hillary Clinton revealed the exciting news on Twitter.
“Marc and I are so thrilled to be expecting our first child in the fall! Thank you for all of the kind words!” the 34-year-old Tweeted.
Hillary – who has joked about her impatience to become a grandmother in the past – said she was “really excited” by the baby news, the New York Times reported.
I mention Diana because almost everyone I have spoken to in the crowds over the past two days over the age of 30, talks about her.
The older ones turned out for her visits to Australia, some saw William as a baby, and what is most telling is how very many had an up close and personal encounter with Princess Diana that they recall in every detail. From a hug, to a handshake, a kind word, a gentle smile, Diana left her footprint.
Princess Diana greeting the crowds at the Opera House in 1983.
And yesterday at the Sydney Opera House I was a little disappointed to see that the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William weren’t also leaving their footprint heading into the crowds and connecting with their public.
To be fair they were shaking hands and engaging, but with only a tiny handful of the thousands who had waited hours to see them many scoring front row positions carrying babies and young children but leaving – happy to have seen them – but disappointed not to have had that little bit more, that something special to cherish.
Today in the Blue Mountains I was with the girl guides at their hall in Winmalee. This was the community that just six months ago was devastated by bushfires ripping through their homes.
Juliet Rieden awaiting the royal couple’s arrival in Winmalee this morning.
The royal entourage drew up through the gates flanked with locals all dressed up to meet royalty and alas, left them waiting and hoping that the couple would come back.
We saw the duo for a few minutes, that was all. A chosen 140 had a closer encounter inside the hall where they ate finger sandwiches and mini muffins and drank tea while the royal couple met as many as they could. But again it felt to me as if this wasn’t enough. The sun was blazing down, these people had been there for hours.
Then the Duke and Duchess reappeared and went to plant a tree – the ubiquitous photo opportunity – and meet the girl guides aged 4-17.
At last the couple seemed to be softening. William was cracking jokes and Catherine gathering bunches of flowers from tiny tots.
One of the leaders asked if they might have a picture taken and in a moment of genius that made me immediately think of his mother Diana’s unique connection with the public, the Duke suggested he and his wife stand amongst the girls and together the couple launched into the troupe for a rather wonderful photo.
The couple looked happy, the kids were delighted and behind them watching on, snapping photos, their parents were ecstatic. Now that’s more like it … This royal tour is really shifting gear.
The famous 'Kate Effect' struck again today, with the Duchess of Cambridge's bold printed frock selling out just eight minutes after she stepped out in it.
Kate donned a new season blue and white patterned Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress for the second day of her Australian tour.
The Duchess paired the dress with a pair of navy blue cork-soled wedges and simple silver-toned jewellery.
It was a very fetching look, and one hundreds of women around the world are clearly quick to emulate – according to a fashion website, the dress sold out on the label’s website worldwide in just eight minutes.
It’s not the first time Kate has shown her amazing ability to move fashion – the black and white Tory Burch number she wore in New Zealand last week quickly sold out and even her son Prince George’s Rachel Riley dungarees were snapped up in hours.
Prince William gave a mighty scare this afternoon when the second in line to the British throne came perilously close to falling from a 100-metre cliff face in the Blue Mountains.
The royal came within inches of the cliff top at Narrow Neck Lookout, peering out over the sheer drop to watch an abseiler’s descent – without a safety harness.
“He took a bit of a lunge and a few people held their breath, gasped and readied their hands to grab him,” said Damien Cooper, manager of the Blue Mountains Youth Service.
“He was fine of course, he knew what he was doing. I think his military background prepared him well for it.”
Tim Williams of the Blue Mountains Adventure Company added: “He was very calm on the edge he didn’t worry about the safety briefing to stay a fair distance back.
“He just stepped up to have a cool look over. He said it would be nice to come back another time and have a good himself.
“They were both keen it was just their attire that held them back. It’s a bit difficult to abseil in a suit and dress.”
Nonetheless, Prince William and the Duchess departed Narrow Neck Lookout having left onlookers with a real sense of derring-do.
The couple met a group of local teenagers who are members Mountain Youth services Adventure Program.
The youngsters demonstrated a range of adventure activities, including problem solving activities and games.
Pulling into the picturesque lookout spot at 1.25pm, the couple was welcomed at the entrance by Randall Walker, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Mountains Lithgow and Oberon Tourism, and Anthea Hammon, Joint Managing Director of Scenic World.
Ms Hammon, who accompanied them around the site, said afterwards, “It was really lovely to meet Kate. We had a little chat about George – she asked how big wombats really are, as the Governor General had given him a large stuffed toy wombat yesterday.
“I pointed out Mt Solitary and Jamison Valley from the lookout. She said the view was beautiful – it was amazing how far you could see.”
Looking relaxed, Prince William put his hand briefly on his wife’s shoulder as they were next presented to Eric Sward, President of the Blue Mountains Accommodation & Tourism Association, Councillor Daniel Myles, Chairman of Blue Mountains Lithgow Oberon Tourism, and Huong Nguyen, Owner of Escarpment Group.
Next the royal couple was presented with possum skins from three Aboriginal Elders representing the Indigenous landowners of Echo Point: Aunty Sharon Brown, of Gundungurra Tribal Council, Aunty Sharon Halls, of Gundungurra Aboriginal Heritage Association, and Chris Tobin, of Darug.
At the end of the path, the couple stopped for a minute to enjoy clear views over The Three Sisters, an unusual rock formation representing three sisters who according to Aboriginal legend were turned to stone.
The couple spent the rest of their visit greeting the crowd, some of whom shouted “We love you” and waved Australian flags. Gifts to the couple included flowers, Easter eggs, sunglasses and handwritten poems.
William and Kate were mobbed by crowds.
Among a lucky group of children plucked from the crowd to meet The Royal Highnesses were Sydney sisters Alexandra Witting, 12, and Sophia Witting, nine, and Ainslie Zakis, 12, of Wentworth Falls.
“They asked what we were doing in the holidays and they said they were going to Taronga Zoo – they said Prince George would probably scare the animals away because he is so loud!” Ainslie said.
“I told Kate I thought she looked amazing at her wedding and she said she was so nervous by the time she got to the end of the aisle.”
Alexandra added, “It was a last minute decision to come up here today – but it was so worth it. I will never forget it.”
The last person the Duchess spoke to was Annabella Duncan, aged four, of Orange, who handed her a small bunch of flowers.
She, the Duchess, asked if the flowers were from our garden and I said we picked them this morning but we’ve been waiting three hours in the sun so they are a bit droopy! She was lovely about it,” her mother Angela said.
At 1.45pm the couple returned to their car to head to one more lookout before taking a helicopter back to Sydney to meet Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The Manly MP, who is a father of three, was elected leader unopposed in a joint ticket with friend and Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian, 43.
“Today Gladys and I stand here uncontested,” he said. “It’s a party room that has come together, despite the challenge of past few days, to say we believe in what we are doing.
“We have laid a great foundation but I don’t want to just stabilise NSW – I want to transform it.”
Mr Baird, 46, said the party was shocked and saddened by the events of the last 48 hours adding that he believed Barry O’Farrell has done a “great job”.
“Gladys and I have both spoken to Barry O’Farrell today and he is in incredible spirits despite recent events. He wants to continue as his local member and I certainly welcome that.”
Despite the decision of Mr O’Farrell to resign after a “massive memory fail” over the receipt of a bottle of wine valued at $3000 from Australian Water Holdings boss Nick Di Girolamo, Mr Baird said he believed the former Premier was a man of integrity.
Mr Baird added he was a supporter of the Independent Commission of Corruption (ICAC) which has also claimed the scalp of federal Liberal Senator Arthur Sinodinos.
“Barry O’Farrell is a man of integrity but the community has spoken and in the coming days we will have a lot to say about how we’re going to bring that confidence back in government,” Mr Baird said.
Mr Baird would not be drawn on who would take over the Treasurer’s position.
The new Premier comes from Liberal blue blood as the son of former Federal MP Bruce Baird. He is married with three children who appeared by his side yesterday. His sister is high profile journalist and author Julia Baird. Mr Baird is also well known to have done a Diploma in Christian Studies before having a high-flying career in banking.
His elevation to Premier fulfils an ambition by the affable MP to serve his state at the highest level.
Ms Berejiklian, who is widely believed to have done a good job, said she was going to keep the difficult transport portfolio.
The 32-year-old royal was back in the saddle this week to prepare for the Symm International Horse Trials in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on the weekend.
Zara, who gave birth to her daughter, Mia, just three months ago, looked happy to be on her horse High Kingdom at her mother Princess Anne’s home in Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire.
The Olympic silver medallist, who is married to former England rugby player Mike Tindall, quit competitive riding last summer because of her pregnancy.
“Hands up if you like school,” Prince William asked the group of 70 girl guides aged 4 to 17.
“Some of the young ones put up their hands but not us seniors,” 13-year-old Brianna Sten told me very excited after she had been chatting to The Duke, or “Will” as she and her friends now know him.
The Duke and Duchess were visiting Winmalee, an area devastated by bush fires last year, to thank the firefighters and pay tribute to the indomitable spirit of this close knit community in the Blue Mountains. And their visit was held at the Girl Guides Hall. “He said to me ‘It’s okay I didn’t really like school either,” Brianna goes on. “Then he high-fives me. I high-fived with Will. It’s amazing!”
Her friend Nicola Cook, also 13, was equally enamoured with Prince William. “I said ‘What’s the wombat’s name (referring to the giant soft toy wombat given to Prince George by the Governor-general at Admiralty House last night)’, and he said ‘It hasn’t got one. Would you like to name it?’ To which Nicola replied ‘yes please, call her Nicola.’
“‘But what if it’s boy?’ the Duke replied. ‘Then you can call it Nick,'” said Nicola chuckling.
Di Strahan, the district manager at Winmalee Girl Guides, known to her girls as Gunedoo, the Aboriginal name for one of the three sisters turned into stone in the
Blue Mountains landmark which the couple were due to visit next, first got wind of the royal visit six weeks ago when the palace asked if they could use the guide hall.
“I didn’t know what it was for and I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone. I had this huge secret to keep. Then later they told me the girls would be involved in the visit and I was thrilled.”
Di’s granddaughter Gracie, the youngest girl guide age four, spent some quality time with the Duchess who immediately spied her and crouched down to chat.
“Gracie was really shy and Catherine asked her ‘Are those flowers for me?’ She managed to say yes and handed her the bouquet of daisies and lilies. It was lovely,” says Di.
It is a scorching day here in the Mountains and surrounding the hall, charred black tree trunks have started to sprout green leaves. The Duke and Duchess helped with that regeneration with the ceremonial planting of a flowering red gum. It was a poignant moment and a day the residents of Winmalee who turned out in their hundreds to see the royal couple are not likely to forget.
The 22-year-old model posted a photo on Instagram of her and the fashion designer with a message that read: “I miss L’Wren so much and I am so sad she isn’t here anymore. She was such a big part of my life. I will never forget all the fun times we had together. She was part of our family and always will be. Rest in peace.”
L’Wren took her own life last month in New York.
Jagger and his Rolling Stones band mates, who were in Australia at the time, rescheduled their tour dates in Australia and New Zealand for October.
.png?resize=380%2C285)
-(2).jpg?resize=380%2C285)
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
