The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra for the second time today, having attended the Dawn Service, to join the 20,000 to 30,0000 people who flocked here for the traditional ANZAC day march and memorial.
Unlike at her other engagements Kensington Palace doesn’t reveal the Duchess’s outfit details to media at ceremonial occasions. Catherine wore a blue flecked coat with matching blue hat – perhaps a nod to Air Force blue – and a poppy brooch given to the Duchess last night by the wife of Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith VC.
The Duchess’s hatmaker is one of two Australian labels worn throughout the royal tour by the Duchess. Australian Hatmaker Jonathan Howard was contacted by Kensington Palace in January, asking if he’d like to create a piece(s) for the royal tour of Australia.
Kate’s custom made Jonathan Howard hat.
Naturally excited by the opportunity he said yes, and the consulting design process began. More than 30 emails were exchanged, finished samples sent to the palace for consideration and approval, along with colour swatches too. The colour palette changed several times, with the final colour to be a dark navy blue.
Inside the Hall of Memory, artificial lights were brought in as the sun struggled to peek through the stained glass windows in the cavernous space, where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge gently placed small posies of rosemary and Australian natives including, kangaroo paw on the verge of the tomb, which was scattered with poppies.
Silently they reflected on the grave before solemnly, and in unison, bowing their heads. It was an intimate moment as they paid their respects.
The young royals then turned, and walked to the side of the hall as the official party took turns to lay posies and reflect. Nestled in each of the posies was a small wooden commemorative cross with a handwritten message from an Australian school child. The neatly written message in Kate’s posy read: “In every second of every day, you will be remembered for your courage and your bravery. Thank you for your sacrifice and for what you have done for us. For that, I am truly grateful.”
The cross was part of the Australian War Memorial’s commemorative crosses program. The crosses are distributed to school children to write messages of hope and thanks. They are then sent over to the Western Front to be laid on the graves of the Australian war dead.
First into the Hall of Memory was the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lynne, who were each handed a posy to lay on the tomb.
The Duke and Duchess solemnly walked past the Pool of Reflection with Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lynne and paused for a moment before entering the tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier.
Three FA-18 hornets flew overhead just before they entered the memorial and Catherine leaned over to whisper to Sir Peter. They entered the tomb to lay a floral tribute of native flowers with an entourage that included the prime minister and opposition leader. Before entering the tomb, the couple bowed their heads
Outside the front of the Memorial and down the road, the couple headed for their final tree planting duty of the tour – an Aleppo Pine seedling derived from seeds gathered after the battle of Lone Pine at Gallipoli
The plaque at the tree reads: After the capture of the Lone Pine Ridge in Gallipoli (6 August 1915), an Australian Soldier who had taken part in the attack in which his brother was killed, found a cone on one of the branches used by the Turks as overhead cover for their trenches, and sent it to his mother. From seed shed by it she raised the tree, which she presented to be planted in the War Memorial grounds in honour of her own and others’ sons who fell at Lone Pine.
Next stop is Fairbairn RAAF base, where the couple and baby George will fly to Sydney on their journey home.
