The Princess of Wales proved she’s the queen of smart casual today when she recycled a £285 cream Reiss blazer during a visit to a baby bank in Windsor.
Kate Middleton, 41, was beaming as she arrived at The Baby Bank today, where she learned about the vital work the organization is doing to support families in need in the area.
The mother-of-three, who currently lives at her Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor, was elegant for the occasion in the smart beige blazer, which she wore with navy blue trousers and a plain white T-shirt.
She completed her outfit with a pair of £130 pointed pumps from British brand Boden.
During her visit, the royal family met with volunteers and helped sort newborn baby clothes while visiting charity The Baby Bank.
The Princess of Wales, 41, proved she’s the queen of smart casual today, when she recycled a £285 cream Reiss blazer while visiting a baby bank in Windsor
Kate Middleton was beaming as she arrived today at The Baby Bank close to her home, Adelaide Cottage
She opted for neutral make-up for the occasion, with a hint of eyeliner and a touch of nude lip gloss.
Meanwhile, the princess wore her hair in her favorite bouncy blow-dry style.
She also kept her jewelry to a minimum by donning a pair of gold hoops and a delicate gold chain.
Her smart blazer has become a favorite of the princess, who has worn it regularly on royal outings in recent years.
In September 2021, while visiting RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, Kate opted for the double-breasted twill blazer and it quickly sold out.
She wore the lightweight blazer for the second time last year while visiting the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) headquarters.
Kate was in high spirits when she arrived at the Windsor site this morning and shook hands with the staff before learning more about the charity.
She also spoke to staff and volunteers about their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, joking that they’d found the space a “repost” from homeschooling children at home.
Kate, whose son Prince Louis had his birthday on Sunday, told staff at the donation center she couldn’t believe her youngest son was already five years old.
The royal mother-of-three has been a longtime advocate of baby sofas, visiting a number of sites across the country over the years.
The royal mother-of-three has long been a supporter of baby sofas and has visited a number of sites across the country over the years
The princess quickly got to the charity, sorting donations and folding baby growth
Kate, who has long been a champion of early childhood importance, was enthused as she chatted with her fellow volunteers
During her visit, the royal family met with volunteers and learned how the organization works with local partners, including health visitors and midwives, to provide assistance to families in need
In the summer of 2020, The Princess also brought together nineteen UK brands and retailers to donate over 10,000 new items to more than 40 baby banks across the country, operated by Little Village, Baby Basics and AberNecessitie.
Founded in 2015 by two mothers from Windsor, the Baby Bank strives to provide essential items to families struggling financially.
The charity offers a range of items for families including starter kits for newborns, school uniforms, nappies, buggies and beds. Donations are provided by the general public, retailers and local suppliers.
Families are referred to the charity through a large network of 150 referral partners, including Helping Hands, social services, schools, food banks and refugee organisations.
Since opening, The Baby Bank has served more than 21,500 individuals and referrals have increased year over year.
Since taking on her new title of Princess of Wales, Kate has made sure one thing is at the top of her priority list – the mental health of younger generations in the UK.
Since assuming her new title following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, many of the Princess’s public appearances have focused on the mental wellbeing of children, young people and adults, from leading a teen mental health news broadcast on BBC Radio 1 to a visit to a neonatal unit in Surrey that cares for new mothers.
Earlier this year, she launched her Shaping Us campaign.
The multimedia campaign was part of a major campaign by the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood, launched by the Princess in June 2021, to raise awareness of how our early years shape our lives.
It will take at least five years and has been described by a spokesperson for Kensington Palace as the princess’s “life’s work”.
The princess spoke passionately about the campaign in an open letter that appeared in the Mail on Sunday in January, outlining her plan for ‘Shaping Us’.
Reports from the Early Childhood Center have found that the first five years are more determinative of future well-being than any other stage of development, with our brains growing faster during this time than at any other stage.
She opted for neutral make-up for the occasion, with a hint of eyeliner and a touch of nude lip gloss
It also hopes to ‘break the loop’ for parents who have experienced a difficult childhood themselves.
Palace assistants say the idea for the project started before Kate became a mother.
Today’s visit comes during a busy period for the princess, who celebrated the birthday of her youngest son Prince Louis last weekend.
The prince and princess released a number of photos on Saturday on the occasion of his fifth birthday.
The youngster sat atop a pile of garden cuttings in one of the relaxed photos taken in the garden of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, the family home.
Proud parents Kate and William said they were ‘delighted’ to share the images of their energetic youngest child tonight.
In one of the photos, Louis – dressed in shorts, a shirt and a wool sweater – was seen grinning at someone who was out of range as he wheeled his wheelbarrow. The other is an intimate close-up of his smiling face.
Not known for sitting still for long periods of time, Louis was previously described by his mother as a ‘kamikaze’ rugby player and is often depicted in an active pose.
However, unlike previous family portraits, these photos were not taken by the enthusiastic photographer Kate. Instead, the charming family moment was captured by Millie Pilkington, who had previously been trusted by Kate and William to privately photograph their 2011 wedding reception.
Prince Louis is expected to join his older siblings George, nine, and Charlotte, who will soon turn eight, in the carriage procession at the coronation on May 6.
While George, second in line to the throne, is expected to feature in the service, Louis is thought to join working members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for an RAF flypast.