Kate Recycles for Visit to Nottingham with William and the Queen

William and Kate joined the Queen this morning for the latest stage of her Diamond Jubilee Tour in Nottingham. The city is hosting the visit on behalf of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby City and Derbyshire. Unfortunately Prince Philip could not attend as planned. The 91 year old is at home today as he continues to recover from a bladder infection.

Her Majesty arrived at Nottingham Railway Station where she was met by William and Kate.  We were fortunate enough to see the Queen and Kate on joint engagements recently and it was very special indeed to see William accompany the duo today.

The couple drove up by car from Anglesey this morning so must be feeling rather tired. The journey is roughly three and a half hours. They are reportedly travelling straight back after the visit as William has to get back to work at RAF valley.

Rebecca English Twitter

One of Nottingham's trams was specially wrapped in red Jubilee livery to celebrate the visit.

My Nottingham Twitter

The trio then travelled to Old Market Square, where an estimated 20,000 people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the Royals.

A look at Market Square before the crowds arrived.

Sarah Barker Via Twitter

And after the crowds arrived.......

My Nottingham Twitter

We are all familiar with Nottinghamshire's favourite son and the world's favourite folk hero Robin Hood. His adventures will forever be associated with Nottingham. Tourists travel from near and far annually to experience the Robin Hood Attractions which include archery, tours, gallery, park and castle visits, medieval banquets and many adventures in Sherwood Forest :)

Nottingham Attractions

Nottingham is one of my favourite cities in the UK. Well worth a visit for fans of Robin! Let's take a look at the heroes statue beside Nottingham Caste.

University of Nottingham

The royals met the Lord Lieutenants of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in Council House, before appearing on the balcony to acknowledge the crowd. The national anthem was played. I do love a balcony appearance :)

A closer look at Council House, the city hall of Nottingham. The iconic 200 feet high dome is described as the 'centrepiece of the skyline which presides magnificently over the Old Market Square'. 

Wikipedia

A look at the beautiful Entrance Loggia.

Wikipedia

Two stone art deco lions stand guard on either side of the entrance steps. There are various names attached to them, most commonly 'Menelaus and Agamemnon' and 'Leo and Oscar'. Meeting 'At the Lions' is something of a tradition in Nottingham. The architecture of the building is simply amazing as are the sculptures, something Kate would appreciate as a History of Art graduate.

Wikipedia

The Royals then visited Vernon Park in Basford. The picturesque neighbourhood park has recently undergone a £1 million refurbishment. The park has been granted Queen Elizabeth 2 Field Status, meaning it will be protected for future generations. Prince William is a patron of Fields in Trust, a campaign to protect 2012 outdoor recreational spaces in communities. Her Majesty also unveiled a plaque and the Stanhope school choir sang a specially composed song.

Rebecca English Twitter

Kate and the Queen enjoyed chatting throughout the visit. 

British Monarchy Flickr

William and Kate took part in the games at Vernon Park and both had a go at javelin. Kate appeared to thoroughly enjoy taking part despite being in heels :)

We looked at the lions at Council House earlier in the post, time for a look at the Nottingham in Bloom grass lion at Vernon Park :)

My Nottingham Twitter

Kate recycled the light blue M Missoni tweed coat dress she wore whilst accompanying the Queen and Camilla on a visit to Fortnum and Mason last March. Kate bought the knit bouclé, fringe trim, collarless piece at Bicester Village Outlet. It is from the A/W 2010 collection.  A lot of thought would have gone into Kate's outfit today and she would have been very keen not to detract attention from Her Majesty especially during her Jubilee tour, hence choosing to recycle a piece she has worn during a previous engagement with HM.

Kate wore her £50 Zara cornflower dress underneath. 

Zara

Kate also recycled the navy Rachel Trevor Morgan hat she first wore almost a year ago for an Irish Guard Armed Forces Day event. It was a good day for the milliner, the Queen also wore one of her hats. Rachel recently revealed to Daily Mail reporter Rebecca English, she cooks up dyes for the Queen's hat in a saucepan in her kitchen. Now that's dedication :)

The Duchess wore her LK Bennett art shoes. The navy high heel court shoe has a rounded toe.

LK Bennett

Kate carried the aptly named Jaeger Kate Bag. The £150 navy bag is currently on sale for £75. (With many thanks to Carolin from WKW FB)  It is described as

'Classic quilted leather bag, taken from our timeless accessories collection. Featuring a gold metal chain strap, this compact leather strap has a rich cotton lining and branded hardware'.

Jaeger

Kate accessorised with Princess Diana's blue diamond sapphire earrings.

You can watch The Telegraph Video here and a video of William's speech here. 

There is also a lovely selection of videos at ITN Source.

I'd like to finish coverage of today's event with one of my favourite photos from the walkabout. The couple interact so well with the public. Love their expressions!

In other news, Jocelyn Laidlaw, the lady who photographed the Duchess walking Lupo in Kensington Gardens has kindly shared a video from the sighting. To view it please click here.

Jocelyn Laidlaw Twitter