Kate Middleton on Thursday visited a children’s hospice 30 minutes’ drive from her Norfolk home of Anmer Hall dressed in a lilac midi-dress from an Australian designer.
The Duchess of Cambridge, 38, looked radiant in the floral frock from ethical Bali-based label Faithfull The Brand, founded by Australian Sarah-Jane Abrahams and Norwegian Helle Them-Enger in 2012 after they met while travelling Indonesia.
Printed with yellow, pink, white and green flowers, the $199 AUD ‘Marie-Louise’ dress was stocked online on The Iconic but it’s currently unavailable after selling out thanks to the royal’s endorsement.
A similar dress in pale blue has been reduced from $199 to $149.25, with sizes six to 14 still in stock.
Britain’s queen-in-waiting accessoried with a new pair of $242 Russell and Bromley espadrilles and went without a bag, leaving her hands free to plant strawberries and lavender in a new garden at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice, known as EACH.
The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice, 30 minutes’ drive from her home of Anmer Hall in Norfolk, wearing a $199 AUD dress from Faithfull The Brand
Kate, 38, went without a bag, leaving her hands free to plant strawberries and lavender with kids and care workers
The mother-of-three, who is known for her love of gardening, showed she’s not afraid of a bit of dirt as she dug her hands deep into the soil, spilling dense clumps onto the skirt of her elegant dress.
Kate beamed as she planted seeds and chatted earnestly with six-year-old Sonny Pope-Saunders, who has a rare form of brain cancer.
As they planted, Kate revealed that her and Prince William’s children Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, five and Prince Louis, two, started a sunflower-growing competition during isolation.
‘Louis is winning, so George is a little grumpy about that,’ she said.
The $199 AUD ‘Marie-Louise’ dress from Bali-based Faithfull The Brand, which has sold out since Kate’s appearance
The mother-of-three enters the hospice in a new pair of $242 AUD Russell and Bromley espadrilles
Britain’s queen-in-waiting digs her hands deep into the soil, proving she’s not afraid of a bit of dirt
The sunflower has been adopted as the emblem of hospice care, with the seeds representing patients and the surrounding petals symbolising love and compassion.
Due to the pandemic, it was the Pope-Saunders family’s first time at the hospice with Sonny, who was diagnosed shortly after his sixth birthday in February.
EACH acting chief executive Tracy Rennie said Kate was hands on from the moment she arrived at the hospice and didn’t flinch at getting her hands dirty despite wearing her iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
‘She didn’t need the gardening gloves we offered her and even plunged her hands into the earth with that massive engagement ring on!’ she said.
Kensington Palace shared a short clip of the royal visit on its official Instagram account, along with an audio message from the Duchess praising staff for their ‘awe-inspiring’ work in such ‘extraordinary’ times.
Kate beams as she plants sunflowers with six-year-old Sonny Pope-Saunders (seated), who was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour days after his birthday in February
Kate, William and their kids have been living in the family’s Norfolk retreat of Anmer Hall since the COVID-19 crisis began in March.
The down-to-earth Duchess was photographed on June 20 shopping for plants and herbs at Fakenham Garden Centre in Norfolk, 20 minutes’ drive from Anmer estate.
Kate told staff she is missing her parents Carole and Michael Middleton, sister Pippa and brother James, who she has been unable to see due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
‘I’ve yet to see my family as they’re about three hours away in Berkshire, so I haven’t seen them and I miss them,’ she said.