The Queen is giving the Duchess of Cambridge an Australian makeover for her trip Down Under, asking her to ditch her short skirts in favour of longer hemlines and royal tiaras.
Kate, Prince William and six-month-old Prince George will be making their highly anticipated trip to Oz in April for their first royal tour of Australia and New Zealand.
As well as travelling with her family, Kate will be accompanied by a team of people to dress her in daily couture outfits, with up to four outfit changes per day to meet the Queen’s high standards.
Kate will be travelling with an entourage that includes her hairdresser, Amanda Cook Tucker, and the Queen’s own personal dresser, Angela Kelly, who has dressed the Queen for the past 20 years.
“Angela has been asked to start selecting jewels ahead of the trip,” a royal source told UK newspaper The Mail On Sunday.
“She knows most of the pieces in the Queen’s private collection. Her understanding is crucial because this trip will be about Kate appearing more royal than ever – you can expect to see a lot more tiaras, and the Queen will be watching closely.”
The 32-year-old new mother will also be carrying some breathtakingly expensive jewels, including tiaras, royal stones from the Queen’s personal collection and a set of Indian gems, known as the Cambridge Jewels, which have been passed down through royal women, from the Queen Mother to Princess Diana.
The Queen has hand-selected sentimental pieces for Kate to wear from her own personal collection, including her mother’s diamond and ruby hibiscus brooch that was given to her as a gift from Australia in 1958, and her own golden wattle brooch, which she received on her Coronation Tour of Australia in 1954.
Kate has also contacted such labels as Alexander McQueen and Alice Temperley to ask them to design her Australian gowns and day dresses.
“Kate is going to need someone to help her get ready,” designer David Emanuel, who oversaw Diana’s wardrobe, told The Mail On Sunday.
“Even a modern-day royal needs help with dressing. Kate is going to be scrutinised from head to toe.
“We take for granted how good she looks but it’s a lot of work. You need to think about the national colours of the country, its flag and emblems, and how to reflect that in the clothes you wear.”
