The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

The Cambridges spent the final day of their royal tour of Poland and Germany in Hamburg. The Duke and Duchess travelled from Berlin to Hamburg via train this morning. They were warmly welcomed at Dammtor Railway Station. Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city, and home to its largest harbour. It is known for its strong links to the UK, which go back to the Hanseatic League in the 13th century. The first stop for the Duke and Duchess was the Maritime Museum on the bank of the river Elbe. The visit was planned to "celebrate" the joint UK-German year of science, which this year is focused on oceans. The couple briefly met members of the crowd. Welcome to #Hamburg! #Kate und #William kommen am Bahnhof Dammtor an. #RoyalVisitGermany #RoyalsInHH @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/CWv2H1vndN — Stefan Schneider (@Schneider_BILD) July 21, 2017 The museum houses a huge collection of model ships, construction plans, uniforms, and maritime art, amounting to over 40,000 items and more than one million photographs. It opened in a former warehouse in 2008. The private collection was started in 1934 by Peter Tamm - former chairman of the board of Axel Springer AG. Tamm said his interest was sparked when his mother presented him with his first model ship when he was six years old. The building is the oldest preserved warehouse in Hamburg, built between 1878 and 1879 by the architects Bernhard Georg Jacob Hanssen and Wilhelm Emil Meerwein. It was built with a supporting structure of wood and steel columns, the outer walls of bricks also supporting the building. It was designed in neo-Gothic style. More from the Museum's website: 'Three thousand years worth of maritime history are displayed on nine ‘decks’ with precious exhibits, model ships and paintings. There is an entire deck dedicated to marine research. At the beginning there was the ocean. Humans stood at the shore, ready to sail unto new horizons. From there the journey through three thousand years of seafaring history begins. Historical documents and sea charts reveal how the modern world-view has developed. Particularly valuable: a copy of the "Atlantis Majoris" from 1657, the first nautical atlas printed in the Netherlands. Hand painted crown compasses and shining, golden sextants lead into an era in which a keen eye and steady hand were required to determine the course. A signal station with Teletype machinery and signal codes demonstrates how seafarers communicated up until the twentieth century. Selected models show various strands of development in shipping: from Phoenician galley and Roman trireme to Viking dragon boats, from cog ships of the Hanseatic period and the explorer’s caravels to the last of the windjammers.' William and Kate viewed a model of Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, the former royal yacht of the Queen, in service from 1954 until 1997. In 1997, the Conservative government committed itself to replacing the Royal Yacht if re-elected, while the Labour Party refused to disclose its plans for the vessel. After Labour won the general election in May 1997, it announced the vessel was to be retired and no replacement would be built. The Queen wept openly at the moving decommissioning ceremony for Britannia. Embed from Getty Images The visit will have been of particular interest to the Duchess who revealed during a speech last week: "I have always been in awe of the sea." The Palace said Kate has a "particular interest in ocean ecology". The couple listened to a presentation. The museum houses a model of the Queen Mary II made entirely of lego. William and Kate made their way through Hamburg’s dockside warehouse quarter to the Elbphilharmonie. Opened in January 2017, the "Elphi" was built with the aim of creating a new city landmark. It is one of the biggest concert halls in the world and renowned for its advanced acoustics. They joined the orchestra on stage, before listening to a special performance by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. The audience was filled with children from all corners of the city, with the aim of inspiring a new generation to develop a passion for music and perhaps play at the venue in years to come. Kate conducted a few bars of Beethoven's 5th. Simon Vigar reports: Simon Vigar Twitter On the Elphi with the Mayor. The Duke and Duchess then departed by boat and travelled down the River Elbe to their final destination for this tour: Airbus. The scene on the River Elbe. The company’s base in Hamburg is home to production, maintenance and training facilities. The couple toured the complex and met apprentices, both German and English. The Duke and Duchess visited the final assembly line of an A320 aircraft and viewed the cockpit of a near-complete plane. One the final walkabout. William put a big smile on this little boy's face :) Then it was time for the Cambridges to head back to London. Charlotte took a tumble after stomping her feet when Kate took some papers away from her... ....mom Kate quickly caught her. William and Kate comforted her. The two-year-old was a little upset but quickly recovered. A handshake for the Princess. A video from Sky: Princess Charlotte is consoled by her mother after appearing to throw a tantrum while the royals are on tour pic.twitter.com/ANgRKf1nbD — Sky News (@SkyNews) July 21, 2017 George and Charlotte joined in to explore an EC145 helicopter - the same one William flies with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. George very much enjoyed taking a look around! I think someone might be following in his father's footsteps as a pilot in the future :) It's wonderful to see George in his element. The birthday boy celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. No doubt he's returning to a special party and plenty of presents. Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/6s5MvtBUUM — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 21, 2017 Kate opted for a vibrant pop of colour for the final day of the tour - wearing a lavender bespoke dress by Emilia Wickstead. The knee-length dress features long sleeves and a set-in waistband. The lavender shade is a favourite of Wickstead, featuring prominently in the designer's Fall 2015 Collection. Below the similar Esther Wool-Crepe Midi Dress, and currently available in a similar colour, the Live Cloque Midi Dress. Emilia Wickstead The Duchess embraced the colour-block trend by teaming the dress with a red clutch. Guilia identified it as the Anya Hindmarch Snakeskin Clutch with gold-tone hardware and tonal stitching throughout. Below, we see it in black. Anya Hindmarch Kate accessorised with her Kiki McDonough Lavender Amethyst Pear and Oval Drop Earrings. Kate debuted the pair in Bhutan last year - they are stunning and work perfectly with the dress. Kiki McDonough Kate wore her Gianvito Rossi praline pumps again. Net-A-Porter And that brings the tour to a close. I want to thank all of you who followed the tour on the blog with us; I am immensely thankful for all the kind and supportive comments you left. One of the most enjoyable aspects is hearing your thoughts. There was, as one expects with a tour, an influx of new posters (welcome!), and with that I would like to encourage everyone to continue posting using a moniker, as it adds greatly to the quality of conversation. And the most important rule for the comments section: please be respectful to each other. I enjoyed the tour and thought it encompassed some lovely moments. William and Kate meeting the public, including several readers, was a wonderful experience for them, a focus on history and the visit to Stutthof in particular was the stand out moment of the tour for me. We saw the Duchess opting for a mix of favoured and new designers as she continues to achieve sartorial diplomacy. There's been an increase in bespoke pieces on tours in recent years and less high street choices. It was great seeing George and Charlotte too; it's always a treat to catch glimpses of them growing up and their personalities. We'll look at Kate's wardrobe in depth next week during our Post Tour Polls. Finally, a big thank you to photographers James Whatling, Andrew Parsons, Stephen Lock and all who worked on the Pool Rota throughout - it would be impossible to produce these posts without your photographs. What did you think of the tour? What were your highlights? You can view all the Royal Tour coverage here. Earlier we mentioned Prince George celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. To mark the occasion Kensington Palace released a darling new photograph of the Prince, taken by Chris Jackson at KP last month. Chris is married to Kate's PA/Stylist Natasha Archer. The photographer wrote on Instagram "I'm thrilled and honoured that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen to release this portrait I took to celebrate Prince George's 4th Birthday. He is such a happy little boy and certainly injects some fun into a photoshoot!" The photo was released with the message "TRH are very pleased to share this lovely picture, and would like to thank everyone for all of the kind messages they have received". Kensington Palace It's a terrific photo of George, sending the little Prince the happiest of birthday wishes!

The Cambridges spent the final day of their royal tour of Poland and Germany in Hamburg. The Duke and Duchess travelled from Berlin to Hamburg via train this morning. They were warmly welcomed at Dammtor Railway Station. Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city, and home to its largest harbour. It is known for its strong links to the UK, which go back to the Hanseatic League in the 13th century. The first stop for the Duke and Duchess was the Maritime Museum on the bank of the river Elbe. The visit was planned to "celebrate" the joint UK-German year of science, which this year is focused on oceans. The couple briefly met members of the crowd. Welcome to #Hamburg! #Kate und #William kommen am Bahnhof Dammtor an. #RoyalVisitGermany #RoyalsInHH @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/CWv2H1vndN — Stefan Schneider (@Schneider_BILD) July 21, 2017 The museum houses a huge collection of model ships, construction plans, uniforms, and maritime art, amounting to over 40,000 items and more than one million photographs. It opened in a former warehouse in 2008. The private collection was started in 1934 by Peter Tamm - former chairman of the board of Axel Springer AG. Tamm said his interest was sparked when his mother presented him with his first model ship when he was six years old. The building is the oldest preserved warehouse in Hamburg, built between 1878 and 1879 by the architects Bernhard Georg Jacob Hanssen and Wilhelm Emil Meerwein. It was built with a supporting structure of wood and steel columns, the outer walls of bricks also supporting the building. It was designed in neo-Gothic style. More from the Museum's website: 'Three thousand years worth of maritime history are displayed on nine ‘decks’ with precious exhibits, model ships and paintings. There is an entire deck dedicated to marine research. At the beginning there was the ocean. Humans stood at the shore, ready to sail unto new horizons. From there the journey through three thousand years of seafaring history begins. Historical documents and sea charts reveal how the modern world-view has developed. Particularly valuable: a copy of the "Atlantis Majoris" from 1657, the first nautical atlas printed in the Netherlands. Hand painted crown compasses and shining, golden sextants lead into an era in which a keen eye and steady hand were required to determine the course. A signal station with Teletype machinery and signal codes demonstrates how seafarers communicated up until the twentieth century. Selected models show various strands of development in shipping: from Phoenician galley and Roman trireme to Viking dragon boats, from cog ships of the Hanseatic period and the explorer’s caravels to the last of the windjammers.' William and Kate viewed a model of Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, the former royal yacht of the Queen, in service from 1954 until 1997. In 1997, the Conservative government committed itself to replacing the Royal Yacht if re-elected, while the Labour Party refused to disclose its plans for the vessel. After Labour won the general election in May 1997, it announced the vessel was to be retired and no replacement would be built. The Queen wept openly at the moving decommissioning ceremony for Britannia. Embed from Getty Images The visit will have been of particular interest to the Duchess who revealed during a speech last week: "I have always been in awe of the sea." The Palace said Kate has a "particular interest in ocean ecology". The couple listened to a presentation. The museum houses a model of the Queen Mary II made entirely of lego. William and Kate made their way through Hamburg’s dockside warehouse quarter to the Elbphilharmonie. Opened in January 2017, the "Elphi" was built with the aim of creating a new city landmark. It is one of the biggest concert halls in the world and renowned for its advanced acoustics. They joined the orchestra on stage, before listening to a special performance by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. The audience was filled with children from all corners of the city, with the aim of inspiring a new generation to develop a passion for music and perhaps play at the venue in years to come. Kate conducted a few bars of Beethoven's 5th. Simon Vigar reports: Simon Vigar Twitter On the Elphi with the Mayor. The Duke and Duchess then departed by boat and travelled down the River Elbe to their final destination for this tour: Airbus. The scene on the River Elbe. The company’s base in Hamburg is home to production, maintenance and training facilities. The couple toured the complex and met apprentices, both German and English. The Duke and Duchess visited the final assembly line of an A320 aircraft and viewed the cockpit of a near-complete plane. One the final walkabout. William put a big smile on this little boy's face :) Then it was time for the Cambridges to head back to London. Charlotte took a tumble after stomping her feet when Kate took some papers away from her... ....mom Kate quickly caught her. William and Kate comforted her. The two-year-old was a little upset but quickly recovered. A handshake for the Princess. A video from Sky: Princess Charlotte is consoled by her mother after appearing to throw a tantrum while the royals are on tour pic.twitter.com/ANgRKf1nbD — Sky News (@SkyNews) July 21, 2017 George and Charlotte joined in to explore an EC145 helicopter - the same one William flies with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. George very much enjoyed taking a look around! I think someone might be following in his father's footsteps as a pilot in the future :) It's wonderful to see George in his element. The birthday boy celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. No doubt he's returning to a special party and plenty of presents. Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/6s5MvtBUUM — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 21, 2017 Kate opted for a vibrant pop of colour for the final day of the tour - wearing a lavender bespoke dress by Emilia Wickstead. The knee-length dress features long sleeves and a set-in waistband. The lavender shade is a favourite of Wickstead, featuring prominently in the designer's Fall 2015 Collection. Below the similar Esther Wool-Crepe Midi Dress, and currently available in a similar colour, the Live Cloque Midi Dress. Emilia Wickstead The Duchess embraced the colour-block trend by teaming the dress with a red clutch. Guilia identified it as the Anya Hindmarch Snakeskin Clutch with gold-tone hardware and tonal stitching throughout. Below, we see it in black. Anya Hindmarch Kate accessorised with her Kiki McDonough Lavender Amethyst Pear and Oval Drop Earrings. Kate debuted the pair in Bhutan last year - they are stunning and work perfectly with the dress. Kiki McDonough Kate wore her Gianvito Rossi praline pumps again. Net-A-Porter And that brings the tour to a close. I want to thank all of you who followed the tour on the blog with us; I am immensely thankful for all the kind and supportive comments you left. One of the most enjoyable aspects is hearing your thoughts. There was, as one expects with a tour, an influx of new posters (welcome!), and with that I would like to encourage everyone to continue posting using a moniker, as it adds greatly to the quality of conversation. And the most important rule for the comments section: please be respectful to each other. I enjoyed the tour and thought it encompassed some lovely moments. William and Kate meeting the public, including several readers, was a wonderful experience for them, a focus on history and the visit to Stutthof in particular was the stand out moment of the tour for me. We saw the Duchess opting for a mix of favoured and new designers as she continues to achieve sartorial diplomacy. There's been an increase in bespoke pieces on tours in recent years and less high street choices. It was great seeing George and Charlotte too; it's always a treat to catch glimpses of them growing up and their personalities. We'll look at Kate's wardrobe in depth next week during our Post Tour Polls. Finally, a big thank you to photographers James Whatling, Andrew Parsons, Stephen Lock and all who worked on the Pool Rota throughout - it would be impossible to produce these posts without your photographs. What did you think of the tour? What were your highlights? You can view all the Royal Tour coverage here. Earlier we mentioned Prince George celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. To mark the occasion Kensington Palace released a darling new photograph of the Prince, taken by Chris Jackson at KP last month. Chris is married to Kate's PA/Stylist Natasha Archer. The photographer wrote on Instagram "I'm thrilled and honoured that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen to release this portrait I took to celebrate Prince George's 4th Birthday. He is such a happy little boy and certainly injects some fun into a photoshoot!" The photo was released with the message "TRH are very pleased to share this lovely picture, and would like to thank everyone for all of the kind messages they have received". Kensington Palace It's a terrific photo of George, sending the little Prince the happiest of birthday wishes!

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

The Cambridges spent the final day of their royal tour of Poland and Germany in Hamburg. The Duke and Duchess travelled from Berlin to Hamburg via train this morning. They were warmly welcomed at Dammtor Railway Station. Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city, and home to its largest harbour. It is known for its strong links to the UK, which go back to the Hanseatic League in the 13th century. The first stop for the Duke and Duchess was the Maritime Museum on the bank of the river Elbe. The visit was planned to "celebrate" the joint UK-German year of science, which this year is focused on oceans. The couple briefly met members of the crowd. Welcome to #Hamburg! #Kate und #William kommen am Bahnhof Dammtor an. #RoyalVisitGermany #RoyalsInHH @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/CWv2H1vndN — Stefan Schneider (@Schneider_BILD) July 21, 2017 The museum houses a huge collection of model ships, construction plans, uniforms, and maritime art, amounting to over 40,000 items and more than one million photographs. It opened in a former warehouse in 2008. The private collection was started in 1934 by Peter Tamm - former chairman of the board of Axel Springer AG. Tamm said his interest was sparked when his mother presented him with his first model ship when he was six years old. The building is the oldest preserved warehouse in Hamburg, built between 1878 and 1879 by the architects Bernhard Georg Jacob Hanssen and Wilhelm Emil Meerwein. It was built with a supporting structure of wood and steel columns, the outer walls of bricks also supporting the building. It was designed in neo-Gothic style. More from the Museum's website: 'Three thousand years worth of maritime history are displayed on nine ‘decks’ with precious exhibits, model ships and paintings. There is an entire deck dedicated to marine research. At the beginning there was the ocean. Humans stood at the shore, ready to sail unto new horizons. From there the journey through three thousand years of seafaring history begins. Historical documents and sea charts reveal how the modern world-view has developed. Particularly valuable: a copy of the "Atlantis Majoris" from 1657, the first nautical atlas printed in the Netherlands. Hand painted crown compasses and shining, golden sextants lead into an era in which a keen eye and steady hand were required to determine the course. A signal station with Teletype machinery and signal codes demonstrates how seafarers communicated up until the twentieth century. Selected models show various strands of development in shipping: from Phoenician galley and Roman trireme to Viking dragon boats, from cog ships of the Hanseatic period and the explorer’s caravels to the last of the windjammers.' William and Kate viewed a model of Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, the former royal yacht of the Queen, in service from 1954 until 1997. In 1997, the Conservative government committed itself to replacing the Royal Yacht if re-elected, while the Labour Party refused to disclose its plans for the vessel. After Labour won the general election in May 1997, it announced the vessel was to be retired and no replacement would be built. The Queen wept openly at the moving decommissioning ceremony for Britannia. Embed from Getty Images The visit will have been of particular interest to the Duchess who revealed during a speech last week: "I have always been in awe of the sea." The Palace said Kate has a "particular interest in ocean ecology". The couple listened to a presentation. The museum houses a model of the Queen Mary II made entirely of lego. William and Kate made their way through Hamburg’s dockside warehouse quarter to the Elbphilharmonie. Opened in January 2017, the "Elphi" was built with the aim of creating a new city landmark. It is one of the biggest concert halls in the world and renowned for its advanced acoustics. They joined the orchestra on stage, before listening to a special performance by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. The audience was filled with children from all corners of the city, with the aim of inspiring a new generation to develop a passion for music and perhaps play at the venue in years to come. Kate conducted a few bars of Beethoven's 5th. Simon Vigar reports: Simon Vigar Twitter On the Elphi with the Mayor. The Duke and Duchess then departed by boat and travelled down the River Elbe to their final destination for this tour: Airbus. The scene on the River Elbe. The company’s base in Hamburg is home to production, maintenance and training facilities. The couple toured the complex and met apprentices, both German and English. The Duke and Duchess visited the final assembly line of an A320 aircraft and viewed the cockpit of a near-complete plane. One the final walkabout. William put a big smile on this little boy's face :) Then it was time for the Cambridges to head back to London. Charlotte took a tumble after stomping her feet when Kate took some papers away from her... ....mom Kate quickly caught her. William and Kate comforted her. The two-year-old was a little upset but quickly recovered. A handshake for the Princess. A video from Sky: Princess Charlotte is consoled by her mother after appearing to throw a tantrum while the royals are on tour pic.twitter.com/ANgRKf1nbD — Sky News (@SkyNews) July 21, 2017 George and Charlotte joined in to explore an EC145 helicopter - the same one William flies with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. George very much enjoyed taking a look around! I think someone might be following in his father's footsteps as a pilot in the future :) It's wonderful to see George in his element. The birthday boy celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. No doubt he's returning to a special party and plenty of presents. Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/6s5MvtBUUM — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 21, 2017 Kate opted for a vibrant pop of colour for the final day of the tour - wearing a lavender bespoke dress by Emilia Wickstead. The knee-length dress features long sleeves and a set-in waistband. The lavender shade is a favourite of Wickstead, featuring prominently in the designer's Fall 2015 Collection. Below the similar Esther Wool-Crepe Midi Dress, and currently available in a similar colour, the Live Cloque Midi Dress. Emilia Wickstead The Duchess embraced the colour-block trend by teaming the dress with a red clutch. Guilia identified it as the Anya Hindmarch Snakeskin Clutch with gold-tone hardware and tonal stitching throughout. Below, we see it in black. Anya Hindmarch Kate accessorised with her Kiki McDonough Lavender Amethyst Pear and Oval Drop Earrings. Kate debuted the pair in Bhutan last year - they are stunning and work perfectly with the dress. Kiki McDonough Kate wore her Gianvito Rossi praline pumps again. Net-A-Porter And that brings the tour to a close. I want to thank all of you who followed the tour on the blog with us; I am immensely thankful for all the kind and supportive comments you left. One of the most enjoyable aspects is hearing your thoughts. There was, as one expects with a tour, an influx of new posters (welcome!), and with that I would like to encourage everyone to continue posting using a moniker, as it adds greatly to the quality of conversation. And the most important rule for the comments section: please be respectful to each other. I enjoyed the tour and thought it encompassed some lovely moments. William and Kate meeting the public, including several readers, was a wonderful experience for them, a focus on history and the visit to Stutthof in particular was the stand out moment of the tour for me. We saw the Duchess opting for a mix of favoured and new designers as she continues to achieve sartorial diplomacy. There's been an increase in bespoke pieces on tours in recent years and less high street choices. It was great seeing George and Charlotte too; it's always a treat to catch glimpses of them growing up and their personalities. We'll look at Kate's wardrobe in depth next week during our Post Tour Polls. Finally, a big thank you to photographers James Whatling, Andrew Parsons, Stephen Lock and all who worked on the Pool Rota throughout - it would be impossible to produce these posts without your photographs. What did you think of the tour? What were your highlights? You can view all the Royal Tour coverage here. Earlier we mentioned Prince George celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. To mark the occasion Kensington Palace released a darling new photograph of the Prince, taken by Chris Jackson at KP last month. Chris is married to Kate's PA/Stylist Natasha Archer. The photographer wrote on Instagram "I'm thrilled and honoured that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen to release this portrait I took to celebrate Prince George's 4th Birthday. He is such a happy little boy and certainly injects some fun into a photoshoot!" The photo was released with the message "TRH are very pleased to share this lovely picture, and would like to thank everyone for all of the kind messages they have received". Kensington Palace It's a terrific photo of George, sending the little Prince the happiest of birthday wishes!

The Cambridges spent the final day of their royal tour of Poland and Germany in Hamburg. The Duke and Duchess travelled from Berlin to Hamburg via train this morning. They were warmly welcomed at Dammtor Railway Station. Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city, and home to its largest harbour. It is known for its strong links to the UK, which go back to the Hanseatic League in the 13th century. The first stop for the Duke and Duchess was the Maritime Museum on the bank of the river Elbe. The visit was planned to "celebrate" the joint UK-German year of science, which this year is focused on oceans. The couple briefly met members of the crowd. Welcome to #Hamburg! #Kate und #William kommen am Bahnhof Dammtor an. #RoyalVisitGermany #RoyalsInHH @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/CWv2H1vndN — Stefan Schneider (@Schneider_BILD) July 21, 2017 The museum houses a huge collection of model ships, construction plans, uniforms, and maritime art, amounting to over 40,000 items and more than one million photographs. It opened in a former warehouse in 2008. The private collection was started in 1934 by Peter Tamm - former chairman of the board of Axel Springer AG. Tamm said his interest was sparked when his mother presented him with his first model ship when he was six years old. The building is the oldest preserved warehouse in Hamburg, built between 1878 and 1879 by the architects Bernhard Georg Jacob Hanssen and Wilhelm Emil Meerwein. It was built with a supporting structure of wood and steel columns, the outer walls of bricks also supporting the building. It was designed in neo-Gothic style. More from the Museum's website: 'Three thousand years worth of maritime history are displayed on nine ‘decks’ with precious exhibits, model ships and paintings. There is an entire deck dedicated to marine research. At the beginning there was the ocean. Humans stood at the shore, ready to sail unto new horizons. From there the journey through three thousand years of seafaring history begins. Historical documents and sea charts reveal how the modern world-view has developed. Particularly valuable: a copy of the "Atlantis Majoris" from 1657, the first nautical atlas printed in the Netherlands. Hand painted crown compasses and shining, golden sextants lead into an era in which a keen eye and steady hand were required to determine the course. A signal station with Teletype machinery and signal codes demonstrates how seafarers communicated up until the twentieth century. Selected models show various strands of development in shipping: from Phoenician galley and Roman trireme to Viking dragon boats, from cog ships of the Hanseatic period and the explorer’s caravels to the last of the windjammers.' William and Kate viewed a model of Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, the former royal yacht of the Queen, in service from 1954 until 1997. In 1997, the Conservative government committed itself to replacing the Royal Yacht if re-elected, while the Labour Party refused to disclose its plans for the vessel. After Labour won the general election in May 1997, it announced the vessel was to be retired and no replacement would be built. The Queen wept openly at the moving decommissioning ceremony for Britannia. Embed from Getty Images The visit will have been of particular interest to the Duchess who revealed during a speech last week: "I have always been in awe of the sea." The Palace said Kate has a "particular interest in ocean ecology". The couple listened to a presentation. The museum houses a model of the Queen Mary II made entirely of lego. William and Kate made their way through Hamburg’s dockside warehouse quarter to the Elbphilharmonie. Opened in January 2017, the "Elphi" was built with the aim of creating a new city landmark. It is one of the biggest concert halls in the world and renowned for its advanced acoustics. They joined the orchestra on stage, before listening to a special performance by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. The audience was filled with children from all corners of the city, with the aim of inspiring a new generation to develop a passion for music and perhaps play at the venue in years to come. Kate conducted a few bars of Beethoven's 5th. Simon Vigar reports: Simon Vigar Twitter On the Elphi with the Mayor. The Duke and Duchess then departed by boat and travelled down the River Elbe to their final destination for this tour: Airbus. The scene on the River Elbe. The company’s base in Hamburg is home to production, maintenance and training facilities. The couple toured the complex and met apprentices, both German and English. The Duke and Duchess visited the final assembly line of an A320 aircraft and viewed the cockpit of a near-complete plane. One the final walkabout. William put a big smile on this little boy's face :) Then it was time for the Cambridges to head back to London. Charlotte took a tumble after stomping her feet when Kate took some papers away from her... ....mom Kate quickly caught her. William and Kate comforted her. The two-year-old was a little upset but quickly recovered. A handshake for the Princess. A video from Sky: Princess Charlotte is consoled by her mother after appearing to throw a tantrum while the royals are on tour pic.twitter.com/ANgRKf1nbD — Sky News (@SkyNews) July 21, 2017 George and Charlotte joined in to explore an EC145 helicopter - the same one William flies with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. George very much enjoyed taking a look around! I think someone might be following in his father's footsteps as a pilot in the future :) It's wonderful to see George in his element. The birthday boy celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. No doubt he's returning to a special party and plenty of presents. Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/6s5MvtBUUM — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 21, 2017 Kate opted for a vibrant pop of colour for the final day of the tour - wearing a lavender bespoke dress by Emilia Wickstead. The knee-length dress features long sleeves and a set-in waistband. The lavender shade is a favourite of Wickstead, featuring prominently in the designer's Fall 2015 Collection. Below the similar Esther Wool-Crepe Midi Dress, and currently available in a similar colour, the Live Cloque Midi Dress. Emilia Wickstead The Duchess embraced the colour-block trend by teaming the dress with a red clutch. Guilia identified it as the Anya Hindmarch Snakeskin Clutch with gold-tone hardware and tonal stitching throughout. Below, we see it in black. Anya Hindmarch Kate accessorised with her Kiki McDonough Lavender Amethyst Pear and Oval Drop Earrings. Kate debuted the pair in Bhutan last year - they are stunning and work perfectly with the dress. Kiki McDonough Kate wore her Gianvito Rossi praline pumps again. Net-A-Porter And that brings the tour to a close. I want to thank all of you who followed the tour on the blog with us; I am immensely thankful for all the kind and supportive comments you left. One of the most enjoyable aspects is hearing your thoughts. There was, as one expects with a tour, an influx of new posters (welcome!), and with that I would like to encourage everyone to continue posting using a moniker, as it adds greatly to the quality of conversation. And the most important rule for the comments section: please be respectful to each other. I enjoyed the tour and thought it encompassed some lovely moments. William and Kate meeting the public, including several readers, was a wonderful experience for them, a focus on history and the visit to Stutthof in particular was the stand out moment of the tour for me. We saw the Duchess opting for a mix of favoured and new designers as she continues to achieve sartorial diplomacy. There's been an increase in bespoke pieces on tours in recent years and less high street choices. It was great seeing George and Charlotte too; it's always a treat to catch glimpses of them growing up and their personalities. We'll look at Kate's wardrobe in depth next week during our Post Tour Polls. Finally, a big thank you to photographers James Whatling, Andrew Parsons, Stephen Lock and all who worked on the Pool Rota throughout - it would be impossible to produce these posts without your photographs. What did you think of the tour? What were your highlights? You can view all the Royal Tour coverage here. Earlier we mentioned Prince George celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. To mark the occasion Kensington Palace released a darling new photograph of the Prince, taken by Chris Jackson at KP last month. Chris is married to Kate's PA/Stylist Natasha Archer. The photographer wrote on Instagram "I'm thrilled and honoured that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen to release this portrait I took to celebrate Prince George's 4th Birthday. He is such a happy little boy and certainly injects some fun into a photoshoot!" The photo was released with the message "TRH are very pleased to share this lovely picture, and would like to thank everyone for all of the kind messages they have received". Kensington Palace It's a terrific photo of George, sending the little Prince the happiest of birthday wishes!

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

The Cambridges spent the final day of their royal tour of Poland and Germany in Hamburg. The Duke and Duchess travelled from Berlin to Hamburg via train this morning. They were warmly welcomed at Dammtor Railway Station. Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city, and home to its largest harbour. It is known for its strong links to the UK, which go back to the Hanseatic League in the 13th century. The first stop for the Duke and Duchess was the Maritime Museum on the bank of the river Elbe. The visit was planned to "celebrate" the joint UK-German year of science, which this year is focused on oceans. The couple briefly met members of the crowd. Welcome to #Hamburg! #Kate und #William kommen am Bahnhof Dammtor an. #RoyalVisitGermany #RoyalsInHH @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/CWv2H1vndN — Stefan Schneider (@Schneider_BILD) July 21, 2017 The museum houses a huge collection of model ships, construction plans, uniforms, and maritime art, amounting to over 40,000 items and more than one million photographs. It opened in a former warehouse in 2008. The private collection was started in 1934 by Peter Tamm - former chairman of the board of Axel Springer AG. Tamm said his interest was sparked when his mother presented him with his first model ship when he was six years old. The building is the oldest preserved warehouse in Hamburg, built between 1878 and 1879 by the architects Bernhard Georg Jacob Hanssen and Wilhelm Emil Meerwein. It was built with a supporting structure of wood and steel columns, the outer walls of bricks also supporting the building. It was designed in neo-Gothic style. More from the Museum's website: 'Three thousand years worth of maritime history are displayed on nine ‘decks’ with precious exhibits, model ships and paintings. There is an entire deck dedicated to marine research. At the beginning there was the ocean. Humans stood at the shore, ready to sail unto new horizons. From there the journey through three thousand years of seafaring history begins. Historical documents and sea charts reveal how the modern world-view has developed. Particularly valuable: a copy of the "Atlantis Majoris" from 1657, the first nautical atlas printed in the Netherlands. Hand painted crown compasses and shining, golden sextants lead into an era in which a keen eye and steady hand were required to determine the course. A signal station with Teletype machinery and signal codes demonstrates how seafarers communicated up until the twentieth century. Selected models show various strands of development in shipping: from Phoenician galley and Roman trireme to Viking dragon boats, from cog ships of the Hanseatic period and the explorer’s caravels to the last of the windjammers.' William and Kate viewed a model of Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, the former royal yacht of the Queen, in service from 1954 until 1997. In 1997, the Conservative government committed itself to replacing the Royal Yacht if re-elected, while the Labour Party refused to disclose its plans for the vessel. After Labour won the general election in May 1997, it announced the vessel was to be retired and no replacement would be built. The Queen wept openly at the moving decommissioning ceremony for Britannia. Embed from Getty Images The visit will have been of particular interest to the Duchess who revealed during a speech last week: "I have always been in awe of the sea." The Palace said Kate has a "particular interest in ocean ecology". The couple listened to a presentation. The museum houses a model of the Queen Mary II made entirely of lego. William and Kate made their way through Hamburg’s dockside warehouse quarter to the Elbphilharmonie. Opened in January 2017, the "Elphi" was built with the aim of creating a new city landmark. It is one of the biggest concert halls in the world and renowned for its advanced acoustics. They joined the orchestra on stage, before listening to a special performance by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. The audience was filled with children from all corners of the city, with the aim of inspiring a new generation to develop a passion for music and perhaps play at the venue in years to come. Kate conducted a few bars of Beethoven's 5th. Simon Vigar reports: Simon Vigar Twitter On the Elphi with the Mayor. The Duke and Duchess then departed by boat and travelled down the River Elbe to their final destination for this tour: Airbus. The scene on the River Elbe. The company’s base in Hamburg is home to production, maintenance and training facilities. The couple toured the complex and met apprentices, both German and English. The Duke and Duchess visited the final assembly line of an A320 aircraft and viewed the cockpit of a near-complete plane. One the final walkabout. William put a big smile on this little boy's face :) Then it was time for the Cambridges to head back to London. Charlotte took a tumble after stomping her feet when Kate took some papers away from her... ....mom Kate quickly caught her. William and Kate comforted her. The two-year-old was a little upset but quickly recovered. A handshake for the Princess. A video from Sky: Princess Charlotte is consoled by her mother after appearing to throw a tantrum while the royals are on tour pic.twitter.com/ANgRKf1nbD — Sky News (@SkyNews) July 21, 2017 George and Charlotte joined in to explore an EC145 helicopter - the same one William flies with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. George very much enjoyed taking a look around! I think someone might be following in his father's footsteps as a pilot in the future :) It's wonderful to see George in his element. The birthday boy celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. No doubt he's returning to a special party and plenty of presents. Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Goodbye Germany! 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/6s5MvtBUUM — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 21, 2017 Kate opted for a vibrant pop of colour for the final day of the tour - wearing a lavender bespoke dress by Emilia Wickstead. The knee-length dress features long sleeves and a set-in waistband. The lavender shade is a favourite of Wickstead, featuring prominently in the designer's Fall 2015 Collection. Below the similar Esther Wool-Crepe Midi Dress, and currently available in a similar colour, the Live Cloque Midi Dress. Emilia Wickstead The Duchess embraced the colour-block trend by teaming the dress with a red clutch. Guilia identified it as the Anya Hindmarch Snakeskin Clutch with gold-tone hardware and tonal stitching throughout. Below, we see it in black. Anya Hindmarch Kate accessorised with her Kiki McDonough Lavender Amethyst Pear and Oval Drop Earrings. Kate debuted the pair in Bhutan last year - they are stunning and work perfectly with the dress. Kiki McDonough Kate wore her Gianvito Rossi praline pumps again. Net-A-Porter And that brings the tour to a close. I want to thank all of you who followed the tour on the blog with us; I am immensely thankful for all the kind and supportive comments you left. One of the most enjoyable aspects is hearing your thoughts. There was, as one expects with a tour, an influx of new posters (welcome!), and with that I would like to encourage everyone to continue posting using a moniker, as it adds greatly to the quality of conversation. And the most important rule for the comments section: please be respectful to each other. I enjoyed the tour and thought it encompassed some lovely moments. William and Kate meeting the public, including several readers, was a wonderful experience for them, a focus on history and the visit to Stutthof in particular was the stand out moment of the tour for me. We saw the Duchess opting for a mix of favoured and new designers as she continues to achieve sartorial diplomacy. There's been an increase in bespoke pieces on tours in recent years and less high street choices. It was great seeing George and Charlotte too; it's always a treat to catch glimpses of them growing up and their personalities. We'll look at Kate's wardrobe in depth next week during our Post Tour Polls. Finally, a big thank you to photographers James Whatling, Andrew Parsons, Stephen Lock and all who worked on the Pool Rota throughout - it would be impossible to produce these posts without your photographs. What did you think of the tour? What were your highlights? You can view all the Royal Tour coverage here. Earlier we mentioned Prince George celebrates his fourth birthday tomorrow. To mark the occasion Kensington Palace released a darling new photograph of the Prince, taken by Chris Jackson at KP last month. Chris is married to Kate's PA/Stylist Natasha Archer. The photographer wrote on Instagram "I'm thrilled and honoured that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen to release this portrait I took to celebrate Prince George's 4th Birthday. He is such a happy little boy and certainly injects some fun into a photoshoot!" The photo was released with the message "TRH are very pleased to share this lovely picture, and would like to thank everyone for all of the kind messages they have received". Kensington Palace It's a terrific photo of George, sending the little Prince the happiest of birthday wishes!

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

April marked a particularly special month of celebrations for the Cambridge family. Within the space of a week the couple welcomed their third child, Prince Louis, and marked their seventh wedding anniversary. Since the arrival of Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana in 2015, the 2nd of May has taken on a new significance in their daughter's birthday. For royal fans, it's always a treat to see the release of portraits to mark the occasion. This year, William and Kate elected not to share a new image of their daughter to commemorate the day. It's the first time since George and Charlotte were born that we haven't seen a new photo released by the Palace. I understand the decision was made because we saw Charlotte at the Lindo Wing and new photos of the Princess will be shared with the public at Harry and Meghan's wedding and Trooping The Colour in June. The Palace posted a tweet wishing Charlotte a happy birthday and thanking those who sent good wishes this morning. Hello! reports: 'The reason for this is likely rooted in William and Kate's determination not to overexpose their children at such a young age, with special consideration given to the fact that this is such a busy year for the royal family, and therefore the little Cambridges. William and Kate go to great lengths to secure privacy for their children, and the annual release of birthday photographs has been a clever way to satiate the public's desire to see the young royals as they grow up. However, given that George and Charlotte made a very rare public appearance just last week, as they arrived at the Lindo Wing to meet new baby brother Prince Louis, the need to release a new birthday image of Charlotte this year has been somewhat negated. What's more, it's highly likely we will soon be treated to a new family photo to celebrate the birth of Prince Louis – with George and Charlotte almost certain to feature. To celebrate Charlotte's arrival in May 2015, William and Kate shared a series of photos taken by the Duchess herself, showing George cradling his new baby sister – and the first family photos of Prince Louis are likely to follow a similar pattern.' As Charlotte bids farewell to two and say hello to three, it's been quite a year since her 2nd official birthday photo was released. Last May, the Princess played a very special part as bridesmaid at the Berkshire wedding of her aunt Pippa Middleton and James Matthews. In less than three weeks, Charlotte is expected to take on the starring role once again for Uncle Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle at Windsor. As part of the ongoing Heads Together campaign, Prince William was interviewed by Alastair Campbell for British GQ. The spread featured a new black and white photograph of the Cambridges relaxing at Kensington Palace as they watch George, Charlotte and Lupo play. In June, Charlotte made her second Trooping The Colour appearance. A peek at the crowds. These royal events can be exhausting... In July, George and Charlotte accompanied their parents during the Poland and Germany tour. Hello Berlin! The Princess received a matching bouquet to match her mother's. The departure wasn't entirely smooth sailing. Charlotte took a tumble... Back in Kate's arms, it wasn't long until the resilient toddler was smiling again. The 2017 Cambridge Christmas Card. We saw a wonderful shot of Charlotte arriving at Gan-Gan's, better known as the Queen, for the annual pre-Christmas luncheon. On 8 January, Princess Charlotte marked an important milestone - attending her first day at Willcocks Nursery School. The adorable images were taken by Kate at Kensington Palace before she and William dropped their daughter off for her first day. They are gorgeous shots and captured Charlotte's personality wonderfully. The Princess looked cute as a button in her burgundy coat and shoes. Charlotte has been attending Willcocks on a full-time basis since - morning classes run five days per week, with afternoon classes held on three days. On 23 April, Charlotte got the best early birthday present she could have hoped for in the form of a little brother. William brought George and Charlotte to meet the new arrival. There is the most adorable video of Charlotte exiting the car and straightening her little dress. She's already quite the little lady :) Vous la voulez, la voilà. William, George et Charlotte (côté public) en arrivant lundi à St Mary's. (via krisvirdias instagram) #RoyalBaby pic.twitter.com/zk1MJqivrk — RoyalSourceFR (@RoyalSourceFR) April 27, 2018 Charlotte was full of personality and appeared to take the media attention in her stride. A very regal wave from the Princess. Wishing the Princess the happiest of birthdays! ************ We also have an update on Prince Louis! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have formally registered the birth of Prince Louis. Yesterday morning, Prince William signed the birth register at Kensington Palace, witnessed by a Registrar from Westminster Register Office. A short time later, the birth certificate for His Royal Highness Prince Louis Arthur Charles was released. The document lists William and Kate's occupations as 'Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom'. The Queen was spotted arriving by helicopter at Kensington Palace yesterday; it's safe to say she met her great-grandson Louis during the visit. Her Majesty, wearing a tweed skirt, pink jumper and headscarf, was pictured clutching a small posy of flowers as she made her way to the Palace. I imagine they were a gift for Charlotte's birthday. More from the Mail Online: 'The Queen – dressed in headscarf, tweed skirt, pink cashmere jumper and sensible lace-up shoes, and carrying her Launer handbag – laughed and joked with police protection officers. Walking unaided, she glanced towards the growing crowd and smiled before she was driven, a blanket on her knees, in her official Range Rover the short distance to William and Kate’s apartment. Although she was there to meet Louis, her visit would no doubt have gone down well with her other great-grandchildren, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who both adore her. George, four, memorably named her ‘Gan Gan’. No doubt Gan Gan also had a present for Princess Charlotte, who celebrates her third birthday today. The Queen had been staying at Windsor Castle with Prince Philip, who is recuperating from a hip replacement, when Prince Louis of Cambridge was born on Monday last week. She was one of the first people William, 36, telephoned with the news that his third child had been delivered safely, but until yesterday afternoon he and Kate had not had the chance to introduce him to her. It was decided that they would wait until the Queen returned to London for the start of her working week. Chris Ship believes the Duchess of Cornwall met Louis yesterday and Hello reports Prince Charles will meet Louis for the first time today: 'Prince Charles has flown into London to meet his new baby grandson Prince Louis for the very first time. He is understood to have chosen the date specifically so he can also see his granddaughter Princess Charlotte as she celebrates her birthday. Charles will enjoy some precious hours getting to know William and Kate's newborn son at their Kensington Palace home, where little Louis is being cared for by his parents. He is expected to wait to see Charlotte when she finishes nursery, in celebration of the little girl turning three, and is likely to also take the opportunity to see his eldest grandchild, Prince George, once the school day comes to an end.' ************ Finally, we have a timely giveaway to share. To celebrate the birth of Prince Louis, Claudia Bradby Jewellery has launched a new, personalisable pendant to celebrate the occasion. The £95 Mother & Child pendant features their solid silver ‘Kate’ nugget alongside a baby cultured pearl charm in a choice of white, pink or silver pearl colours. Additional pearl charms can be added to represent the wearer’s own family and loved ones. You can view the collection of charms here. The silver nugget used in the pendant is the same charm that was designed by Claudia in collaboration with Kate Middleton, as she then was, while she was working for the fashion brand Jigsaw. Claudia added: " It seemed fitting that, ten-years on from the original design, we use the same nugget in this necklace, timed to coincide with this happy event. We’ve been delighted to note that Kate and her sister, Pippa, have been spotted wearing a number of pieces from our collections in the years since." Below, the Kate Silver and Rose Quartz earrings and matching necklace Kate designed with Claudia. Kate wearing Claudia's much loved Camellia Necklace. More from Claudia's team: As well as their past collaboration, Claudia has a personal association with the Duchess of Cambridge. During her husband, Tom Bradby’s, time as royal correspondent for ITV she was able to get to know Kate personally and was a guest at William and Kate’s wedding. This connection made it natural for Claudia to want to celebrate this happy event in the life of the royal couple, by designing a piece with a special sentiment that would make a meaningful gift for all mothers. “As a mother of three myself, I was so happy for William and Kate when they announced that she was expecting again and wanted to mark it in some way,” explains Claudia. “There is nothing as meaningful to a mother as a gift that reminds her of her children and the customisable element of this necklace means that it can have special significance for all mums, and can be added to as a family grows. The shared history behind the design makes it all the more special.” Claudia and Tom arriving for Pippa and James Matthews wedding last year. Embed from Getty Images To enter the competition, simply leave a comment on this post, I'll choose a winner randomly over the weekend. To view the Mother and Child necklace collection please click here.

The life and style of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, including coverage of events, engagements, fashion, and everything else besides.

This recipe for the Perfect Oven Pot Roast, in fact, is the perfect meal. The meat is slow cooked in the oven with carrots and onions until the meat is fall-apart-tender and the carrots are tender crisp.