It’s Ralph Lauren, Johnstons of Elgin, and Boden for Scotland Visit Day Two – What Kate Wore

The Princess of Wales returned to casual designs for the second day of a visit to Scotland.

The Prince and Princess started their day with a trip to the Ardura Community Forest.

The Mull and Iona Community Trust notes the forest is “…a place for gentle recreation, experiencing nature, finding solace and reflecting on cultural and personal links to our ancestors who used the forest before us. In a small and remote community, where indoor leisure facilities are limited, the forest provides a much-needed space for islanders to meet and socialise. For children and their families to play and learn together, connecting with each other to reduce loneliness and boost wellbeing.”   

The couple met Countryside Rangers from the Mull and Iona Ranger Service. A Kensington Palace news release reports: “The Mull and Iona Ranger Service plays a vital role in conservation, biodiversity protection, visitor management and education on the islands. Countryside Rangers lead guided events for visitors and the resident community – regularly partnering with local primary schools to ensure that every child on the islands has the opportunity to experience the beautiful natural environment around them.” Below, the couple with an unidentified woman and Moray Finch (right), the Mull and Iona Community Trust general manager.

We learn more from The Telegraph’s story by Hannah Furness. 

Work, now partially funded by a donation from the Royal Foundation, is underway to protect and restore the forest and its vulnerable wildlife, which includes marsh fritillary butterflies, pine martens, hen harriers, otters, eagles and the very rare hazel glove fungus.

The Royal Foundation and United For Wildlife will now be funding two rangers in the forest. 

The Prince and Princess also met members of the Ardura Acorns, an early years outdoor learning play group. Here you see her with Briar Garlick, age three.

We return to The Telegraph story. 

One mother wished her a happy anniversary, and asked her whether they had enjoyed their time on Mull.

“It’s an amazing place to be on our anniversary,” the Princess replied.

The Acorns’ activities include following nature trails, building dens, storytelling, and tracking animals. 

More from The Daily Mirror’s article by Russell Myers. 

The Princess of Wales has spoken of the need for children to “get outdoors as much as they can” on the second day of a visit to a remote forest on the Isle of Mull. 

Meeting a group of excited children after being presented with a miniature bouquet of flowers by one toddler, Kate, 43, spoke to locals about the benefits of being out in nature amidst the stunning surrounding. The future queen added: “It’s the small things that are important.”

Back to The Daily Mirror piece. 

“What an amazing set up”, the princess enthused. “We are very lucky with the weather, it’s a very nice day for it”, remarked the prince. Kate chatted about studies which have long shown the benefits of the natural world on mental and well as physical health, issued which have been close to her heart since being diagnosed with cancer last February. 

One more portion of The Daily Mirror story. 

The couple then set out chatting to all the families, the princess hunkering down on her heels to have a look at a pretend pair of binoculars made out of two toilet rolls that were being held by one toddler. 

Sally MacColl was at the event with her daughter Rosie-May, four, and has run the Tobermory Fish Company producing smoked salmon and trout since 2011. It was set up by her grandparents 50 years ago. She said: “When I heard they were coming I sent some smoked trout to the princess and when I met her yesterday she told me she had tried it and loved it. I am very passionate about championing the Mull larder we have here.

“We come to Ardura Acorns every week, come rain or shine. We pay a small donation and the children get to forage and do scavenger hunts. It’s lovely to get them outdoors and we have this beautiful world on our doorstep. We are so lucky.”

The UK’s Forest Stewardship Council notes, “The forest covers 200 hectares, comprising rare Atlantic rainforest, which is as internationally important as tropical rainforest but even more unique due to the globally rare fungi, lichen and plant species. ” 

Prince William noted that “For a family, you really couldn’t get any better than this.”

More from this East Lothian Courier story. 

Kate crouched down to speak to some of the children learning about their environment through simple tasks such as gathering flowers, and she later played with the youngsters by the neighbouring River Lussa, as they threw sticks into the water.

Jan Dunlop from the Mull and Iona Ranger Service hosted much of the visit, and she said later about the couple: “I think they loved it, I think they really did. Catherine would have stayed all day and you could see when she got to the water, that was it.”

Following the forest engagement, the Prince and Princess visited Pennyghael Community Hall, a location receiving a grant from the Royal Foundation’s Community Impact Programme. 

A Kensington Palace social media post said, “Proud to support the renovation here at Pennyghael Community Hall through The Royal Foundation’s Community Impact Programme, helping refresh a welcoming space for families, locals, and visitors alike.”

The social media post describes the hall as “a space rooted in heritage and powered by community.”

A Hello article reports, “Its indoor communal spaces will be renovated and vital roof repairs will take place to future-proof the building – ensuring that it continues to be utilised for generations to come.”

After their stop at the hall, the royals then headed to Fionnphort.

They were there to catch the CalMac ferry to the Isle of Iona. The population of Iona is roughly 130, but the Isle receives about 130,000 visitors every year.

Cameron Walker of GBNews shared a video of the couple speaking with staff operating the ferry. 

More from The Standard’s story.

After greeting the well-wishers who lined the pier, the couple spoke with ferry staff, asking them about the challenges of running services, particularly in bad weather. 

Mull port manager Carrie-Anne Clark was one of those who spoke with the royal couple, and described their visit as “lovely”. “It’s been such a lovely day, and to see everyone out lining the pier here to see them, it’s been lovely,” the 36-year-old said.

A Kensington Palace news release notes, “The three ferry routes between the mainland and Mull all carry vehicles and foot passengers; however, the one route between the Isle of Iona and Mull permits vehicles for local residents only.” 

The couple speaking with crew on the ferry’s bridge.In this image, you can see the vessel as it is about to dock at Iona. 
Embed from Getty Images

Vehicular access on the island is limited as there isn’t enough space or infrastructure to deal with a large number of cars or other motorized vehicles.

The BBC reports that when the couple arrived, and “…hopped off the ferry, there was time for a quick photograph with comedian, broadcaster and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax, who now spends much of her time on Iona.” Below, the royals with Ms. Wax.

This is from a Daily Mail piece. 

[Ms. Wax] revealed that she was on a ‘silent retreat’ to the island.

She said: ‘I’ve met him before, I think it’s funny because I am on a retreat here. And i thought ‘why are they interrupting my silent retreat’? [but] You can break the silent retreat for this. So it was thrilling . I didn’t realise he was so good-looking. He looks like his mother. ‘

While on Iona, the couple visited the historic Iona Abbey and Nunnery. 

We learn more about the Benedictine Abbey via Historic Environment Scotland.

Take the foot ferry to Iona and step off onto one of Scotland’s most sacred sites.

Around 1200, the sons of Somerled – ‘King of the Isles’ – founded a Benedictine abbey here. Pilgrimage to St Columba’s Shrine continued to thrive, though monastic life on Iona ended with the Protestant Reformation of 1560.

It’s thought that the world famous Book of Kells was made here, along with other great works of art. Iona’s Abbey Museum houses Scotland’s finest collection of early medieval carved stones and crosses.

We return to the East Lothian Courier story. 

When they boarded the vessel for the short journey to Iona the couple spoke about the “fantastic” time they had on the Isle of Mull where they had spent much of their two-day visit and celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary.

The couple spent more than two hours on the Isle of Iona. 

Here you see the Princess doing some shopping at a gift shop.

UPDATE: With thanks to Susan for her comment, it looks like the Princess was at the Iona Craft Shop in the photo shown above. Susan notes in her comment, “I just ordered a hat from the shop to ship to the US and it arrived within a week – they also have lovely sweaters!” The shop’s sweaters do look terrific!

The couple spent time meeting residents at a reception. 

The get-together was held at the village hall. 

Kensington Palace shared a few posts as the couple’s visit wrapped up and they headed back to Windsor. Here is the first. 

And here is the second. 

And now for our look at what Kate wore today.

The Princess was in a design by Ralph Lauren Collection, the brand’s Schmitt Blazer ($2600) in a nubby blend of herringbone silk and linen. The style is based on classic utility jackets, with shoulder epaulets, notched lapels, chest and hip flap pockets, an interior drawstring cord at the waist, and a double back vent.

I show the jacket at Harrods; it is also available in limited sizes at Net-a-Porter, as well as at Saks, and at Farfetch. Here is a closer look at some of the details.

Thanks to Middleton Maven for making this ID yesterday when she saw the couple’s social media post after their day on the Isle of Mull.

Beneath the jacket, the Princess wore a new sweater by Johnstons of Elgin, the heritage brand offering designs made in Scotland.

The Classic Cashmere V-Neck ($585) is 100% cashmere, with a loose fit and ribbing at the neck and cuffs. Thank you to Middleton Maven for also making this ID!

The Princess sported a shirt we’ve not seen before in one of her favorite fabrics, Broderie Anglaise, also known as eyelet. While the top initially looked like the Mabel Shirt by MiH Jeans worn at the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show, that piece has three-quarter-length sleeves, and the shirt worn today has full-length sleeves. It turns out the garment is a past-season Boden design, the brand’s Broderie Frill Cotton Shirt ($60, most recent price, now sold out). The piece is 100% cotton with polyester used for the embroidery, with a loose fit described as a “swing shape.”

The shirt has a front half-placket, bluson sleeves, and two-button cuffs. It is a trifecta for Middleton Maven today, as she also identified this garment. I have added some repliKates for this item to consider here.

We saw the return of the GSTAR Ultra-High Waist Kafey Cargo Pants ($70, other colors available here).

The Princess repeated her See by Chloé boots.

The Princess brought back her Spells of Love Removable Teardrop Garnet Charm Hoops (£89, about $118) in sterling silver with 18K gold vermeil and ethically sourced garnets. She also repeated the Daniella Draper necklaces seen yesterday: her Trio Diamond Midnight Moon Necklace ($1800) personalized with George, Charlotte, and Louis’s initials, and her Gold Fixed Alphabet Necklace ($500), also with the children’s initials.

VIDEOS: 

ITN’s Royal Family Channel offers almost three minutes of coverage from the forest visit. 

 And they have almost two minutes of coverage from the ferry and Iona engagements.