Below The Knee: Queen Tells Kate Middleton To Cover Up Knees On Australian Tour

Down Under (The Knee): Kate Told To Cover Up On Australian Tour

Kate_Middleton_knees

by Julia Fernandez |
Published on

As lovely as the Duchess of Cambridge looks, we've never had her down as a fashion rule breaker, but apparently the royal style icon's love of short hemlines has some opposition from the Queen. The Daily Mail reports that under the guidance of the British monarch, Kate is set to unveil a regal wardrobe for her Australian tour in April, which includes couture pieces that fall below the knee and jewels befitting a princess.

In the past the 32-year-old has worn high street brands from Topshop to Reiss, garnering her a reputation as a thrifty fashionista, as well as a loyal following of women wanting to replicate her look. Now Kate is set to ditch the flirty frocks, in favour of British designers, including Alexander McQueen and Alice Temperley who have been asked to create bespoke pieces for the formal engagements she will attend Down Under.

With up to four outfit changes a day over the three and a half week visit Kate will have her work cut out to look the part of a princess 24 / 7. Luckily help is at hand from the Queen's personal dresser Angela Kelly, who has been deployed to help the mother-of-one prepare for her Australian travels by utilising her knowledge of her employer's collection of jewels to kit Kate out with a dazzling selection of tiaras and gemstones.

Fit for a (grown-up) princess? Alexander McQueen coat, Temperley London skirt and dress by Australian designer duo Camilla and Marc

A palace source told the Mail, "Angela has been asked to start selecting jewels ahead of the trip. 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."

We imagine the Queen will have her eyes peeled for any wardrobe malfunctions, which are apparently the main reason why Kate has been cautioned to adopt a more grown-up image. No one could forget the brunette's Marilyn moment that occurred at Calgary airport in 2011 when a gust of wind whipped up her Jenny Packham summer dress. With fitted couture pieces there is opportunity for a fashion fail.

Designer David Emanuel who has worked with the Duchess on previous royal tours explained, "It takes weeks of research and Kate is going to need quality couture for the trip. She will be travelling in a warm climate and she will need quality-cut clothes. She really needs a full-time member of staff to help with her wardrobe. It’s not just the frock, it’s the whole thing – shoes, clutch, accessories. A superstar would take an entire personal entourage to look after them. There’s no room for a fashion faux pas."

Take a look at Kate's previous style successes in the gallery below...

Gallery

Kate Middleton Style - Best Dresses & Outfits

1 Kate Middleton style green coat1 of 29

1 Kate Middleton style green coat

2 Kate Middleton style wimbledon 2014 dress2 of 29

2 Kate Middleton style wimbledon 2014 dress

Kate Middleton at the mens singles final of the Wimbledon Championships - July 6, 2014

3 Kate Middleton style pink dress3 of 29

3 Kate Middleton style pink dress

Kate Middleton visits an M-PACT Plus Counselling programme - July 1, 2014

4 Kate Middleton style anzac day coat4 of 29

4 Kate Middleton style anzac day coat

Kate Middleton at the ANZAC Day commemorative service - April 25, 2014

5 Kate Middleton style d day blue coat5 of 29

5 Kate Middleton style d day blue coat

Kate Middleton at a service during the D-Day 70 Commemorations - June 6, 2014

5 Kate Middleton style military outfit6 of 29

5 Kate Middleton style military outfit

Kate Middleton during an official visit to Bletchley Park - June 18, 2014

6 Kate Middleton style prince george jeans7 of 29

6 Kate Middleton style prince george jeans

Kate Middleton and Prince George of Cambridge at the Royal Charity Polo - June 15, 2014

7 Kate Middleton style white black dress8 of 29

7 Kate Middleton style white black dress

Kate Middleton at the Ben Ainslie Racing America's Cup Launch Event - June 10, 2014

8 Kate Middleton style jonathan saunders9 of 29

8 Kate Middleton style jonathan saunders

The Duchess of Cambridge wearing Jonathan Saunders in Scotland - 29th May 2014

9 Kate Middleton style hobbs10 of 29

9 Kate Middleton style hobbs

The Duchess of Cambridge in Hobbs at Ayers Rock - 22 April 2014

10 Kate Middleton style lela rose dress11 of 29

10 Kate Middleton style lela rose dress

The Duchess of Cambridge in Lela Rose in Canberra - 24 April 2014

11 Kate Middleton style pink dress alexander mcqueen12 of 29

11 Kate Middleton style pink dress alexander mcqueen

The Duchess of Cambridge in Alexander McQueen at Adelaide - 23 April 2014

12 Kate Middleton style green dress13 of 29

12 Kate Middleton style green dress

The Duchess of Cambridge in Catherine Walker in Canberra - 24 April 2014

13 Kate Middleton style yellow dress sydney14 of 29

13 Kate Middleton style yellow dress sydney

The Duchess of Cambridge at Taronga Zoo in Sydney - 20 April 2014

14 Kate Middleton style grey dress15 of 29

14 Kate Middleton style grey dress

The Duchess of Cambridge in Roksanda Ilincic in Uluru - 22 April 2014

17 Kate Middleton style white dress manley beach16 of 29

17 Kate Middleton style white dress manley beach

The Duchess of Cambridge in Zimmerman at Manley Beach - 20 April 2014

15 Kate Middleton style alexander mcqueen17 of 29

15 Kate Middleton style alexander mcqueen

The Duchess of Cambridge in Alexander McQueen at Easter service, Ausralia - 20 April 2014

16 Kate Middleton style white blue dress l k bennett18 of 29

16 Kate Middleton style white blue dress l k bennett

The Duchess of Cambridge in L.K. Bennett at Amberley Air Base - 19 April 2014

18 Kate Middleton style red outfit19 of 29

18 Kate Middleton style red outfit

The Duchess of Cambridge in Christchurch, New Zealand - 14 April 2014

19 Kate Middleton style yellow dress roksanda ilincic20 of 29

19 Kate Middleton style yellow dress roksanda ilincic

The Duchess of Cambridge in Roksanda Ilincic arriving in Sydney, Australia - 16 April 2014

20 Kate Middleton style prince george rebecca taylor21 of 29

20 Kate Middleton style prince george rebecca taylor

The Duchess of Cambridge in Rebecca Taylor leaving New Zealand - 16 April 2014

21 Kate Middleton style diane von furstenberg22 of 29

21 Kate Middleton style diane von furstenberg

The Duchess of Cambridge in Diane Von Furstenberg in Blue Mountains, Australia - 17 April 2014

22 Kate Middleton style zara new zealand23 of 29

22 Kate Middleton style zara new zealand

The Duchess of Cambridge in Zara wine tasting in New Zealand - 13 April 2014

23 Kate Middleton style jonathan saunders24 of 29

23 Kate Middleton style jonathan saunders

The Duchess of Cambridge in Jonathan Saunders at rugby in Dunedin, New Zealand - 13 April 2014

24 Kate Middleton style erdem green coat25 of 29

24 Kate Middleton style erdem green coat

The Duchess of Cambridge in Erdem at Avanti Drome in Hamilton, New Zealand - 12 April 2014

25 Kate Middleton style emilia wickstead blue dress26 of 29

25 Kate Middleton style emilia wickstead blue dress

The Duchess of Cambridge in Emilia Wickstead at Dunedin - 13 April 2014

26 Kate Middleton style zara27 of 29

26 Kate Middleton style zara

The Duchess of Cambridge in Zara and J Brand at Auckland harbour, New Zealand - 11 April 2014

27 Kate Middleton style jenny packham new zealand28 of 29

27 Kate Middleton style jenny packham new zealand

The Duchess of Cambridge in Jenny Packham at State Dinner, New Zealand - 10 April 2014

27 Kate Middleton style prince george tory burch29 of 29

27 Kate Middleton style prince george tory burch

The Duchess of Cambridge in Tory Burch in Wellington, New Zealand - 9 April 2014

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