Hello, hello and happy almost-end of summer! Who would have thought that Labor Day would come so soon? We begin with the news that the Prince and Princess of Wales attended church services on Sunday. The couple joined the King and Queen at Crathie Kirk, the local parish church of Balmoral in Scotland. 
Several mainstream media stories say Prince George also attended the service with his parents. Hello Other royals in attendance reportedly included “the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, James, Earl of Wessex, and Sir Tim Laurence.” More information on the links between the royal family and the church can be found in this post on the church’s website.
It was to this church that Queen Victoria went in 1848 on her arrival at Balmoral Castle. Thus began the custom, which continues to this day, of members of the royal family and their guests worshipping with local inhabitants in the parish church. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of the present church in 1893 and the new church was completed and opened in 1895. Funds for the new building were raised by subscriptions and donations from parishioners and members of the public. A donation of £2000 was made by Queen Victoria’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Louise, who raised the money at a bazaar held in the grounds of Balmoral Castle.
The photographs were very limited. Hello It has photos, just like the Daily Mail. Below is a Sunday post on social media from Mail.
King Charles and Kate Middleton were seen together in public for the first time since Trooping the Colour as they attended Sunday service at Crathie Kirk with their family, after both battled cancer diagnoses https://t.co/8JqBhpDnMu image.twitter.com/fdWlklNkKV
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 25, 2024
The princess appeared to be wearing an outfit almost identical to the one she wore when she attended church at Crathie Kirk last August. Her coat looks like the Holland Cooper Full-Length Marlborough Trench Coat (£849, about $1,120 at current exchange rates). 
Also brought back is the Hicks and Brown Suffolk Fedora ($155) seen last year. 
The Princess’s earrings appear to be the Dina style (no longer available) by Sézane, shown here when worn on a previous occasion. 
Now for part two of today’s post, a look at ways to create your own replicas or ask a seamstress or tailor to make one for you. The original suggestion for this post came from a comment Nancy left at the end of May and it’s been fun putting it together.
We’ll start with one of the most well-received dresses the Princess of Wales has ever worn, the one-shoulder Alexander McQueen design first worn at the 2019 BAFTAs. One way to replicate the look is via Butterick pattern B5987 (prices started at $5.20 when I searched on Etsy). The pattern is also offered by several sellers on eBay (prices vary). In the montage below, on the far right, I’m showing the original McQueen dress used as the basis for the Princess’s look. 
Roland Mouret’s off-the-shoulder “Nansen” dress worn to a gala at Kensington Palace has long been a favorite of many. McCall’s pattern M786 ($15.36) offers a great way to create your own version of the style. 
The link above is to purchase the pattern from Joann. It is also available on Amazon ($9.25), as well as Etsy ($7.95) and through a variety of sellers on eBay (prices vary).
If you are very brave and not intimidated by an intricate design, Vogue 1982 offers the chance to opt for the style of the cape-effect dress that Jenny Packham wore to the state dinner in November 2022. I say “brave” because I have been sewing since childhood, and I imagine the cape element can be an intricate part of the design. The pattern is available from various eBay sellers and also from Etsy sellers. 
This wedding guest dress pattern ($3.12 on sale, normally $12.50) from La Verart Design is a digital download that seems like a decent alternative to Jenny Packham’s much-loved teal dress first worn to Team GB’s 2012 pre-Olympic gala. 
For those interested in making their own version of the Roland Mouret dress ($1300) worn at the Top Gun premiere, the Emma dress pattern ($1400) is an option. 
Creating a basic dress with embellished fabric (sequins, beads, crystals, oh my!) can be so much fun. McCall’s 8038 offers you a starting point with a scooped neckline and clean lines. It’s priced at just $6.50 on Etsy, $15.36 at Joann, and $19.95 on Amazon. 
The Suzannah London shirt dress worn to an outdoor gathering at Sandringham was a popular look. Vogue pattern 1783 ($22.40 at Joann, $11.16 at Etsy) offers a good starting point for copying the look, though you will need to remove some of the volume from the sleeves, as shown in the pattern. 
We know how much the princess loves a fit-and-flare silhouette. McCall’s 7313 offers the chance to recreate that style. The pattern is available for just $4 on eBay, starting at $6.50 on Etsy, and is also offered on Amazon ($9.77).
Other fit-and-flare patterns with potential: New Look 6567 (from $6.95 at Etsy, $8.99 at Amazon, $12.95 at Walmart) and Simplicity 9176 ($8.48 at Amazon, just $9.99 at eBay, from $5.86 at Etsy).
The princess also appreciates a classic sheath silhouette, and Butterick 6849 offers it in two basic designs. It’s available for $7.95 on Etsy, starts at $2.50 on eBay, costs $12.27 on Amazon, and sells for $15.36 at Joann.
McCall’s pattern 8268 is a vintage pattern that offers both a sheath style and fit-and-flare designs; I found it for $7 on Etsy and $11.99 on eBay. McCall’s pattern 7085 also offers a basic style with princess seams. It’s just $7.99 on Etsy, starts at $7.50 on eBay, and is priced at $9.56 on Amazon.
There are two more possibilities available through Etsy. On the left, a sheath dress pattern ($3.50) available as a digital download from seller Witeson Patterns. On the right, the women’s dress pattern ($8.12) from SewistCAD. It doesn’t copy a specific dress, but instead has design elements seen in many of the princess’s wrap dresses and regular gowns. 
I’ll end the post with two classics but good ones: the first is the Butterick pattern that reproduces the princess’s wedding dress. It is available from several Etsy sellers; it is also offered on Amazon. 
And the second is the Butterick pattern ($12.99 on eBay, $10 on Etsy) for a dress very similar to the McQueen dress worn by Pippa Middleton Matthews at her sister’s wedding. The pattern is also available from various eBay sellers. 
One word of caution if you buy patterns through eBay and Etsy: make sure the patterns include the sizes you want and are complete. If they are antique or vintage, it is best to buy patterns that are described as “uncut.”
