From unplanned PDA and heartfelt confessions to the public, to Kate's wardrobe of re-worn clothes and visits with underprivileged kids, the royal newlyweds just gave the monarchy a giant insta-makeover on their rocking Royal Tour.
Princess Diana would be so proud. Her son William, 28, and his beautiful bride, Kate Middleton, 29, quietly revolutionized the world's ideas about British Royals form the moment they stepped off their British Airways jet and arrived in Ottawa, Canada.
All the work that William's beloved "mommy" Princess Diana did to bring warmth to her role and to mingle with regular folks and help those desperately in need like AIDS patients and victims of landmines, has now been carried on.
Prince William and Kate refused to behave like stuffy, protocol-obsessed Royals. Kate picked out her entire wardrobe for the 11-day trip, re-wore her J Brand jeans three times, re-wore her navy Prada pumps and LK Bennett beige pumps and wedges, re-wore her white Reiss engagement dress, and then sported and inexpensive skirt and top from Whistles -- a chain store -- in Britain, when she met with inner city kids in LA. She's now a far more frequent re-wearer-in-chief than Michelle Obama. And her regular girl mixing and matching, which she pulled off to perfection, provided inspiration to every young woman in these recessionary times. Her down-to-earth style made the Kardashians and their multiple Birkin bags look ostentatious and outdated.
Hey, she's even got William into the act, re-wearing his plaid shirt and Levi jeans on July 7 and 8 in Calgary.
Kate, the unpretentious princess also made do with no lady-in-waiting or makeup artist on her trip -- she did her own makeup -- and she looked naturally pretty wherever she went.
Just like Diana would have, she warmly hugged little six-year-old cancer victim, Diamond Marshall. She also hugged her hubby after losing a dragon boat race on July 4 in Canada, she sat around a campfire and helped Inuit women prepare caribou meat without wrinkling her nose like Kate Gosselin, and stayed in a northern lodge without electricity for a night.
But best of all, she actually spoke to and shared feelings with the everyday Canadians and Americans she met. She confided that she hoped to be a mom.
Meanwhile Prince William proved at every turn he was his mother's warm and empathetic son. He proudly put his arm around Kate at many times, cracked jokes with guests at Royal functions to break the ice, and then revealed to three sisters in Yellowstone who had lost their mother to cancer that he shared their pain. "William said that he had been there and he knew how hard it was to lose your mother," one of the the sisters, Margot Cooper, said. Has Queen Elizabeth or Prince Charlesever said anything warm, empathetic, or personally revealing to a member of the public? That would be Nu-oh!
Then there's the quiet stylish diplomacy that Kate perfected. Her red maple leaf fascinator, specially made for Canada Day, her dresses in Canada by Canadian designer Erdem Moralioglu, her green dress by American designer Diane Von Furstenberg at the Royal welcome reception in LA on July 8. Smart, Kate, smart.
Then there's what's most important about the Royal couple who smiled, laughed and truly appeared to have a blast on their North American tour -- they showed compassion.
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