THE JEWELS IN THE CROWN

Kate and William continue to go from strength to strength – as royals, as parents and as a power couple.

- NICI DE WET

THEY’VE been called the rock stars of the royal family and a recent outing to herald the holiday season cemented this status.

Kate, festive in a red Catherine Walker dress, and William, dapper in a suit and red-for-Christmas tie, turned their easy charm on the guests – the superstars of the show, certainly, but understated and unassuming, a couple on a mission to put others before themselves.

And as is so often the case, the Duchess of Cambridge was the jewel in the crown, from the top of her glossy dark head to the tips of her elegant heels. In her ears dangled a pair of sapphire and diamond fringe earrings from the queen’s collection, a clear nod to her grandmotherin-law.

The monarch, who has been ordered to scale down her public appearances, didn’t attend the event, Together at Christmas, which marked the first time Kate has hosted a Christmas concert.

The mother-of-three took it in her stride, delivering a speech Her Majesty would be proud of.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has presented us all with countless and previously unimaginable challenges. We have lost loved ones, seen our frontline workers placed under immeasurable pressure, and we have experienced heartwrenching isolation from those we hold most dear,” she said.

“Christmas is a time when we can reflect on the past, listen to one another, focus on the relationships that nurture us and build our resilience, so we can look forward to a shared brighter future.”