Embed from Getty Images On Thursday evening, Prince Harry, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Thiepval memorial to the Missing in France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Somme during World War I. Tributes were also held in London, with the Queen, Prince Philip and David Cameron all attending a service at Westminster Abbey. The younger royals got sent to France though, which is how it should be. I’ve come to expect Harry at these kind of somber military events, but the Cambridges usually don’t pull this kind of duty. I think Kate looks nice here. She wore this Missoni coat which probably retails for something like $2900, although she’s likely had it significantly altered. But I like that it’s memorial-appropriate but it’s not just solid-black. She managed to stand out but not be disrespectful. And hey, at least she wasn’t wearing hot pink. She gets bonus points from me for wearing her hair back, wearing a fascinator that didn’t look like an undercooked cinnamon bun, and for keeping her accessories very simple. She might not look like Barbie Duchess, but she looked respectful of the event. What else? Prince William made a speech and as I was skimming the text, I was like “whoa, politics!” Take a gander: “One hundred years ago tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. the British army attacked German lines across these fields. To the young men eager to fight it was known as the ‘Big Push.’ The joint British and French offensive intended to put unbearable pressure on the German army and hasten an end to the war. Most of those who went over the top that day were wartime volunteers. Some as young as 16. Some had already seen action. For others the Somme was their first experience of battle. By the end of the 1st of July the British Army had sustained almost 60,00 casualties, of whom nearly one third had died. We lost the flower of a generation. And in the years to come it sometimes seemed that with them a sense of vital optimism had disappeared forever from British life. It was, in many ways, the saddest day in the long story of our nation. “Tonight we think of them as they nerved themselves for what lay ahead. We acknowledge the failures of European governments, including our own, to prevent the catastrophe of World War. We offer our humblest respects to each man who fought in the Battle of the Somme from every corner of the British Isles and from across the Commonwealth. We honor those whose names are recorded on this memorial. More than 72,000 who have no know grave. And to those who lie buried in Commonwealth war cemeteries. And tonight we stand here with a promise to those men. We will remember you. The gift you gave your country is treasured by every one of us this day. The sacrifice you made will never, ever, be forgotten.” [From People] “We acknowledge the failures of European governments, including our own, to prevent the catastrophe of World War…” That felt pointed, right? Props to William for acknowledging the lack of leadership that caused so many young men to die in that dreadful battle. And if people want to believe he’s just making a reference to the lack of leadership 100 years ago, so be it. But maybe he’s talking about a lack of leadership today. Bregrexit! Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Photos courtesy of Getty.
