What a historic old hall! Look at that gorgeous ceiling. Westminster Hall is the oldest building in Parliament and almost the only part of the ancient Palace of Westminster which survives in almost its original form.
The Hall was built in 1097 under William II (Rufus), the son of William the Conqueror, and was completed two years later. He had conceived the project to impress his new subjects with his power and the majesty of his authority.
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Stella's Place 
Did anyone notice the beautiful broach that Kate is wearing? I wonder if it is one of the Queen’s jewels. I’ll see if I can find out.
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Here it is! The poppy is not part of it.
Kate wears the Queen’s Diamond and Pearl Leaf Brooch at the Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Zonnebeke, Belgium, 31 July 2017 (John Thys/AFP/Getty Images)
The Queen loaned Kate the gorgeous Diamond and Pearl Leaf Brooch to wear for the centenary commemorations of the Battle of Passchendaele in July 2017.
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Confirmation:
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/jewellery-watches/a41211532/kate-wears-queens-brooch-lying-in-state-ceremony/
Following in the footsteps of the Queen herself, who often used her clothing and particularly jewellery to send subtle messages, Kate was seen wearing a brooch in homage to the late monarch – a rarely seen piece from the royal family’s archive that previously belonged to Her Majesty. Pinned to her black coat was the large leaf brooch, featuring a trio of pearls set against a glittering diamond pavé leaf. The choice is particularly poignant given the Queen’s own love of pearls, and the fact that the gemstone is traditionally associated with mourning.
[. . .] For the lying-in-state service, Kate also paid tribute to her late mother-in-law, the previous Princess of Wales, Diana, by wearing a pair of her pearl earrings – an elegant droplet style that she has been seen wearing several times before for significant royal engagements.
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I appreciate Kate’s capacity to be consistently appropriate in demeanor, clothing, accessories, etc. Seems to be one of those things that may attract little notice when it’s done correctly, but can be a disaster if/when mistakes are made. She doesn’t seem to be vulnerable to stupids.
I’m sorry for King Charles, if some of the stupid rudenesses he has stumbled into this week are a result of exhaustion and just too-much-going-on-to-keep-track-of. Good grief, there are moments when, all by myself here in my lovely little house, I want to start yelling and breaking things. I try not to do that. But I understand if he’s at the end of his tether temporarily.
I think he will have an uphill battle obtaining the public’s general affection, transferring from his mother, the Queen. That’s going to be difficult enough without it being hampered by momentary glitches such as his temper displays. I don’t like him or trust him one bit but I have empathy for the human condition of simply not being able to be gracious for-one-more-minute.
I remember well on the Tuesday noon after Grant’s funeral–in the airport in Minneapolis–very, very long lines of people—and NO AGENTS at the counters, even as the time of departure approached. No agents. No announcements. And we are not even in our concourse yet.
As we had driven to Minneapolis the 180 miles from Fergus Falls, we had been driving in blizzard conditions that caused the freeway to be closed down just after we passed. Well, so there we are in this situation. I was exhausted. Spent. Sad. Undone. I looked at my sons and said, “I can’t stand here any more.” (there were NO places for anyone to sit in that line that was hundreds of feet long) So I just sat down on the concrete. They took one look at the situation. Realized there was nothing negotiable about it. And set themselves at a distance, where they watched carefully in case mom started throwing things.
Well, I said all that just to say….I hope the king can get through the next 5-6 days ok and be able to get adequate rest. I can’t imagine.
And also—I am impressed by the presentation that he and his sister, Ann, make together. She is quite regal in her own way and obviously intends to provide practical support in these days to her brother.
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