Kate Middleton joins Prince William at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey

The Duchess of Cambridge appeared to show her support for Ukraine by wearing the royal blue of the country’s flag to the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. 

Kate, 40, looked regal in the bespoke Catherine Walker coat dress, matching Lock & Co hat and blue Rupert Sanderson shoes as she joined Prince William at the high-profile event on Monday afternoon.

The Duchess completed the monochrome look with a sapphire jewellery set that once belonged to Princess Diana. She wore the same necklace and earrings when she and William welcomed Ukraine’s President Zelensky and his wife Olena to Buckingham Palace in October 2020.

It comes days after Kate sported a vibrant blue jumper and a Ukrainian flag pin for a visit to the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today joined Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and hundreds of dignitaries and schoolchildren for the annual event, which is an important date in the royal calendar.  

The Queen, who has recently recovered from coronavirus and has been experiencing mobility issues, had hoped to attend in person but asked her son Charles to represent her at the service after discussing arrangements with members of the Royal Household. 

Ensuring the comfort of the monarch, who now regularly uses a stick, is thought to have been an overriding consideration in her decision not to take part. 

The first member of the Royal Family to arrive at today’s engagement was the Queen’s cousin, Princess Alexandra. 

She was followed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who smiled as they made their way inside. 

Prince William, 39, looked dapper in a suit and blue tie that complimented his wife’s ensemble.

The Duchess of Cambridge opted for a coat dress by trusted designer Catherine Walker that was created especially for the occasion. 

The design features incredibly neat tailoring, a longer length and a luxe velvet collar. It also boasts sharp shoulders and angular pockets that accentuate the crisp silhouette.   

The Cambridges were followed by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Camilla, 74, looked elegant in a vibrant purple coat dress and eye-catching matching hat. 

They were greeted with a kiss on the cheek by William and Kate who chatted happily before taking their seats.  

The Queen, who has recently recovered from coronavirus and has been experiencing mobility issues, had hoped to attend the important event in the royal calendar. 

But last Friday, palace officials revealed that the monarch had asked her son Charles to represent her at the service after discussing arrangements with members of the Royal Household.

Today she said she hoped the Commonwealth ‘remains an influential force for good in our world for many generations to come’ and renewed her promise made in 1947 to ‘always be devoted in service’ in a written Commonwealth Day Message. 

The head of state’s comments were made in her annual message to the ‘family of nations’ released on Commonwealth Day, as many countries continued to battle Covid-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatened world peace and economic stability.

Now in the 70th year of her reign, the 95-year-old monarch said it had made her happy, during her Platinum Jubilee year, to reaffirm the pledge she made in 1947 as a 21-year-old to devote her life in service to the nation and Commonwealth.

The Queen sounded a positive note, extolling the virtues of the Commonwealth which ‘continues to be a point of connection, co-operation and friendship’.

Her message to the family of nation’s 2.5 billion citizens was released just ahead of a Westminster Abbey service marking Commonwealth Day, with guests to include the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and hundreds of dignitaries and young people.

Missing was the Queen who recently recovered from a bout of Covid and asked Charles to represent her after she decided not to attend following discussions with her household about arrangements for the event.

With the monarch now regularly using a stick and recently telling two senior military officers during a Windsor Castle reception ‘well, as you can see, I can’t move’ when asked how she was, the decision is being interpreted as a mobility issue rather than a new health problem.

The Queen is due to celebrate her 96th birthday in under six weeks and maintaining her comfort is a consideration and it is understood she has been pacing herself, although the head of state was keen to do what work she could during her bout of Covid.  

In her written message, the Queen said: ‘In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, it has given me pleasure to renew the promise I made in 1947, that my life will always be devoted in service.

‘Today, it is rewarding to observe a modern, vibrant and connected Commonwealth that combines a wealth of history and tradition with the great social, cultural and technological advances of our time. That the Commonwealth stands ever taller is a credit to all who have been involved.’

The head of state went on to say: ‘Our family of nations continues to be a point of connection, co-operation and friendship.

‘It is a place to come together to pursue common goals and the common good, providing everyone with the opportunity to serve and benefit.

‘In these testing times, it is my hope that you can draw strength and inspiration from what we share, as we work together towards a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future for all.’