Kate Middleton M Missoni Dress Comes As A Surprise (PHOTOS)

Kate Middleton has certainly kept herself busy while Prince William's away in the Falkland Islands, stepping out at the rate of one coat dress a week on visits to the various charities she supports.

Today she stopped by Fortnum & Mason, a luxury department store in London, to greet UK military members and take tea in the store's renamed "Diamond Jubilee Tea Station" (named, of course, in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee this year).

But as typically British as greeting military and taking tea are, Catherine surprised us by choosing not a British designer, as per usual, but by going Italian in a tasteful blue M Missoni coat dress.

Why an Italian designer and not a Brit? Unclear, but we're guessing she was just been in the mood to wear something blue, as the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall, also in attendance, chose azure outfits too. (Matching! Too cute!) The Queen wore a powder blue suit by fave designer Angela Kelly, while Camilla chose a striped crepe coat by her fave, Bruce Oldfield.

At least Kate was in a formal coat dress, her favorite style this winter. Since beginning her busy 2012 schedule, she's stepped out in a gray jacket/dress by Jesire at the National Portait Gallery; a brown Orla Kiely coat dress at Oxford's Rose Hill Primary School; and a long, sleek coat from Hobbs on a solo visit to Liverpool.

But we'd venture to say that we like this M Missoni style the best, if just for the vivid color (which Kate paired with her Rupert Sanderson heels).

Check out the royals' true blue moment -- do you like this look for Catherine?

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that coat was Missoni. The coat is actually M Missoni, the label's diffusion line. Thanks, Grazia!

Comments

[ABXNOMORE]

09:09 AM on 03/05/2012

Please remove this article and those boring people and pictures.

[unique]

10:59 AM on 03/04/2012

Who are those people with stick on name tags????

[riverhouse]

06:15 PM on 03/03/2012

Once they lost Diana, they lost all class and beauty but for Her Majesty who always looks lovely and absolutely appropriate. Diana had such great style an flair. These other two wannabes are pathetic in comparison.

[bordertown]

01:06 AM on 03/03/2012

Kate looks lovely. I love her coat. Very Chanel-like and a great color.

[ABXNOMORE]

11:26 AM on 03/03/2012

If it were Chanel it would look way better. She looks boring and her hair is boring. It's always the same.

[treabeton]

05:01 PM on 03/02/2012

London does not need electricity. Her smile lights up the City.

[Mariel]

02:50 PM on 03/02/2012

Supposedly Prince Charles liked the more casual style of Camilla. If this dress is too relaxed, well, it's just what relaxed Camilla would wear.

[Seaglass]

11:02 AM on 03/02/2012

Kate is just gorgeous and couldn't look bad if she tried, but--Missoni or not--that coatdress is another story. It is hideous. All I can think of is a polyester sofa in an airport lounge.

[ABXNOMORE]

02:46 PM on 03/02/2012

Great description of that coat! It's hideous in both styling and fabric.

[GraniteSkyline]

07:33 PM on 03/02/2012

It better than that oversized... whatever-that-is... that Camilla is wearing.

[ABXNOMORE]

08:55 PM on 03/02/2012

They both look terrible.

[Ldenver]

10:00 AM on 03/02/2012

Someone should photo shop that picture and put the Queen in some platforms...see through ones...

[JScott]

03:57 AM on 03/02/2012

Notice how as age increases the heels get lower.

The queen always seems to be wearing 'sensible shoes'.

[goldengirl43]

07:59 PM on 03/02/2012

Wait until you're 65. Then you'll understand why! LOL!

[cafebeege]

01:45 AM on 03/04/2012

Good Lo-- !! Do you expect her, or think whe would look well in spiked heels ??

[dovelove]

09:14 PM on 03/01/2012

Well...the Queen looks nice.

[Malibabe1]

04:05 PM on 03/01/2012

Someone shouold point out to Angelina Jolie that the most effective way to show a long, sexy leg is the way Kate did it in the picture above. Gorgeous!

[ABXNOMORE]

06:13 PM on 03/01/2012

I highly doubt that Kate ever enters Jolie's mind. Try comparing apples to apples. Jolie is part of the Hollywood set last I checked--not royalty by any stretch of the imagination.

[spaniellover]

08:08 PM on 03/01/2012

I must disagree with the writer. The Rottweiler is wearing navy blue. And, my goodness, the Duchess of Cambridge has a bare head (but gorgeous hair.)

[ABXNOMORE]

08:38 PM on 03/01/2012

Gorgeous hair but a very bad hairstyle, if one could even call it that.

[Angie Daniels]

04:00 PM on 03/01/2012

Pretty woman. Nice to have a person like her married to Wills. Now have some babies already :)

[henriette and hube]

03:24 PM on 03/01/2012

The Queen looks lovely and happy and Catherine is lovely and tastefully dressed as always but Camilla did not fare so well however it's nice to see the three generations of queens together.

Love, love Fortnum & Mason. I have one of their beautiful food hampers.

[nancynancy]

01:24 PM on 03/01/2012

Kate looks lovely, and the Queen looks great, too. As for Camilla...

[makemesmile]

07:45 PM on 03/01/2012

I like Kate's/Cat's outfit and I also like Camilla's outfit, but I don't like the one the Queen is wearing.

[Lily P]

01:14 PM on 03/01/2012

I thought you had to wear pantyhose while in the presence of the Queen?

[ABXNOMORE]

01:47 PM on 03/01/2012

Kate's pantyhose is very sheer and nude but she's wearing them, I'm pretty certain.

[henriette and hube]

03:25 PM on 03/01/2012

She's wearing them but I didn't know this was a prerequisite to be in the presence of the Queen?