A touch of tartan! Duchess of Cambridge adds Scottish twist to pretty primrose outfit as she watches William honoured as Knight of the Thistle

The Duchess of Cambridge attended her first public appearance as the Countess of Strathearn as she attended a service in Edinburgh today that would see her husband given the highest honour possible in Scotland.
Wearing a pale yellow coat dress by Emilia Wickstead and carrying a flash of Strathearn tartan in the shape of a folded scarf - a nod to her Scottish title - Kate joined the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal for the Thistle Service, which will see Prince William installed as Knight of the Thistle.
The event at the city's St Giles' Cathedral was witnessed by hundreds of invited guests.
Thousands of people crowded on to the Royal Mile to catch a glimpse of William and Kate - known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn while in Scotland - and other royals as they made their way from the Signet Library, across Parliament Square and into the cathedral.
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Kate, known in Scotland as the Countess of Strathearn, attends a Thistle Service at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh for the installation of The Prince William, Earl of Strathearn, as a Knight of the Thistle

The colour of the Emilia Wickstead coat-dress, which was created especially for Kate ahead of the event, was an unusual choice for the duchess, who has only worn yellow in public once before

Elegant: Kate has shown a fondness for the New Zealand-born, British-based designer of late, and wore a pink Wickstead coat-dress twice in recent months

The Order of the Thistle is the highest honour in Scotland and is second only in precedence in the UK to the Order of the Garter.
It honours men and women who have held public office or who have contributed in a significant way to national life.

 

The Princess Royal was invested in the Order of the Thistle in June 2001.
The royal family entered the cathedral shortly before 11am to a fanfare, accompanied by other members of the Order, all wearing ceremonial gowns.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge, took her place in the audience.

Kate's hat is by Luton-based milliner Whiteley, £99, supplied at Fenwick on Bond St, and is a style she has worn on a number of previous occasions

Just as she did on the day of the Jubilee flotilla, Kate carried a folded Strathearn scarf, a nod to her Scottish title

The Duchess of Cambridge last carried the folded Strathearn tartan scarf during the Jubilee flotilla last month, left, and in an identical manner today

At her ears Kate wore a pair of simple gold and citrine drop earrings by jeweller Kiki McDonough

Kiki McDonough citrine drop earrings, £495, as worn by the Duchess of Cambridge

Do you recognise this, sis? Pippa Middleton wears same dress to friend's wedding as Kate wore to announce engagement

It is not unusual for sisters to look to each other for fashion tips and advice about what to wear.
And from the looks of her outfit at a friend's wedding, Pippa Middleton has been listening closely to the words of her older sister.
Royal watchers might have noticed an air of familiarity in Pippa's fashionable choice that she wore yesterday to the Scottish wedding of close friend Camilla Hook to Indian Ocean tsunami survivor Sam Holland, the actor grandson of Oscar-winning film director Lord Attenborough.

 

A (slight) variation on a theme: Pippa Middleton followed in the footsteps of her sister Kate by wearing an almost identical version of the dress first modeled by Kate at the announcement of her engagement to Prince William at Clarence House, in 2010

After all, it was almost identical to the dress worn by Kate Middleton on the day she announced her engagement to Prince William in November 2010.
Apart from the colour of the outfit - red in Pippa's case, and blue in Kate's - there was no difference at all between the two dresses, which were variations of the low-cut silk jersey ‘Forever’ dress by Issa.
And there was little change, too, in Pippa's ability to turn heads at her friend's wedding - a year after she did the same at her sister’s very public ceremony to Prince William.
Now it seems Pippa Middleton is making a habit of upstaging brides on their big day.
The bride, who had taken wedding planning advice from party planner Pippa, arrived in an elegant off-the-shoulder floor-length lace dress with full satin skirt and carrying a posy of cream roses, at the parish church in the village of Aberlady – 15 miles from Edinburgh.
But as she made her way into the church all eyes – and indeed cameras – were on the Duchess of Cambridge’s younger sister.

 

Kate Middleton will have approved of her sister Pippa's choice of outfit at a friend's wedding in Aberlady, near Edinburgh

She turned heads in the low-cut raspberry-coloured outfit.
The body-skimming dress, which showcased single Pippa’s enviable figure and world-famous derriere, was accessorised with a matching fascinator with net veil and black clutch bag and set off with a pair of black heels.
Inside the church Miss Middleton, who arrived with a female friend and one of the young bridesmaids, gave a reading reciting the lyrics from singer Bob Dylan’s Forever Young as part of the service, which included three hymns and a song from the church choir.
Other guests included Freddie Mellor, the son of former Conservative Cabinet Minister David Mellor. Freddie, a friend of the groom since their time at Charterhouse public school in Surrey, was one of five best men.

 

 

Close friends: Pippa Middleton and bride Camilla Hook met on an exclusive cookery course in 2002

 

Big day: Guests gather outside the church where Miss Middleton recited Bob Dylan lyrics as a tribute to her friend of ten years

 

 

Pippa makes her way through the churchyard (left) and leads guests inside for the service (right)

After the service Miss Middleton, 28, and other guests gathered to throw petals over the newlyweds to the strains of a lone piper, before being driven off in an Audi as others were ferried to the reception at the bride’s family home by coach. Miss Middleton and Miss Hook, also 28, have been friends since 2002 when they met on an exclusive £3,600- a-month cookery course in Frome, Somerset, after leaving school.
Miss Hook, who lives in Clapham, South London, met her fiance when they were students at Durham University.
Their wedding follows tragedy for Mr Holland, 27, who lost members from three generations of his family in the tsunami in 2004. He and his father, shipbroker Michael Holland, survived the Boxing Day disaster after travelling inland from their holiday home in Thailand to play golf.
Mr Holland’s mother Jane, 49 – Lord Attenborough’s eldest daughter – was killed, as were his sister Lucy, 15, and his paternal grandmother, also called Jane, 81. His second sister, Alice, now 24, was seriously injured but survived and was there to support her brother on his big day yesterday, giving a reading during the  45-minute service.
Mr Holland has spoken of how his future wife helped him cope with the loss, saying: ‘Camilla has been a great source of comfort to me over the years. We’re very happy.’

 

Showered with petals: Newlyweds Camilla Hook and Sam Holland leave the church before making their way to the reception at the nearby Hook family homeer

 

 

Making an entrance: (above and below) Guests arrive at Aberlady Parish Church