Saturday 4 June 2022 09:25 AM DINAH VAN TULLEKEN gives her fashion verdict on how the model duchesses dazzled ... trends now

Faultless, flattering, the perfect fit.

But then we expected nothing less from the Duchess of Cambridge, whose pale yellow Emilia Wickstead dress proved why Kate was right to turn to a favourite designer.

With its A-line skirt and slim-fitting bodice, the custom-made design, which would cost upwards of £3,000, beautifully highlighted her figure.

The hat embellished with flowers was Philip Treacy – a favourite milliner of the Royal Family (price on application) and she completed the look with Emmy London nude court shoes (£415) and the Bahrain pearl and diamond drop earrings from Her Majesty's private collection.

The Duchess of Sussex also got it right for most of the same reasons.

Meghan's dress coat with statement collar and belt detailing was a little more fashion-forward, as befits Dior haute couture. 

Yet there was nothing attention-grabbing about her choice.

She teamed the outfit with a simple wide-brim hat by Stephen Jones Millinery, her favourite Snowflake Snowstorm diamond earrings from Canadian jewellers Birks (upwards of £10,000) and pointed white court shoes, also Dior (£590).

Princess Beatrice ticked all the right boxes in a blue belted midi-dress with pearl button detail from British brand Beulah (£775) and complementary hat from Juliette Botterill (£550).

Her sister Eugenie went for a striking orange dress from Emilia Wickstead (£1,630) and a hat also from Juliette Boterill.

Zara Tindall, Sophie Windsor and Home Secretary Priti Patel went for the colour of the season, hot pink.

Zara was in a bespoke Laura Green dress (upwards of £2,000) and a Juliette Botterill hat (£550).

Her shoes were from high street favourite LK Bennett and she carried Aspinal's Micro Lottie bag (£395).

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, chose a cream and gold embroidered dress coat by Fiona Clare and, just like Kate, a hat by Philip Treacy.

Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, also opted for cream, wearing Ghost London's Delphine dress (£195).

Chivalrous Charles! Sweet moment Prince of Wales blows a kiss to daughter-in-law Kate Middleton to greet her at St Paul's - before keeping Harry and Meghan at a tactful distance in carefully choreographed ceremony

By Helen Roberts for MailOnline

Prince Charles showed a moment of warm affection towards Kate Middleton today at St Paul's Cathedral when he blew his daughter-in-law a kiss as they met. 

Once the Prince of Wales and Camilla had arrived for the Service of Thanksgiving, the two met with William and Kate before they walked together to their seats. 

On previous occasions, Prince Charles has been seen greeting his daughter-in-law with a kiss on both cheeks, but today cameras captured the sweet moment when the heir to the throne gently blew Kate a kiss, as they met.

However, the Prince of Wales was not seen greeting or interacting with his other daughter-in-law Meghan Markle, after royal aides carefully managed the seating plan to keep Charles, Camilla and the Cambridges separate from the Sussexes. 

Harry and William have had a long-standing feud, while Harry has accused his father Charles of cutting him off financially and Meghan claimed an unnamed royal made a comment about Archie's skin tone before he was born – with the Sussexes having a war of words with the Palace following last year's bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview.

It was the first time Harry and Meghan, who now live in California, had been on full public view alongside the Windsors since they quit the monarchy for a new life in the US two years ago. 

Kate is known to have a warm relationship with her father-in-law and has reportedly helped smooth the sometimes fractious relationship between the heir to the throne and his son, William. 

The Duchess was warmly welcomed into the family by Charles after her engagement to William, and she's been heard affectionately calling him Grandpa in public on previous occasions.  

For today's service, Kate opted for a sunny yellow dress by Emilia Wickstead, teamed with a matching hat with floral adornments.   

However, there was no interaction captured on camera between Prince Charles and his younger son Prince Harry at today's service. 

The couple were kept apart from Prince William, Kate, Prince Charles and Camilla after royal aides ensured they sat on the other side of the aisle - and they later left separately. 

The Sussexes did not attend a reception straight after at the nearby Guildhall which featured a series of other Royal Family members and politicians including Prime Minster Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Buckingham Palace officials took great care to try to avoid a repeat of the frosty scenes when the Sussexes and Cambridges sat near each other and left together at their last joint event in March 2020 at Westminster Abbey.

And aides would have been delighted that today's service in front of 2,000 guests passed without any such incident or negative 'optics' given the attempts to ensure today was about the Queen and her 70-year reign.

Kate and William chatted to Prince Charles and Camilla inside the cathedral, but there was no sign of the same rapport with Harry and Meghan who sat in between Lady Sarah Chatto and Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank, and were under strict instructions to keep a low profile during the event.

Harry and Megan walked down the aisle of St Paul's hand-in-hand after the service, joined by other members of the royal family and following Charles and Camilla and William and Kate - but did not appear with them outside.

The Sussexes turned to talk to Lady Sarah Chatto, who had been sat next to Meghan, and her husband Daniel Chatto. Senior clerics waited to bid the congregation goodbye and Meghan shared a joke with the Archbishop of York and touched Harry's arm as he joined the conversation. The trio then laughed before the Sussexes moved on. 

Members of the crowd outside St Paul's sang the National Anthem while they waited for the Royal Family to leave at the end, before Charles and Camilla were the first to walk out as the bells began to toll at the end of the service.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge followed, with Kate waving cheerily to the crowds while chatting to her husband. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left holding hands and were seen chatting to Zara Tindall and her husband Mike. Both Harry and Meghan shook hands with the Lord Mayor before getting into a car.

During today's service, there were smiles from the Earl and Countess of Wessex as the Archbishop of York referred to the Queen's love of horse racing, while the Princess Royal nodded her head in approval.

The Archbishop of York said the Queen was 'still in the saddle', as he thanked her for 'staying the course'.

In his sermon at St Paul's, The Most Rev Stephen Cottrell compared the monarch's well-known love of horse racing to her long reign, suggesting it 'reflects the distance of Aintree more than the sprints of Epsom'.

Mr Cottrell told the congregation, which included senior members of the Royal Family, he was 'sorry' the Queen could

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