Kate Middleton channels Jackie O in New Zealand (Plus, look at those cheeks on Prince George!)

Kate Middelton Catherine Walker New Zealand
Photography by Chris Jackson/Getty Images

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And we’re off! The royal tour of Australia and New Zealand has officially begun, with Kate, Will and Prince George arriving at Wellington Airport yesterday afternoon. It was our first IRL glimpse of the little prince since his christening last fall and that baby did not disappoint. (Case in point: He already has his own grumpy baby face meme.)

Also in the not disappointing us department was Kate Middleton, whose scarlet-red ensemble was a certainly a nod to Jackie Kennedy’s signature style. The military button coat was by Catherine Walker, who designed many outfits for Princess Diana but we’ve only seen Kate wear her twice before—both times during her tour of Canada in 2011. The coat was paired with a matching red dress and Gina Foster pillbox hat. Its placement is probably what evokes the most comparisons to Jackie O—seriously, if you squint at this Instagram you could mistake it for a photo from the ’60s!—with the hat resting at the crown of Kate’s head, her hair neatly tucked half-up underneath.

In the accessories department, Kate wore simple Kiki McDonough diamond stud earrings and one of the Queen’s jewels, a fern-shaped diamond and platinum brooch. It was widely speculated that Kate would be wearing this brooch on the trip, as it was given to the Queen by Women of Auckland in 1953 and ferns are very symbolic for New Zealand’s Māori people. Which brings us to the second part of the Cambridges’ first day itinerary: a ceremonial welcome reception at the Government House. Will and Kate were greeted by Māori elders with the traditional traditional ‘hongi’ approach—a nose-to-nose touch. The royals now reportedly have two days to recover from jet lag before their tour continues. We’ll catch up with them next on April 9!

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