Duchess Kate Covers Up In $700 Designer Dress Ahead Of Trip To Mumbai Under Terror Alert

Duchess Kate wore a long blue dress by Indian designer Saloni to welcome Bhutanese and Indian UK residents at a reception in Kensington Palace in London on Wednesday.

Prince William and Duchess Kate are travelling to Mumbai on Saturday, but the city is currently under a terror alert issued by Indian police after they warned three jihadis may have entered the country.

Kate and Will are beginning their week-trip to India and Bhutan in a couple of days and will be staying at the Taj Mahal Hotel, which was targeted by terrorist attacks in 2008. They are reportedly planning on meeting survivors from the attack, but Kensington Palace has refused to comment on whether the royals’ plans would be affected by the alert, reports the Daily Mail.

Instead, Duchess Kate and Prince William have been preparing for their trip by welcoming members of the business, charity, and academic sectors from India and Bhutan who now live in the UK. As always, Kate’s outfit was highly scrutinized, and she undoubtedly gave a hint of what is to come during their trip by showcasing a long blue dress which appropriately covered her legs and arms.

Ahead of their upcoming tour, TRHs will learn more about both countries’ people, history and culture #RoyalVisitIndia #RoyalVisitBhutan

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 6, 2016

Kate wore the royal blue “Mary Illusion dress,” which is currently sold out online, and accessorized it with diamond and sapphire earrings. Among the prestigious guests was Burberry model Neelam Gill, as well as India’s High Commissionner to the UK, Navtej Sarna.

Kate Middleton’s outfits are as famous as the Duchess herself, and her sense of taste is highly commented on wherever she goes. It’s no wonder, then, that ahead of Duchess and Prince William’s tour to India and Bhutan, Kate and her team have put some thought into what the beautiful 34-year-old should be wearing.

The Duke and Duchess meet and pose for a photo with @cheveningfco students from Bhutan pic.twitter.com/o99KV2XWKP

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 6, 2016

Kate even sent a team ahead to India this week to make sure all her clothes match the backdrops she will be photographed against, as The Inquisitr reported.

But the Duchess’ fashion sense goes further than simply what looks good, as she always makes a diplomatic effort to coordinate her choice of designers with the countries she is visiting. On a previous tour to Canada, Kate wore a dress by Canadian-born designer Erdem Moralioglu and sported American designers Tory Burch and J.Crew on her trip to New York in 2014, as reported by the Telegraph.

It wasn’t the first time that Kate was wearing the London-Mumbai label created by Saloni Lodha, which may hint at other future collaborations on the Duchess’ upcoming tour.

Having a fashion icon such as Kate Middleton sporting your outfits is obviously great publicity for the fashion designer, whose long blue dress has already sold out online. Ms Lodha says her designs are highly influenced by her heritage and says she likes to “celebrate bold colors and patterns” to bring “the spirit of India into the collections.” It wouldn’t be surprising to see Kate wear some of Saloni’s designs again.

The Royals’ India/Bhutan wardrobe was recently detailed by the Telegraph, and it was revealed the Duchess will bring between 12-15 outfits for the official visits. Kate Middleton will also pack a pair of hiking boots, an indispensable item for her and Will’s six-hour trek to Tiger’s Nest monastery.

[Photo by Warren Allott – WPA Pool/Getty Images]