The Duchess of Cambridge's latest outfit is sending a subtle thank you message to front-line workers who are battling the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Kate Middleton and Prince William recently visited with six representatives of the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) and presented them with a Pride of Britain award. The group met at Britain's oldest hospital, St. Bartholomew's in London, and the duchess chose a pretty special blouse for the occasion.
Throughout the pandemic, rainbows have become a symbol for those supporting front-line workers, and the 38-year-old's vibrant blue top had plenty of tiny rainbows on it. The mother of three paired the sweet Lisou blouse with a navy suit that coordinated with the duke's sharp ensemble.
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Many in the U.K. have embraced the rainbow symbol during the pandemic and the duke and duchess even released photos of their youngest son, Prince Louis, painting his hands with a rainbow of colors to celebrate his second birthday in April.
Still, the rainbow has traditionally been a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community and many people have expressed concern that the symbol has been appropriated in recent months.
During their visit to St Bartholomew's, the duke and duchess were accompanied by TV presenter Kate Garraway, whose husband contracted COVID-19 in March and is still in the hospital. As they met with front-line workers, the royal couple thanked them for their dedication.
"The devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic has reminded us as a nation of how much we owe to the thousands of NHS workers who have gone far beyond the call of duty this year," William said. "They have worked tirelessly around the clock, with humility and compassion, in the most challenging of circumstances, putting their own lives on the line to help others."
The duchess echoed her husband's sentiments and said she has been inspired by the bravery shown by health care workers over the past few months.
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"Many have had to leave their families for weeks on end, some have come out of retirement to help, while others have stepped into new roles to play their part in the fight against coronavirus," she said. "And it is not just the medical teams — all NHS staff have played a crucial role through this time. During lockdown, we joined people up and down the country to applaud the NHS and our keyworkers each week. Their hard work still goes on and we remain indebted to them for all they do."
The duke added, "We cannot thank you enough. On behalf of a grateful nation, it is a tremendous honour for Catherine and I to present this special recognition award to the army of dedicated NHS staff."
The award presentation was filmed for the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards 2020, which will air on ITV on November 1.