Casual Kate pulls out all the fashion stops in Canada

Chic, cowboy and casual - the Duchess of Cambridge has proved she can pull off a host of styles as she nears the end of her tour of Canada.

Kate has pulled out the fashion stops during the eight-day tour with her husband the Duke of Cambridge and two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

True to form, Kate displayed a mixture of designer and high street styles peppered with her favourite brands, and even recycled well-loved outfits for the occasion.

Catherine kicked off the royal visit by stepping off the Royal Canadian Air Force jet in a dark blue dress by one of her favourite designers - Jenny Packham.

Her matching Lock & Co hat, embellished with maple leaves, was a subtle nod to the country's national symbol - echoing the red headpiece with maple leaves she wore to mark Canada Day during her 2011 tour.

Proudly on display was the Queen's platinum and diamond maple leaf brooch, which Kate also wore during the 2011 tour, setting off the formal outfit perfectly.

Accompanied by three-year-old George in a blue knitted Pepa & Co sweater and navy shorts, clutching his father's hand, and Charlotte, whose hair was kept off her face with a blue bow, the foursome looked very much the coordinated family unit.

On the second day of the tour Kate touched down in Vancouver in a striking red and white Alexander McQueen dress - another of her favoured designers, while William looked smart in a jacket, shirt and tie.

Kate's fashion choices have always been scrutinised, but on this occasion the stakes were particularly high, amid speculation that the Duchess could meet her match in Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the Canadian president's glamorous wife.

The bespoke dress drew a mixed reaction, with some praising the red broderie anglaise pattern as a nod to the colours of the Commonwealth country, while others felt it more resembled a doilly.

The elegant brunette's long legs were accentuated by bright red three-inch heels from Russell and Bromley.

The Duchess opted for a more casual look on the rain-filled third day, with Zara jeans and a checked shirt showing her down to earth side during a visit to a Canadian rainforest.

Armed with an umbrella to protect against the downpours, Kate wrapped up in a cream Holland & Holland jacket as her and William visited the Bella Bella First Nations settlement by boat.

In acknowledgement of her hosts, she wore earrings by Canadian designer Pippa Small.

The couple were presented with traditional dancing vests for them and their children - symbols of a new relationship between the British monarchy and the small Heiltsuk First Nation community - which they later donned.

But later that evening, she stunned in an off-the-shoulder Preen dress in deep red at the Black Rod ceremony.

The fitted bodice's diagonal draping billowed into a box-pleated skirt which skimmed over the Duchess's slender frame.

Kate swapped red for racing green the following day, wearing a Dolce & Gabbana dress as she and her husband looked around the University of British Columbia (UBC)

Later the couple flew to Whitehorse in the Yukon territory, with Kate wrapping up in a green, belted, woollen coat as she headed further North.

She was first seen sporting the double-breasted Hobbs number on St Patrick's Day 2014.

The Duchess paired the coat with a maple tartan scarf, and simple nude heels.

Kate wore another warm coat - this time in red by Carolina Herrera - as she and William visited the MacBride Museum of Yukon History.

But she soon changed into a more casual wrap cardigan and low-heeled cowboy boots, with her brown hair swept back into a low, loose bun.

The couple headed back to Victoria to be reunited with their children, as the grounds of Government House were transformed into a children's paradise on day six.

While George and Charlotte totted about playing with bubbles and balloons, the Duchess cast a protective eye over her offspring in a cream tea dress by See by Chloe and wedges believed to be from Monsoon.

Little Charlotte was seen bouncing playfully on a dog, dressed in a hand-smocked dress and navy cardigan from Pepa & Co.