Over a week since she celebrated her milestone 40th birthday, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has stepped out with husband, Prince William, for their first royal engagement of 2022.
The royal couple visited the Foundling Museum in London, which tells the curated story of the United Kingdom’s first children’s charity as per Hello Magazine’s reports.
The establishment was founded in 1739 for children who had mothers that couldn’t take care of them for various reasons.
The Duchess became a patron for the museum in 2019, and during their visit, she made a sartorial statement in a petrol blue coat styled with a turtleneck and black pants – an aesthetic that has become synonymous with the royal.
Kate was a vision in petrol blue.
(Image: Getty)
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She paired her masterful outfit with bold gold earrings from the affordable brand Accessorize.
As expected, the Mini Hammered Doorknocker Hoop Earrings, which retailed at £7 (AU$13) and were reduced to £2.10 (AU$3.96), are sold out.
Kate and William kicked their visit off with a roundtable discussion attended by experts and stakeholders.
They discussed the tough reality young children can face when living in care, which can include, but is not limited to, employment, mental health, housing, and addiction.
The Duchess was unafraid to ask important questions like, “From your experience, what makes the difference between a young person succeeding after leaving foster care and when they do not?”
She also voiced concern for children who move around a lot because they have to “tell their story again and again.”
Her affordable earrings from UK chain Accessorize are sold out!
(Image: Getty)William echoed her sentiments by stating, “That may become emotionally exhausting to tell the story again and again.”
After their meeting, the royal couple talked to writer Lemn Sissay, athlete Kriss Akabusi, and writer Allan Jenkins about their experiences in the care system.
In conversation Olympic athlete Kriss discussed how stable care was “a saviour” for him, but when he had to leave the system at 16, it was a “very traumatic” experience.
The Duchess replied, “You are petrified leaving for independence,” and asked the 400m hurdler how that impacted his life.
“I am a loner,” he shared. “Now, aged 63 there is no stigma attached when I say I was brought up in care but there was a stigma when I was 16.”
“That may become emotionally exhausting to tell the story again and again.”
(Image: Getty)The Duke and Duchess concluded their important visit by meeting with young care leavers who are a part of the Foundling Museum’s Tracing Our Tales Programme.
They were instructed to draw on a canvas with three-foot-long pencils without looking down at the floor.
William said, clearly amused by the activity, “The kids would really enjoy that.”
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