Kate Middleton joins Prince William in Wales on St David’s Day

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A beaming Kate Middleton was in high spirits today as she joined Prince William to celebrate St David’s Day with a visit to Wales. 

The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, donned an all-green tonal outfit while visiting Abergavenny Market alongside the Duke, 39, where the couple learned how important local suppliers are to rural communities. They then visited a youth club at Blaenavon Hwb in Blaenavon, and played a game of pool. 

Mother-of-three Kate opted to wear her £940 longline forest green Sportmax coat with a matching polo neck, as well as black skinny jeans, for the occasion. 

In a touching nod to her decade of duty in the royal family, Kate also finished her outfit with her Aquatalia Rouge boots, which she first wore for her first official engagement in 2011. 

When the couple visited Blaenavon Hwb, a community-focused youth centre, Kate, who is a keen baker, cast her eye over William’s attempts to make Welsh cakes and they also played a game of pool. 

She went over to the oven and effortlessly began assisting with cooking and flipping the cakes on the stove, while chatting with Libby, 16.

After William began rolling the dough and cutting it out, he told the group gathered around him: ‘I’m under a lot of pressure here.

‘Do not judge my cooking, this could go horribly wrong. It’s not Bake Off. Where’s Mary (Berry) when you need her?’

When the duchess asked to see her husband’s efforts, she pointed out the thinness of his cakes.

‘That one is a little bit skinny,’ William conceded, before looking at them again and adding: ‘They are probably all a little bit skinny.’

It was a quick costume change for the royal, who earlier today was in her natural element when getting up close and personal with a group of adorable goats as the couple paid a visit to a Welsh farm.

Kate dressed down in a recycled Seeland khaki jacket and a red scarf as she joined the Duke at Pant Farm; a goat farm near Abergavenny, that has been providing milk to a local cheese producer for nearly 20 years.

She teamed her garment with a simple pair of black jeans and finished off her look with her £170 boots from celeb-loved brand Blundstone. Meanwhile, William donned navy trousers, a green jumper and a matching coat with a light blue shirt for the occasion.

The royal couple are visiting Wales to learn about the importance of the agricultural industry to rural populations and how community organisations are providing support to young people while also celebrating the history of the region. 

During the visit, the couple also revealed how they are getting their children involved in farming, the couple revealed on a day out to Wales to mark St David’s Day.

The future Prince and Princess of Wales were visiting a goat farm in Llanvetherine, near Abergavenny, and shared how Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had helped with their animals during half term.

It is thought the family were in Norfolk, where the Prince of Wales has been working to turn the Queen’s Sandringham estate into a fully organic operation.

During a day spent in the Welsh valleys, the couple tried making traditional Welsh cakes at a community centre but the future king told the young people watching: ‘Do not judge my cooking…’

As they toured Pant Farm, where Gary and Jess Yeomans, both 50, produce goats’ milk that has supplied a local cheesemaker for the past two decades, William spotted a robot silage sweeper in one of the barns.

Gary explained it could also be used to move feed, and the duchess replied: ‘That was George’s job at half term – moving feed.’

William told his hosts the children had been getting involved on the farm and added: ‘We are trying some Agroforestry as well.’

The method involves planting crops in between rows of trees to provide healthier soil, higher yields and vital homes for wildlife.

The duke studied agricultural management at Cambridge University in 2014, but it seems the duchess also has farming running in her veins.

Kate, who wore a red scarf, daffodil and gold hoop earrings by Welsh brand Spells of Love, told her hosts: ‘I was looking into my ancestry and there was someone who was a rare breed goat farmer. I will have to find out which one it was. It was just after the First World War.’

William also commented on the couple’s new sporting rivalry following Wales’s narrow defeat to England in the Six Nations on Saturday, where Kate, as patron of England Rugby, triumphed over her husband, patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.

‘She’s wearing a Welsh scarf today though,’ said the Duke. ‘It’s a good family rivalry.’

Gary told him: ‘George is going to have to come on your side.’

‘Don’t worry,’ replied William. ‘He’s already there.’

Looking typically radiant, Kate donned her £209 green Seeland wax jacket, which appears to have become a favourite with the royal since she also sported the coat during her trip to Denmark, last week.

She teamed her casual garment with a high neck jumper and a bright red scarf, while wearing a daffodil pin. The national flower is traditionally worn on St David’s Day, Wales’ patron saint’s day.

Opting for a smattering of glamorous makeup, the mother-of-three kept her locks loose and wavy, while wearing a dainty pair of hooped golden earrings, costing £60 from Spells of Love.

During their trip, the Duke and Duchess also met with representatives of the wider farming sector, both in Wales and across the UK, as well as those secondarily employed by the industry to gain a better understanding of how the agricultural sector underpins so much of the local economy. 

Following their time at Pant Farm, the couple visited Abergavenny Market to see first hand how important local suppliers are to rural communities and to mark St David’s Day. 

Later today, in Blaenavon, the Duke and Duchess visited the Blaenavon Hwb, a community-focused youth centre that helps to support over 600 local young people. 

While visiting the centre, the duke then chatted with the children about their experiences using the centre and asked them: ‘What sort of talking do you do?’

One girl told him that she comes to the hwb to rant and let off steam and the duke replied ‘Everyone needs to rant.’

They ended their visit by planting a ‘tree for the jubilee’ as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, an initiative created to celebrate the Queen’s 70-year reign.

In keeping with many South Wales valley towns, Blaenavon has had to overcome economic hardship in the last 30 years and the Hwb is playing its part by ensuring that the next generation are able to reach their potential by providing a space for alternative education and supporting care-experienced and vulnerable young people.  

They also had the opportunity to take part in some of the activities the centre lays on, which on this St David’s Day includes making Welsh cakes.

While the decline of the mining industry has led to some of the challenges faced today, Blaenavon’s history is an important part of its identity, with parts of the town and surrounding area recognised in 2000 as a World Heritage Site – an example of how the 18th-19th Century iron and coal industry in Wales drove the Industrial Revolution. 

The Heritage Site, in partnership with the Blaenavon Hwb, uses the power of culture to empower young people’s voices and helps to promote the area’s rich history through the World Heritage Youth Page 2 of 5 Ambassador programme.

World Heritage Youth Ambassadors get involved in organising events, managing workshops and building networks with other World Heritage Sites around the world. 

Kate and William will meet a number of these young ambassadors, before travelling to the World Heritage Site visitor centre to learn more about the history of Blaenavon and the importance of the Ambassador programme. 

The Duke and Duchess took the opportunity to celebrate an important historical moment as they ‘planted a tree for the Jubilee’ in Blaenavon as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy, an initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. 

Earlier this morning, the Duke and Duchess wished the people of Wales a ‘Happy St David’s Day’ on Instagram, writing: ‘Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus,’ which is the Welsh translation of the greeting.

The post continued: ‘See you soon to learn all about the role of small businesses in local communities – from farm, to market, to table – and how young people’s opportunities are being improved by charities and engaging projects across Wales’