She has attended several, one-off events without Prince William. But the Duchess of Cambridge is set to face her biggest test as a member of the royal family yet as she goes solo for a whole day’s tour of the North East. The couple had planned on sharing the workload, but William pulled out in order to attend the funeral of his former nanny, Olga Powell, who passed away last week.
She will be joined by her husband to meet England manager Roy Hodgson on Tuesday as they unveil a state-of-the-art football training ground at Burton-Upon-Trent’s St George’s Park on Tuesday.
But Wednesday will see her meeting youngsters with cerebral palsy at Newcastle’s Civic Centre and calling in on Keyfund at Gateshead Youth Council alone.
Kate will also go on a walkabout, where thousands are expected to gather to get a glimpse of the raven-haired beauty. But the 30-year-old doesn't appear to be daunted by her upcoming solo outings.
She looked happy and relaxed as she embarked upon her hectic week on Monday afternoon, meeting recipients of a law scholarship set up in her name in London. Wearing a deep burgundy outfit by Paule Ka, she was accompanied by her husband as they greeted the students.