It's back to work next week for the Duchess of Cambridge. Kensington Palace has revealed that Kate will be carrying out her first official, announced engagement of 2019 on Tuesday 15 January. The Duchess, who will celebrate her 37th birthday this week, will visit the King Henry's Walk Community Garden in Islington, London. She will meet volunteers to hear how the project brings people together through gardening and food growing.
Kate has a passion for the outdoors and has visited various inner-city gardens in an official capacity. Last year, she marked her return from maternity leave with a visit to the Sayers Croft Forest School and Wildlife Garden in Paddington. The mother-of-three bonded with a group of local schoolchildren who regularly play in the garden; the belief is that the Forest School has a positive impact on the youngsters' emotional and physical wellbeing.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate has visited various inner-city gardens
Kate helped the children search for spiders and other "mini beasts" in the garden. "Hello, what are you doing here?" she asked the group. After the children said they were looking for animals and counting their legs, Kate continued: "Who has found a spider? Has anyone found a spider? You have – a big one or a little one?" "I'm going to find a snake," one little girl said, prompting the Duchess to smile. Kate also told teachers that she hunts for spiders "for hours" with her elder children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
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Last year, Prince William's wife also admitted that she is in the "learning" stages of gardening and that she wouldn't want anyone to see the fruits of her labour, just yet. Kate was speaking to members of staff at the Imperial War Museum in London when she was shown letters her ancestors had written during the war.
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As she leafed through the papers, Kate said: "I think I saw one of the letters that one of them wrote home asking for cauliflower seeds. My grandmother loved gardening." Gardening was "a bit of a family thing," she added. Prince William's wife went on to say that her skills were only modest. "You should not see my cauliflowers! I'm still learning," she laughed.
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