The Duchess of Cambridge admires The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer during her day in the Netherlands
(photo Maurithuis Twitter)
When you go abroad, it's always good to plan your packing and the Duchess of Cambridge did just that as she spent the day in the Netherlands today. Part of her visit included a trip to the Maurithuis to see some of its most famous works, including The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer. And the duchess didn't disappoint as she viewed the masterpiece with pearl earrings of her own.
The matching of jewels to portrait came as Kate toured the world famous art gallery which is now hosting an exhibition of Grand Masters belonging to the British Royal Collection Trust. It was the first public engagement of her first solo overseas visit.
— Mauritshuis (@mauritshuis) October 11, 2016
There was a big crowd to greet the Duchess as she arrived at the gallery in The Hague. After being welcomed by officials, Kate headed inside for a private tour - she is a History of Art graduate after all - and saw the paintings from the British Royal Collection.
The Duchess has arrived @mauritshuis pic.twitter.com/rdBeVRUBMu— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 11, 2016
There was also a chance to attend a painting workshop but the blue Catherine Walker suit survived intact as the Duchess of Cambridge watched rather than joined in.
Next on the agenda was an event on mental health issues hosted by the British Embassy in the Netherlands. Kate met representatives from the Trimbos Institute and Action on Addiction at the discussion which touched on helping people with substance issues and looking at how that affects families across generations.
The Duchess of Cambridge joins a UK/NL discussion on addiction and mental health with @Trimbos @ActionAddiction and @AFNCCF. pic.twitter.com/I2rqe1OJgZ— UK in NL (@ukinnl) October 11, 2016
The day ended at the BouwKeet cultural workspace in Rotterdam where Kate perched on a stool to hear about the work it does in the local area.
Local craftspeople share their skills with other members of the community and the Duchess of Cambridge was given a demonstration of the projects going on there.
She also got to meet a robot before heading off for another walkabout as the day, which had begun with lunch at the Villa Eikenhorst in The Hague with King Willem-Alexander, came to an end.
Kate had looked nervous at the start of this duchess debut day, and who can blame her - it's a big event in her royal career and the interest was huge. But by the end she was showing all the calm assuredness that we've come to expect from a queen in waiting five years into her regal role. Another first ticked off for Kate, this duchess is flying high.
No comments:
Post a Comment