Reporting for duty! During Duchess Kate’s official visit to the Armed Forces Training Academy last year, she dressed the part.
“Today on Armed Forces Day, William and I would like to pay tribute to the brave men and women, past and present, serving in all of our armed forces, at sea, on land and in the air, here in the UK and around the world,” the Duchess of Cambridge, 40, captioned a Saturday, June 25, Instagram carousel. “Thank you for all you and your families sacrifice to keep us safe. Last year, I was honored to spend time with the @BritishArmy to see how they train serving personnel and new recruits.”
She added: “It was wonderful to see first-hand the many important and varied roles the military play day in, day out to protect us all, and I look forward to discovering more about the @RoyalNavy and @RoyalAirForceUK in due course.”
Kate, who signed off her personal message with her signature “C” initial, was photographed wearing the traditional uniform of on-duty military personnel as she handled equipment and met the troops.
The royal mother of three — she shares Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, with husband Prince William — previously visited the Pirbright Training Academy in Surrey, England, in November 2021.
Days before Kate opened up about her military visit, she and the 40-year-old Duke of Cambridge celebrated the public release of their first official joint portrait. The married duo — who wed in April 2011 — visited the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum on Thursday, June 23, to check out Jamie Coreth’s painting.
“It has been the most extraordinary privilege of my life to be chosen to paint this picture. I wanted to show Their Royal Highnesses in a manner where they appeared both relaxed and approachable, as well as elegant and dignified,” Coreth told the BBC on Thursday. “As it is the first portrait to depict them together, and specifically during their time as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I wanted the image to evoke a feeling of balance between their public and private lives.”
Throughout the pair’s public life, William, for his part, has been outspoken about his military past. He previously attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before eventually becoming a lieutenant with the Royal Air Force.
“I live every day that I might hope to get to do what [my brother, Prince Harry] does [in the military] because otherwise what’s the point of doing all my training?” William previously told the Today show in June 2014 of potential military deployments despite his place in the royal line of succession.
