Enjoying the sunshine: The Duchess arrived to find a crowd of well-wishers waiting for her beside the beach
New look: The Duchess wore her long chestnut hair scraped back into a thick ponytail and carried a black clutch by Mulberry
Friendly chat: The Duchess chatted to
local artists and dignitaries on the steps of the Turner Contemporary,
watched by a cheering crowd
Looking
good: The Duchess was resplendent in a Dalmatian coat by Hobbs, last
worn in public when she was pregnant with Prince George
Interest: The Duchess chatted happily with Turner representatives in the sunshine outside the gallery
Waving to the crowd: A beaming Duchess waved to the cheering crowd of locals as she made her way up the steps
Looking around: The Turner
Contemporary was the first stop on Kate's itinerary in Margate, with a
visit to an artists community also scheduled
In
January, she joined artist Grayson Perry for an event at a school in
London's Ladbroke Grove which last autumn opened an art studio under the
auspices of the charity.
She
also used a joint event featuring The Art Room and the National
Portrait Gallery to make one of her first public speeches in 2013, in
which she told of her passion for the arts.
In
it, the Duchess spoke of her belief in the power of art to 'make a
difference', adding that she feels 'immense pride' in the 'wonderful
work' being done by both the gallery and the charity.
Despite
Margate's reputation for fostering artists, among them regular visitor
JMW Turner, after whom the Turner Contemporary is named, and local
artist Tracey Emin, today's visit was the Duchess' first to the Kentish
seaside town.
Turner,
who was himself a regular visitor to the town, certainly found it
inspiring, as the artist went on to paint around 100 works featuring
Margate in both oils and watercolours.
Since
it opened in 2011, Turner Contemporary has become one of the most
successful galleries in the UK, with more than 1.4 million visits. It
has also been instrumental in the regeneration of Margate, a once
genteel resort which has suffered social and economic deprivation in
recent years.
First stop:
Her first port of call in the Kent town was the Turner Contemporary -
an affiliate of London's National Portrait Gallery
Arts: The Duchess, who has a degree in History of Art herself, has long championed the work of British artists
Welcome:
Before entering the gallery, the Duchess stopped to say hello to the
welcoming committee, including Margate's Mayor John Edwards
Not long now: The Duchess is eight months pregnant with her second child and is expected to give birth late next month
Scrum: The Duchess was surrounded by photographers as she climbed the steps to the Turner Contemporary
Clearly
intent on making up for lost time, the Duchess' trip to the town also
included a trip to the town's Resort Studios to view a second art
exhibition, this time featuring photo-montages of local personalities
created by the artists in residence.
Set
up in 2013 when seven artists rented two floors of a Victorian
warehouse building, Resort now has 40 full time members, a gallery, a
project space and Hello Print Studio with The Darkroom Project and
Firebird Jewellery Studio currently being built.
Living
at the Resort Studios is an eclectic group of artists who specialise in
everything from photography to painting, fashion, set design and
jewellery-making.
The
Duchess will have a chance to see some of that set design in action
tomorrow, when she joins the cast and crew of Downton Abbey at London's
Ealing Studios.
Among
the cast members being lined up for the visit is Dame Maggie Smith who
plays the formidable Dowager Countess of Grantham in the long-running
ITV drama.
Downton
is, of course, no stranger to royal visits having last week hosted the
Countess of Wessex and, in 2011, royal in-laws Carole, Michael and Pippa
Middleton.
The
drama also boasts several royal fans, among them the Duchess of
Cornwall who confessed to being a 'Downton addict' when she met cast
member Lesley Nichol (Mrs Patmore) last year.
Harbour: Some of the town's fishing boats could be seen on the beach behind the Duchess as she made her way inside
All smiles: The Duchess of Cambridge got a warm welcome as she arrived in Margate to visit the Turner Contemporary gallery
Ready for action: The Duchess spoke briefly to her PPO (Police Protection Officer) as she stepped out of the car
Big arrival: The Duchess was introduced to local dignitaries, including Mayor John Edwards, as she arrived in the Kent town
Regeneration: The Turner Contemporary is part of a regeneration package aimed at giving the seaside town a boost