Princess Kate's Latest Royal Outing Is a Tribute to One of Her Biggest Passions
The Princess of Wales, 43, spotlighted the joy and inspiration found within the world-famous V&A's vast archives
Her visit comes amid a busy stretch of royal engagements, including the upcoming Trooping the Colour celebrationKate Middleton is championing the joy of creativity — and the transformative power of art.
The Princess of Wales, 43, stepped out in East London on June 10 to visit the new V&A East Storehouse, a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum that offers unprecedented public access to more than 500,000 objects spanning fashion, film, visual art, design and performance.
It marked her first public royal engagement since returning from a half-term break with her three children — Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10 and Prince Louis, 7 — and came just days after she hosted a meeting at Windsor Castle with staff from her early childhood foundation.
During Tuesday's engagement, Kate toured the East Storehouse behind the scenes, observing how pieces in the museum's vast archive are collected, conserved and displayed. Wherever possible, glass barriers have been removed to allow visitors to get closer than ever to the historic works.
Following the outing, Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, told PEOPLE: 'It was about celebrating the opening of the Storehouse and it was about our royal patron championing what we're doing here in terms of art and design and creativity and getting young people involved in the creative industry, and celebrating the breadth and enormity of the collection."
'Her Royal Highness was really interested and knowledgeable, particularly around textiles, around some of the woven silk material from William Morris, looking at some of the wallpapers," he added. "She's got both great passion and interest in material culture, so for her I think it was also a really enjoyable visit.'
A longtime advocate for the arts, Kate studied Art History at St. Andrews University — where she famously met Prince William — and has been patron of the Victoria and Albert Museum since 2018. In 2023, she helped open the Young V&A, a vibrant museum tailored to children ages 0 to 14, complete with three hands-on galleries: Play, Imagine and Design.
During that launch, Kate delighted in interacting with schoolchildren who helped shape the museum's redevelopment. 'She was brilliant with the children,' V&A director Tristram Hunt told PEOPLE at the time that the Princess of Wales was "brilliant" with the children.
'[It] is about collaboration and cooperation and communication — all of the things that have been under such pressure during COVID," he said at the time. "This space is where children can get together and work together through play.'
It was a visit that echoed past moments in her royal work — like when she joined a group of schoolchildren for a learning experience at the National Portrait Gallery earlier this year, even hopping aboard their school bus.
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Next up, the Princess of Wales is expected to rejoin the rest of the royal family for Trooping the Colour on Saturday, June 14, the annual military parade celebrating King Charles' birthday.
While Prince William, 42, will ride on horseback in his role as honorary colonel of the Welsh Guards, Kate will ride in a carriage alongside their children. The day traditionally concludes with a flypast by the Royal Air Force watched by the royal family from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
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