Duchess Kate Visits Domestic Violence Shelter in Denmark

Although it was her first solo trip since the start of the pandemic, Duchess Kate didn’t spend her final day in Copenhagen alone. For her last moments in Denmark, the Duchess of Cambridge was joined by the country’s own popular royal, Crown Princess Mary, for engagements focused on childhood development and the two jubilees taking place in their home countries.

The pair—who first met in 2011 and have remained friends—were reunited this morning, February 23, at Christian IX’s Palace, where the duchess was introduced to Queen Margrethe II. The Danish monarch, who will be celebrating 50 years on the throne this year, appeared in good spirits as she stood alongside her daughter-in-law and Kate for a photo.

The two future queens looked elegant in their sleek winter looks. Kate, 40, wore a sharp gray Catherine Walker coat with black Repeat gloves, a black Mulberry Amberley cross-body bag, and a pearl necklace by Monica Vinader. Mary, 50, opted for an icy-white tweed coat and a black dress. A sign of their similar styles, both chose to finish their looks with black Gianvito Rossi pumps.

Getty Images

Getty Images

After a private lunch at the palace, the stylish senior royals traveled across the capital with a police convoy to the Danner Crisis Centre to see firsthand the work of the Mary Foundation and how it has supported the shelter’s efforts helping women and children exposed to domestic violence.

As they arrived at the city’s Amalienborg Square, Kate and Mary were gifted small bouquets of flowers from young Danish schoolgirls April and Mouna before heading inside to meet those supported by the center.

Kate, who shares three kids with Prince William, has long been involved in children’s education and mental health.

The crown princess, who grew up in Australia, met Prince Frederik, the heir to the throne in Denmark, at a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. The two fell in love and wed in 2004. They now have four children.

The Duchess of Cambridge has been in Denmark since Tuesday to build on her childcare knowledge and better understand the country’s world-leading approach to the early-years development of children. Much of the information from this trip will be relayed back to the team at her recently launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

In Denmark, Mary is best known for her efforts championing women’s and children’s issues. Since its 2007 launch, the Mary Foundation has become a major philanthropic institution in Denmark and even supports initiatives across West and East Africa. Last October, the royal carried out work in Burkina Faso, a region characterized by poverty, turmoil, and climate change.

Before her royal appointments Wednesday, Kate started the day in a much less formal setting. Dressed in country-casual wear—including boots, jeans, a roll-neck sweater from H&M, and a khaki jacket—the duchess joined children at the Stenurten Forest Kindergarten, an outdoor space that gives opportunities for more children to play in nature.

Samir Hussein//Getty Images

While at the woodland area, which is located on the outskirts of Copenhagen, the mom of three joined toddlers and kids as they went on a forest ramble and even learned how to chop wood. She also sat in on a “mindfulness session,” during which children were taught how to relax as they sat around a canopy-covered log fire with the royal.

Omid Scobie is BAZAAR.com’s Royal Editor at Large and has covered the lives and philanthropic work of the younger members of the British Royal Family for over eight years. As well as spearheading exclusive coverage of major royal milestones (including the weddings of both the Cambridges and Sussexes), Scobie has traveled extensively with Harry, Meghan, William and Kate on their engagements in the U.K. and around the world. As ABC News’s Royal Contributor, Scobie is a regular on Good Morning America and host of the network’s forthcoming podcast, The Heir Pod.

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