Kate Middleton undertakes first engagement of the year with Prince William© WireImage

Kate Middleton undertakes first public engagement of the year with Prince William

The royal couple stepped out in London on Jan. 19


JANUARY 19, 2022 11:13 AM EST

The  Duchess of Cambridge  made her first public appearance of the year with her husband  Prince William  by her side. The royal couple paid a visit to the Foundling Museum, which Kate is patron of, on Wednesday.

© WireImage

The Duchess of Cambridge looked stylish in a blue coat for her visit to the Foundling Museum

The outing marked the pair’s first joint engagement of 2022. Kate, who celebrated her 40th birthday earlier this month, looked characteristically stylish wearing a blue coat teamed with a turtleneck and trousers. The royal mom of three completed her look with a belt, heels and Accessorize earrings.

The Duchess, who is committed to raising awareness of the importance of early childhood experiences, became patron of the museum in 2019. The Foundling Museum tells the history of the Foundling Hospital, the UK’s first children’s charity, which was founded in 1739 as a home for children whose mothers couldn’t keep or care for them. The museum offers training, mentorship programs and creative projects led and developed by contemporary artists, writers and musicians, to continue to use creative action to transform and improve the lives of care-experienced young people.

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Prince William and Kate undertook their first joint engagement of 2022 on Jan. 19

The Duke and Duchess visited the museum on Jan. 19 to learn more about the care sector and to meet with representatives from across the system, including those with direct experience of living in care.

The Cambridges’ official Instagram account shared a video from the engagement writing: “It’s lovely to be back at the @FoundlingMuseum and see how they’re continuing to help to transform the lives of young people, but also hear some of the difficulties that care leavers have faced over the years including during the pandemic.”

The caption continued, “We were able to understand first-hand the impact of spending time in care in the UK and it’s links with employment, housing, mental health, addiction and the youth justice system, ‘and some of the work that is being done to tackle these issues.’”