The Princess of Wales is combining two of her greatest passions today as she reopens the Young V&A museum in London.
The royal, 41, has made children’s early development a key focus of her work in recent years and will learn about how the renovated museum will inspire young visitors’ creativity.
The Young V&A – which was formerly known as the V&A Museum of Childhood – is situated in Bethnal Green, East London and will officially reopen to the public on Saturday following a three-year £13m renovation.
As she arrived at the renovated Grade II-listed building this morning, Kate appeared in great spirits and shook hands with a member of the museum’s staff.
The mother-of-three – who is the V&A’s first ever patron and a keen photographer – will be taken on a tour of the premises by children who were instrumental to the redesign.
The Princess of Wales wore a pretty pink pleated midi dress and white heels for her engagement in East London
As part of the extensive redesign, museum staff worked closely with local schoolchildren, parents and teachers to reimagine display areas and contributing ideas for galleries.
The institute – which is dedicated to children aged between 0-14 and will be free to access – houses three new galleries called Play, Imagine and Design.
The distinct areas have nearly 2,000 items on display from the V&A’s collections which aim to inspire children’s creativity.
To begin with, Kate – who looked effortlessly elegant in pink pleated dress – will visit the Play Gallery, which is specifically aimed at toddlers with lots of sensory displays.
Here, the Princess of Wales will learn about the gallery has been dedicated to the development of language, motor skills and constructive play.
The royal – who styled her hair in her signature bouncy blow-dry – will then pay a visit to the Arcade, which has been designed with teenagers in mind and focuses on the history of video and boardgames.
After this, Kate will head over to the Design Gallery – which educates children about how innovative objects are created – before then finishing off in the Imagine Gallery.
This area contains a variety of spaces where children can put on performances or engage in story-telling.
The Princess of Wales, 41, paired her pink pleated dress with some white heels as she stepped out this morning
The Princess of Wales pictured entering the Young V&A museum – which will be free to access when it reopens on Saturday
The Princess of Wales (pictured at the re-opening today) has been a patron of the V&A museum since March 2018
Pictured: Kate styled her long brown hair in her signature bouncy blow dry as she met with museum staff
The Princess of Wales will be taken on a tour of the museum by children who helped with the redesign
The Princess of Wales looked effortlessly elegant in a pale pink midi dress for her engagement in East London today
The Princess of Wales opted for her signature bouncy blow-dry and smokey brown eye for her engagement today
Kate has made children’s early development a key focus of her work in recent years and will learn about how the renovated museum will inspire young visitors’ creativity
Kate’s summery dress was cinched in at the waist with a wide belt and featured a button-down detail
Pictured: The Young V&A museum in East London before it closed for three years for an extensive renovation
Pictured: The Young V&A’s Play Gallery, which is specifically aimed at toddlers with lots of sensory displays
The redevelopment is the most significant intervention in the Grade II* listed building’s 150-year history, and has completely transformed the museum
Pictured: children playing in one of the three re-imagined areas, which have undergone a £13m renovation
The Young V&A – which is aimed at children aged 0-14 – also boasts an impressive courtyard for further play
Within the Imagine Gallery, there is a new area called The Stage.
This new dedicated performance space featuring objects from the V&A’s renowned Theatre and Performance Collection, where children can also enjoy dressing up and performing their own shows.
The Princess of Wales was announced as the V&A’s first ever royal patron in March 2018 – months before she gave birth to Prince Louis.
The royal was deemed perfect for the high-brow role thanks to her interest in the ‘visual arts, photography and design.
Although the London museum carries Queen Victoria’s name, no royal had ever held an official patronage for the institute before.
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