The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have touched down in Birmingham to kick off their whistlestop Midlands tour.
Kate and William, who travelled up from their Kensington Palace home on Wednesday morning, are beginning their day at Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull Manufacturing Plant.
The Duchess dressed her burgeoning bump in a recycled £680 coat from Goat, adding knee-high black boots and tights. She was first spotted in the stylish monochrome number during a 2014 trip to New York while she was pregnant with Princess Charlotte.
The couple, who are expecting their third child in April, will be given an overview of JLR and the Solihull site before heading to the Vehicle Assembly area to view the assembly line and hear about the manufacturing process, meeting staff and apprentices.
They will then visit the Jaguar Land Rover Experience Centre where they will meet Mountain Rescue volunteers participating in a vehicle familiarisation exercise.
Kate Duchess dressed her burgeoning bump in a recycled £680 coat from Goat, adding knee-high black boots and tights. She was first spotted in the stylish monochrome number during a 2014 trip to New York
Action-packed day: Kate, who recently overcame a bout of severe morning sickness during her third pregnancy, will have the opportunity to drive a vehicle in the off-road driving area is she’s feeling brave enough
Kate and William are greeted by their hosts: The couple will be given an overview of JLR before heading to the Vehicle Assembly area to view the assembly line and hear about the manufacturing process, meeting staff and apprentices
The Duchess is believed to have had an extra panel added to the black and white crepe number during her second pregnancy in a mid to preserve her modesty.
While the hem still falls above the knee, it is significantly longer than the thigh-skimming original design.
William and Kate, who recently overcame a bout of severe morning sickness, will have the opportunity to drive a vehicle in the off-road driving area.
Afterwards, they will meet some of JLR’s volunteers, who support projects focusing on regeneration, education, young people, charity work and the environment.
They are also due to meet schoolchildren from Topcliffe Primary School, Castle Vale – winners of the Jaguar Primary School Challenge and will see their wining model car race on a track.
The couple, both aged 35, will later travel to Aston Villa Football Club to see the work of the Coach Core programme taking place in Birmingham.
There, they will meet with a group of employers to discuss the positive impact of Coach Core and hear about the progression of the apprentices.
William, an avid Villa fan, will no doubt be excited to join a training session underway on the pitch, with Coach Core apprentices and tutors working with local schoolchildren.
The scheme works with Sport Birmingham to give young people between the ages of 16-24 living in the city the chance to become the next generation of inspirational coaches and to give them the opportunity to succeed in employment.
The Duchess was showcasing her stylish new haircut – dubbed the ‘Kate bob’ or the ‘Kob’ – for her visit to Birmingham today. The couple will later travel to Aston Villa Football Club to see the work of the Coach Core programme
Maternity style: The Duchess, 25, is becoming something of an expert at bump dressing. Now four months pregnant, she was a masterclass in understated chic with her stylish monochrome Goat number which has been specially altered
Finally, the couple will visit Acme Whistles, the creator of the first police whistle and the original Acme Thunderer.
Established in 1870, this family-owned business has developed and patented over 40 whistle designs during its 147 year history and currently exports to 119 countries worldwide.
Today, their modern whistles are used in major sporting events globally and by police forces, including the Metropolitan Police.
During the visit, the Duke and Duchess will hear about the history of the company and see past and present products. Their Royal Highnesses will then tour the workshop seeing the production process, including the presswork, plating, moulding, welding and polishing of the 115,000 whistles which are made and tested every week.
Finally, The Duke and Duchess will join members of staff and apprentices at a short reception before unveiling a plaque to mark their visit.
William’s ‘rollercoaster’ relationship with Aston Villa
The Duke of Cambridge is a long-time Villa supporter and is regularly seen cheering on his favourite team from the box.
William is regularly seen cheering on his favourite team from the box (pictured here at the 2015 FA Cup Final against Arsenal)
He attended the 2000 FA Cup semi-final between Villa and Bolton and even went into the dressing room to congratulate the players on reaching the final after the game.
William is not the first member of the Royal Family to support the ‘Villains’, and he will not be the last.
Indeed, after Prince George’s birth in 2013 the team sent the happy couple a mini kit for their newborn son.
The proud father admitted that year that he hoped George would one day be a devoted Aston Villa just fan like him.
In a 2015 interview with Gary Linekar he revealed his decision to follow the team, saying: ‘A long time ago, at school, I’d just got into football big time.
‘I was looking round for clubs to support and all my friends at school were either Man U fans or Chelsea fans.
‘I didn’t really want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams, and I wanted to have a team that was more middle of the table, that could give me the more emotional rollercoaster moments. To be honest, now looking back, that was a bad idea! I could have had an easier time.’