Kate Middleton dons her country casual in Copenhagen

Kate Middleton showed off her country casual style as she wrapped up in a cosy grey polo neck while  visiting a kindergarten in Copenhagen this morning.

The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, was in good spirits as she embarked on the second day of her whirlwind two-day solo visit to Denmark to promote her work in early childhood development. 

Stepping out at the Stenurten Forest Kindergarten, the mother-of-two appeared relaxed in a grey jumper, which she paired with her £209 green Seeland wax jacket and a simple pair of black jeans. She finished off her look with her £170 boots from celeb-loved brand Blundstone. 

Later today, the mother-of-three will be officially welcomed to the country by Queen Margarethe. She will then go on to join Australian-born Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 49, and visit a project supported by the Page 2 of 2 Mary Foundation, founded in 2007 by the Crown Princess, to protect vulnerable women and children from domestic violence. 

Kate and Mary have met on a number of previous occasions, including at Royal Ascot in 2016 and on William and Kate’s joint visit to the Danish capital in 2011. 

The Duchess will also learn about how Denmark promotes infant mental wellbeing alongside physical health, and how it harnesses the power of nature, relationships and playful learning in the first five years of life. 

The Duchess was in high spirits as she arrived at the kindergarten earlier today and could be seen sharing a laugh with staff members during her visit 

The Duchess wrapped up warm against the Copenhagen chill in her cosy Seeland jacket, first worn to a visit to Durham last year. 

The piece online is described as having ‘a feminine cut’ and ‘designed in the traditional English game-shooting style.’ 

Meanwhile the royal’s brunette locks looked sleek around her shoulders and she added a touch of dark eye makeup. 

The mother-of-two also kept her accessories to a minimum for the outing, instead opting for a simple pair of gold hoop earrings.  

The Duchess was in good spirits as she embarked on the second day of her whirlwind two-day solo visit to Denmark to promote her work in early childhood development

Kate will visit a Forest Kindergarten to hear about their approach to learning, which focuses on social and emotional development helping children to build self-awareness, strengthen relationships with others and understand their value in society, rather than focusing on academic skills such as numeracy and literacy. 

She will also learn about the Danish use of nature and the outdoors in these settings, which is widely recognized as having huge benefits on children’s mental health and wellbeing and is a concept which Her Royal Highness has championed through her own work. 

The Duchess will be given an overview of the approach taken by this Kindergarten before participating in a number of outdoor activities with the children. 

It is the first time she has taken the work of her foundation, which she launched in June, to the international stage.

The whirlwind two day visit to Copenhagen is the first time she has taken the work of her foundation, which she launched in June, to the international stage 

The Duchess of Cambridge kept her makeup natural for her visit today, with a slick of black eyeliner and a dash of blusher across her cheeks (pictured left and right) 

The visit will also pay tribute to the historic ties Britain shares with Denmark and celebrate the countries’ joint jubilees – the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Golden Jubilee of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, both of which fall in 2022.  

The duchess travelled by a scheduled flight to the capital Copenhagen yesterday but it is thought her plane was delayed by around 30 minutes.

Yesterday, she made up some time for her first visit to the University of Copenhagen to meet researchers from the Copenhagen Infant Mental Health Project (CIMHP), which aims to promote the mental wellbeing of, and relationships between, infants and their parents.

The Duchess looked ready for business in a vibrant red Zara blazer, which she previously wore to watch England football team play last summer. 

She wore the jacket over a smart white V-neck blouse with frill detailing. 

 Keeping her accessories simple, Kate added a pair of £150 Mother-of-Pearl Drop Huggie Hoop Earrings from Maria Black and a £120 Nura Pearl Necklace by Monica Vinader.

The royal could be seen sharing a laugh with staff member as she arrived at the forest kindergarten, where she will learn about the Danish use of nature and the outdoors

The Duchess heard more about an innovative screening tool, the Alarm Distress Baby Scale, used to help health visitors identify infants at risk of adverse social and emotional development.

The duchess met with leading researchers running the initiative and will hear from health visitors who are implementing these tools in their work.

Alongside the screening tool, academics have launched the Understanding Your Baby research project which provides further training for health visitors so they can help new parents as they begin to notice and interpret their babies’ behavioural cues. 

At Copenhagen’s Children’s Museum the duchess met a few of the 1,300 first-time parents benefiting from the project, begun in 2019 and ending in July, that involves more than 200 health workers.

The mother-of-two showed off her country chic style in the dressed down outfit for the visit earlier today, pairing a simple pair of black skinny jeans with her hunting jacket from Seeland 

Kate’s final event of the day was a trip to the Lego Foundation PlayLab at University College Copenhagen where she joined students, training to be early years professionals, taking part in activities. 

During the visit she showcased her playful side. Giggling Kate whizzed down a winding tube slide instead of taking the stairs, raising her hands in the air as she shot out the bottom.  

Screaming with laughter after emerging from the slide, she joked with the press saying ‘you stood far enough away!’ adding ‘In the spirit of where I am, I had to do it.’

After chatting to parents with their babies at Copenhagen’s Children’s Museum, the duchess confessed she felt ‘broody’ and joked husband William worries about her working with under one-year-olds because she returns home wanting ‘another one’. 

She also joked that her children – Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six and Prince Louis, three, were ‘very jealous’ they weren’t able to come along. 

Her schedule will focus on innovative initiatives and projects which support children in their growth, particularly their social and emotional development, as well as their parents and the wider communities surrounding them. 

Throughout the visit, The Duchess will have the opportunity to meet with a broad range of people including children and families, leading researchers, representatives from academia, and those working in the early education sector. 

Denmark is a beacon of best practice with its approach to early childhood as well as consistently ranking near the top of countries with the happiest people in the world.