The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge carried out their first joint engagement outside palace walls.
Kate, 37, and the Queen, 92, shared a blanket in the back of the car as they pulled up at King’s College London, where they reopened Grade II-listed Bush House.
The Duchess was elegant in a grey Catherine Walker coat, believed to be a new bespoke addition to her wardrobe, which she teamed with her new favourite £510 Gianvito Rossi block heels and a black Mulberry clutch.
In a rare move for such an outing, Kate, 37, completed her outfit with a hat, which is likely to be a sign of respect to the monarch. It is the same hat she wore when out with the Queen in Leicester in 2012.
Meanwhile the Queen, 92, plumped for a rose pink cashmere coat by Stewart Parvin and matching Rachel Trevor-Morgan hat with beautiful floral detailing at the brim.
Although they have carried out a handful of public visits with other members of the Royal Family, it was the first time that they have been on one together in public, outside of Buckingham Palace.
In 2012 the pair visited Leicester as part of the Diamond Jubilee tour but were joined by the Duke of Edinburgh. However they did make individual stops on the schedule without him, including watching a student fashion show.
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The Queen smiled warmly at the Duchess of Cambridge following a brief ceremony to officially open Bush House on Tuesday
The Duchess of Cambridge carried a bouquet of pink, white and orange blooms, left and right, as she left Bush House
The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge shared a blanket as they arrived at King’s College London in the back of a car
Outside on the terrace which overlooked central London, left, Kate and the Queen both remarked on the ‘impressive’ view
The Queen unveiled a plaque marking the official opening of Bush House, King’s College London, today
The Duchess and the Queen both donned hats for the occasion, left, although Kate had to readjust on the blustery roof, right
The Duchess of Cambridge remained by the Queen’s side as she officially opened Bush House on Tuesday
The outing took place in March, shortly before William and Kate’s first wedding anniversary.
Later that year the Duchess of Cambridge joined the Queen at Fortnum & Mason for an event launching a military initiative, where they were joined by the Duchess of Cornwall.
In 2014, Kate joined the Queen as she hosted a night in celebration of the UK’s dramatic arts at Buckingham Palace.
And in 2011, the Queen viewed Kate’s wedding dress with her during a private tour of a new display at Buckingham Palace.
In June 2018, a few weeks after the royal wedding, the Queen carried out joint engagements with the Duchess of Sussex in Cheshire.
Today the Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge appeared in excellent spirits as they arrived at Bush House, which previously served as the headquarters for BBC World Service but is being leased by King’s College London.
It marks the newest building as part of the university’s Strand Campus.
Kate and the Queen could be seen sitting with a blue blanket over their laps as they arrived in the back of a car.
The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge have arrived at King’s College London for a joint engagement
The Duchess of Cambridge received a beautiful bouquet of flowers as she left King’s College London following the outing
The Duchess of Cambridge waved as she followed the Queen out of Bush House, King’s College London, today
The Queen perfectly matched her outfit with her pink sapphire and diamond surround brooch, as seen on her coat
The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge spent roughly an hour at Bush House before leaving, pictured
There was much fanfare, with well-wishers crowding outside the gates to the building and some even standing on bollards in the hope of getting a better glimpse of the royals.
Following royal protocol, Kate waited for the Queen to leave the car before exiting the vehicle herself. She continued to walk behind the monarch as they made their way into the building.
The royals were greeted by Lord Christopher Geidt, chairman of King’s and former private secretary to the Queen, her most senior advisor.
He was ousted in a palace coup two years ago but remains close to the monarch.
They were taken up to the eighth floor where they met donors, supporters and old alumni of the university who had contributed to transform the former BBC World Service at Bush House to a new faculty.
The Duchess of Cambridge looked elegant in a Catherine Walker coat, black hat and black heels for the outing
Following protocol, the Duchess of Cambridge walked behind the Queen as they made their way into Bush House
The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge appeared in excellent spirits and smiled as they arrived at Bush House
The Queen brought a splash of colour to proceedings in her pink coat and waved to royal well-wishers as she arrived
The Queen smiled as she stepped out of the car, dressed in a coat by Stewart Parvin and matching Rachel Trevor-Morgan hat
The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge were given a warm welcome as they arrived at King’s College London today
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Queen will be given a tour of some of the facilities of Bush House during the engagement
The Duchess of Cambridge smiled as she stepped out of the car, while the Queen turned her attention to the well-wishers
A crowd gathered to watch the royals drive through the gates into the campus of Bush House, pictured
Outside on the terrace which overlooked central London, Kate and the Queen both remarked on the ‘impressive’ view.
Meeting a group of builders, Kate said: ‘Do you all still get on? What a mammoth project this was.’
But it was meeting staff and students from the university’s robotic section that really captivated the royals. Matthew Howard, head of King’s robot learning lab, said: ‘It’s a sawyer robot and it’s designed to learn skills by copying the behaviour of people.
‘The sensors can be built into clothing and can pick up muscle activity as they can be made with metallic thread. It picks up the EMG muscle activity and transmits it to the robot and tries to copy what the person is doing.
‘Sam was moving his hands so the robot moved its hand. The Duchess grabbed the hand and then Sam tensed his hand so it felt like a handshake.’
As she shook the robotic hand, Kate giggled and said: ‘Very nice to meet you!’. When it gripped her hand back, she laughed and said: ‘So strange’.
The Duchess of Cambridge followed royal protocol by waiting for the Queen to leave the car before exiting herself
The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out in one of her favourite shapes of coat as she joined the Queen in London today
The Duchess of Cambridge wore her new favourite Gianvito Rossi block heels and carried a Mulberry clutch
The Queen’s Rachel Trevor-Morgan features beautiful floral detailing, left and right, which was on display as she arrived
The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge were greeted outside Bush House, the latest edition to the Strand Campus
The Duchess of Cambridge brought a more formal take to her outfit with a hat, which she wouldn’t typically wear on such an outing
The Duchess of Cambridge wore her long brunette locks in soft waves for the outing with the Queen in London today
The Queen looked slightly alarmed when the hand came near her and decided not to grace it with a regal shake.
The royals then went downstairs to meet students in the university’s special trading floor and entrepreneurship section. Kate met entrepreneur Aysha Ingar who has set up an app for Muslim women and Tobi Oredein who has set up a media platform for black women in the UK.
Kate told Aysha and Tobi: ‘I come from an entrepreneurial background and my parents started their own business so I’m all for it. Congratulations and keep going.’
Kate also met medical student Qasim Munye, 22, who has set up an app called Shortly for people who want to read short stories on the go, allowing people to choose a story that suits how much time they have to read.
Kate said: ‘Oh that would be fantastic for the kiddies when it’s bedtime. Particularly for tired parents who want the children to go to sleep.’
The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Bushy House, King’s College London, on Tuesday morning
The Queen climbed out of the car ahead of the Duchess of Cambridge, who followed respectfully behind
The royals were greeted by a crowd of well-wishers who had waited outside the building, hoping to catch a glimpse
The Duchess of Cambridge has rarely attended an engagement with the Queen without her husband the Duke of Cambridge
The Queen, patron of King’s College London, and the Duchess of Cambridge were greeted as they arrived at Bush House
Qassim, from London, said: ‘She mentioned that she thinks it would be good for her children before they go to sleep, to enable to set the time of the book.’
Mr Munye said he is now going to think about adding stories for children to the app.
They ended their visit in the development’s new auditorium, where the Queen, who is patron of the university, unveiled a plaque, formally opening Bush House, before signing the visitor’s book alongside Kate.
Lord Geidt, who also went to King’s as a student, made a short speech and gave the Queen a gift of book of royal photographs.
King’s Principal Prof Edward Byrne said: ‘It’s a huge honour to have Her Majesty and Her Royal Highness here. The University was founded by King George IV in 1829 and has always been associated with the Royal Family since as the monarch has always been our patron.
‘It’s a day that staff and students will remember for the rest of their lives. Both HM and HRH really enjoyed meeting students from all over the world, those who have established their own businesses through the entrepreneurship institute and those in the robotics section.
‘The duchess has a special interest in young people and has supported some of our mental health projects at King’s.’
Later, Kate visited the Foundling Museum to understand how it uses art to make a positive contribution to society by engaging with vulnerable and marginalised young people.
The museum tells the history of the Foundling Hospital, the UK’s first children’s charity and public art gallery.
Kate, who visited the museum in 2017, is expected to view Bedrooms of London, a photography exhibition that documents the living conditions of London’s most disadvantaged children.
The Duchess of Cambridge joined the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on an outing to Leicester in March 2012, pictured