Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, was going solo this week during the Queen's reception for the NATO leaders in Buckingham Palace. While Prince William was in the Middle East for a royal tour, Kate was helping Queen Elizabeth welcome the guests that included U.S. President Donald Trump and the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
While the duchess mingled with the Queen's distinguished guests, Kate spent more time chatting up Trudeau. According to reports, the duchess and the PM appeared to enjoy each other's company as they chatted animatedly, and sometimes with seriousness, during the reception at Buckingham.
Kate and Trudeau built a strong friendship, along with Prince William, following the Cambridge royals' visit to Canada in 2016. While there, Kate and Prince William spent a lot of time with Trudeau and his wife, Sophie.
Meanwhile, the Duchess didn't have any photos with Trump or his wife, First Lady Melania Trump. The Mercury News reported that she might have avoided contact with the Trumps altogether, preferring instead to speak and hang out with the Canadian prime minister.
Over in Middle East, Prince William came aboard one of the ships the British is trying to protect from Iran. The Duke was at the Strait of Hormuz to express his support for the troops in this busy but controversial trade route.
Prince William was on the boat for 15 minutes before sailing off on a navy speedboat. A convoy of Omani and British navy operatives ensured that the second in line to the throne was safe as they crossed the channel.
Prince William, who left for the Middle East on the day of the NATO reception, landed in Kuwait and headed to Oman. His visit to the Gulf region is supposed to highlight the environmental problems in this part of the world's ecosystem.
Back home in Kensington, Kate spent the day after the NATO reception at the Peterley Manor Farm to help some kids and families pick a Christmas tree. A little boy who kept saying, "Me! me!" caught the interest of the duchess at he reminded her of Prince Louis, her youngest baby.
She said Prince Louis also loves to say "Me! Me!" and follows the duchess wherever she is around their palace. According to the people who were there, Kate had such a connection with the children, and she's quite the saleswoman for convincing families which good trees to get.
