Kate Middleton dished out life tips to schoolgirls after a day of meeting teens affected by mental health woes and homelessness.
The Duchess of Cambridge encouraged youngsters to eat and sleep well while a group of pupils were left dazed by a “real life princess”.
Kate and William’s second day of their State visit began with a trip to a mental health charity while hundreds of fans queued at Temple Bar in Dublin to get a glimpse of the royal couple.
Fiona Hickey anxiously waited to see the mum of three who she described as her “inspiration”. This isn’t the first time the Dublin woman has queued to see the Duchess having flown over to the couple’s wedding in 2011.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, an emotional Fiona said: “I think it’s fantastic Kate has come to Ireland.
“I was lucky to be at their wedding, I travelled to London with one of my daughter’s so I’m especially privileged to see them visit Ireland.
“And to visit a mental health charity which is so important to them and to all of us.
“I just love the royals in general, I’m particularly fond of William and Kate and the late Princess Diana. I actually flew over for Diana’s funeral too when she passed away.”
The Duchess, dressed in a cream Reiss coat, left some teens star-struck at charity Jigsaw.
Alex Rohan, 18, from Finglas, North Dublin, said: “It was surreal, you see them all over the media but to see them in person was crazy and they were so normal and chatted to us.”
Manager James Barry said the Duchess asked questions about young people’s experiences with mental health services here and was curious if there was still a stigma attached to mental wellbeing.
He noticed how Kate “has a real natural interest and put all the young people at ease”. After a brief walk down Love Lane where some of the youths have written positive messages on wall tiles, the Duke and Duchess made their way to another important pit stop.
The VIPs paid a visit to a residential facility run by the social justice charity Extern in Clane, Co Kildare.
The organisation supports young people with a range of issues from homelessness to dealing with drug and alcohol addiction.
Both William and Kate popped to a local Londis shop where 200 fans waited, some lucky to take a selfie with the future king and queen.
The couple bought leeks and some brown bread before rolling up their sleeves and donning aprons while prepping vegetables to make soup.
William also took an interest in a batch of cookie dough mix, making sure there were enough chocolate chips for the batter.
The royals also managed to squeeze in some table tennis.
They were gifted handmade bunting for their own children Charlotte, four, Louis, one, and six-year-old George by some of the 2,000 service users of the charity.
Another group of excited sixth class school kids from Kiltale National School in Co Meath had the opportunity to listen to Kate’s advice about the importance of healthy eating and getting lots of sleep.
They waited for the royals at the Teagasc grounds in Grange where Kate wore an outfit by Irish designer Dubarry for the first time on her trip.
The Cambridges met beef researchers and farmers who spoke to the pair about sustainable farming.
While 12-year-old schoolgirl Rachel Mulligan could be heard telling the couple Ireland “have the best cattle in the world because they’re grass fed and not kept in sheds”.
Evelyn Donoghue and Caoilin Murray, both 12, from Kiltale, said they would love to be a princess one day.
The Duchess told principal Eileen O’Reilly she would love to return to Ireland with her three children for a cycling tour in the countryside.
Last night William delivered a powerful speech at a reception at the Museum of Literature Ireland hosted by Tanaiste Simon Coveney in Dublin.
The future king said his family were “determined to protect, preserving and strengthening” the bond between both the UK and Ireland. He added: “Growing up, I remember seeing the Troubles which affected so many people across the UK and Ireland.
“Today, our relationship goes far beyond two countries that are simply neighbours.
“As we look ahead to some changes in our relationship, we must never forget how far we have come together in recent decades in transforming the relationships across our two islands.”
Today the royals will be in Galway where they are expected to visit a Salthill Knocknacarra GAA and some local businesses.
