The Duchess of Cambridge has at long last decided to take on more public duties by agreeing to become patron of three charities.
Kate, 31, who is expecting her first child in July, will support and carry out public engagements on behalf of Place2Be, SportsAid and The Natural History Museum.
It is traditional for members of the Royal Family to take on charitable patronages in the UK as part of their public work.
In effect, they become a figurehead for that organisation which can, particularly in the Duchess’s case, have an enormous effect on its public profile and ability to fundraise.
Since she married Prince William two years ago, organisations the length and breadth of the country have clamoured to get the glamorous royal on board.
But Kate has resisted calls for her take on a large number of patronages - the Queen Mother, for example, represented more than 800 charities at the time of her death - in favour of selecting a handful that she feel she can get to know intimately. She feels this will help her to serve them better.
Place2Be provides school-based offers support services for more than 67,000 children in 175 schools across some of the most deprived areas of the UK, dealing with issues including bullying, bereavement, domestic violence, family breakdown, neglect and trauma.
Hot property: Charities have been clamouring for Kate Middleton to become a patron since she married Prince William two years ago
Family tradition: Both Princess Diana, left, and the Queen Mother, right, were patrons of hundreds of charities
Welcome boost: Schools-based charity Place2Be helps children in deprived areas with a range of problems from bullying to domestic violence
SportsAid, meanwhile, helps young athletes to achieve their ambitions by giving them cash awards during the critical early years of their careers to meet essential costs, such as travel, training, accommodation, competition fees and equipment.
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At the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, almost two-thirds of the British team were former recipients of SportAid’s support, including Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Sarah Storey, Sir Bradley Wiggins, David Weir CBE, Rebecca Adlington OBE, Ellie Simmonds OBE, Jessica Ennis CBE, Tom Daley and Mo Farah CBE.
Tim Lawler, the charity’s chief executive said: ‘This is fantastic news for young sports people throughout the UK and especially for those who hope one day to represent the country at the highest level of their sport.’
SportsAid alumna Rebecca Adlington OBE added: ‘This is just brilliant news. What a fantastic boost to SportsAid’s work with our next generation of talent. It will certainly help to maintain a living legacy from London 2012.’
The SportsAid charity has supported several of Britain's Olympic heroes in the early stages of their career including Sir Chris Hoy
Winning partnership: Almost two-thirds of the British team at the London Olympics, including Bradley Wiggins, were former recipients of SportsAid
Finally, London’s Natural History Museum is an award-winning tourist attraction and also world-leading science research centre.
It is home to the world’s largest and most important natural history collection, with more than 70 million specimens.
Last year, the Duchess opening the Museum’s Treasures exhibition - where she described the museum as ‘a very special place in the heart of this nation’ -and visited, along with her husband, Museum scientists researching rainforest biodiversity in Borneo.
A spokesman for the Duchess said he was hopeful that she would undertake both private and public visits across the UK to these organisations in the coming months.
Kate, who is around six months pregnant, is due to carry out several public engagements in the coming days, including a visit to the new Harry Potter attraction in Hertfordshire next Friday where she will be given a wand lesson with her husband and brother-in-law, Prince Harry.
Tourist's favourite: The Natural History Museum in London is one of Britain's most popular attraction