Kate fans, stand by, it’s the moment we all (OK, regular readers of the Royalist then) have all been waiting for; the future Queen is to carry out her first official public engagement tonight since the birth of Prince George. And, far from hiding from the limelight, a Kensington Palace statement this morning about William leaving the army indicated that we could expect to see more than ever of Kate at official functions and duties.
Will she dazzle in McQueen or shimmer in Issa? One thing seems certain - she won't be wearing a recycled gown tonight. Even Kate can't be back to pre-baby shape in just seven weeks - can she?
William and Kate will together attend an awards ceremony tonight in central London for the wildlife conservation charity Tusk Trust, of which William is patron, recognising outstanding figures from the world of wildlife conservation.
Kate’s appearance tonight confirms chatter that the Royalist has been hearing that Kate is coping well with motherhood, and is not suffering from baby blues, as Kate’s office initially cleared her diary till the end of the year. Tonight’s event will be very different in tone from the afternoon two weeks ago when Kate decided at the last minute to join her husband for a low-key engagement in Wales ringing the starting bell for an ultra-marathon.
On that occasion, Carole was given the job of babysitting and it seems likely she will be called on again today.
Two awards will be presented, a lifetime achievement honour named after the duke and another recognising an up-and-coming conservationist.
The ceremony is being filmed for a new documentary to be shown by CNN on Sunday, in which William is seen weeping as he watches footage of a poached rhino dying and says he has become much more emotional since the birth of his son.