Kate Middleton likely made a little girl's year at Royal Ascot this week. The Princess of Wales arrived at the prestigious event in Berkshire on Wednesday in a carriage with her husband, Prince William, and the Duke and Duchess of Richmond and Gordon.
As the royals chatted away in their seats on the racecourse grounds, crowds gathered to get a glimpse of the future king and queen. This included a young girl, who, among the voices feigning to get the royals' attention, called out for the princess.
While at first Kate seemed to miss the shoutout, she soon heard the youngster calling 'Princess Kate!' and turned around to greet her. And, thanks to social media, a video of the sweet moment has now been shared online.
The footage shows Kate, who was wearing a yellow dress (reported to cost £1,095 from the label Roksanda) and a butter yellow hat, seemingly making eye contact with the little girl, who was out of shot.
Kate then laughed and said: 'I can still see you,' which suggests the shy child had hidden from view, perhaps behind her parent. After the adorable interaction, the crowd could also be heard laughing, before Kate turned back around to carry on with the conversation.
The video was posted to a social media account dedicated to the royal family, and on TikTok, has since attracted almost 33,000 views. It was shared with the caption: 'Princess Catherine: such a wonderfully gentle touch. That simple warmth really does melt the heart.'
Plenty of royal fans quickly took to the comments section to praise the future queen for her humility, too. 'Adorable!!!!! Kate loves children,' one person penned, while another said: 'She's so beautiful and kind.'
Aside from talking about the wholesome moment, many others complimented Kate's outfit. 'She's stunning in that yellow dress,' a different fan said, as someone else echoed: 'That dress looks stunning on her.'
Kate and William weren't the only royals in attendance at Ascot. King Charles and Queen Camilla were also spotted at the event in the royal box. The monarchs slightly coordinated their outfits, with Charles wearing a grey suit, cream waistcoat, and silvery blue tie, as Camilla donned a hat and floral dress in the same shades.
The king's sister, Princess Anne, was also among the royal guests, not to mention Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, also made an appearance alongside her daughter-in-law, financial analyst Alizée Thevenet, who is married to her son, James Middleton. Meanwhile, ex-England manager Gareth Southgate was pictured laughing with the Princess of Wales at one point. Also bagging a seat in the royal box, the now Sir Gareth enjoyed the day of racing with the royals.
