Kate and William drink beers and play football at Newmarket Racecourse

Kate and William enjoyed a beer and a quick kickabout during a visit to Newmarket Racecourse.

The Duke and Duchess traveled to the famous racecourse for the first-ever Cambridgeshire County Day.

The royal couple were greeted with cheers and applause from onlookers before taking part in a football match where they attempted to kick a ball at a goal.

Kate joked with the crowd that she might find it difficult as she was “wearing wedges”.

Prince William could be seen cheering for her as she took the shot in her platform shoes.

After it was her turn, the Duchess shook hands with a boy who had played in front of her and said: “You did better than me”.

The couple also sampled chocolate and an anniversary beer before meeting the public while walking around a variety of stalls.

The event featured stands from 120 exhibitors from Cambridgeshire’s businesses, charities, communities and public sector.

Kate spotted a woman holding a child and asked if she could hold her.

The baby’s mother, Marianne Provoost, who has traveled from the Netherlands to watch the races, said the Duchess asked to hold her child, saying: “I love babies”.

Her daughter, four-month-old Norah, was returned to her and Ms Provoost told the Duchess: “Enjoy your day and enjoy your children”.

Earlier in the day, the couple visited the Milton branch of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), which was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales in 1989.

Kate was presented with a bouquet of flowers by 15-year-old Chloe Bowes, who has a neurological condition called bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria.

The Duchess, who has been Patron of EACH for 10 years, donned a floral face mask as she entered the hospice.

William joined her as they met three families who use the charity’s services, including 12-year-old James Hall, who has a genetic connective tissue disorder.

Kate put her hand on James’ knee as she spoke to his mother Claire and older brother Henry.

The Duke and Duchess were then greeted by Kirsty and Gary Carlin, whose four-year-old daughter Libby slept on the floor next to them.

On the day of the Duke and Duchess in Cambridgeshire, they also paid a surprise visit to Cambridge University’s Fitzwilliam Museum to unveil a newly commissioned royal portrait.

The dazzling painting is the first of themselves as a couple.

William is pictured in a black suit with a white shirt and blue tie, while Kate wears Vampire’s Wife’s emerald green dress, which she wore on a visit to Ireland in 2020.

The painting by award-winning artist Jamie Coreth was commissioned last year as a gift to the people of Cambridgeshire.

It will be on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum for the next three years.

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