Down to earth duchess! Catherine beams in show-stopping purple skirt suit

The Duchess of Cambridge is rarely seen without a broad smile on her face and is loved among royal fans for her warm nature. These traits were on full display on Friday as she stepped out in Norfolk to officially open a new children’s hospice in the region.

Meeting with children and families being supported by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) – of which she is royal patron – the 37-year-old duchess smiled warmly as she chatted with parents about the tough realities of having a child who requires hospice-level care.

The mother-of-three also interacted sweetly with several of the children being supported by EACH and, according to the Daily Mail, complimented one young girls’ pigtails, telling her: “I love your plaits. My daughter Charlotte loves plaits too but her hair is only this long so we have to do them up at the side.”

Catherine looked sensational for the outing, opting to recycle one of her tried and tested outfits for the touching engagement. She looked beautiful in the Oscar De La Renta two-piece, which comprised of a smart peplum jacket and pleated skirt in a vibrant shade of purple.

The duchess completed the elegant look with a pair of opaque stockings, no doubt to keep out the British winter cold, a pair of block heeled shoes and a small black leather clutch bag.

She wore her hair down in a loose, lightly curled style and, as always, kept her make-up to a minimum, showing off her natural beauty.

As she arrived at the brand new £10 million (AU$18.9 million) Nook children’s hospice, Kate beamed and waved to onlookers, before spending time speaking to families and young children outside of the new facility. She was also given a tour of the facility.

Speaking to the Mail, one mother described Catherine as “down to earth and lovely” and revealed how she had spent time speaking to her young daughter.

Catherine also delivered a speech during the outing, with footage being shared on the Kensington Royal Instagram account.

“You have created here at The Nook a nurturing, caring environment that allows families who are going through the unimaginable the ability to spend precious quality time with each other, comforted in the knowledge that their children are being looked after in the best possible way,” she said at the opening.

“EACH was one of the very first charities that I decided to become Patron of after my marriage. Whilst a lot has changed since then, my commitment and support for this wonderful organisation and the work that you do has not.”