Kate Middleton Makes First Solo Appearance Since Australian Tour (PHOTOS)

By Emma Koonse, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Kate Middleton made her first solo appearance since the widely reported royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in April while at the National Maritime Museum this week.

For the first time since April, the Duchess of Cambridge fulfilled a royal engagement without her husband, Prince William, on Tuesday, June 10. The 31-year-old was greeted by thousands of fans before attending a breakfast with sailor Ben Ainslie. The Olympic gold-medalist will lead Britain's bid for the 35th America's Cup in 2017, according to Reuters.

"It's a huge challenge, there's no doubt about it," Ainslie told reporters of his goals to lead the U.K. to its first win since the competition began in 1851, reported Reuters.

Middleton was dressed in an appropriate nautical-themed dress by Jaeger paired with suede blue high heels during the event, according to the Daily Mail. The Duchess' first solo appearance arrives over a month after a three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia with her husband, William, and son, Prince George. The visit is said to be one of many more engagements for the royal family this summer, as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as Prince Harry have taken on an "upsurge" in appearances.

"We have got a really busy program actually for both of them and Prince Harry," said an aide to the royals, according to People. "There will be a significant upsurge in engagements."

Just last week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined world leaders including Queen Elizabeth and President Obama in honoring the 70th anniversary of D-Day in France. The royal couple was first greeted by the Mayor of Arromanches and a naval attache before examining exhibits in the D-Day Museum and attending the D-Day Commemoration Ceremony honoring the veterans who stormed the beaches of northern France during the Cold War.

Meanwhile, Middleton's solo appearance Tuesday arrived just weeks after a German publication drew ire by posting a photo of the Duchess' bare bottom after wind had blown up her skirt in Australia. While reports suggested that Prince William and the royal family were "furious" over the photo, the Duchess of Cambridge appeared in high spirits along her visit to Greenwich.