The Princess of Wales visited children at a Welsh hospice 'as a friend, not a royal' and formed instant connections by 'making them smile', a body language expert has said. Kate, 43, began her first royal 'away day' since 2023 with a heartwarming visit to Tŷ Hafan - the oldest Welsh children's hospice - in Sully near Cardiff, as she officially over its patronage from King Charles. After she was greeted by a member of the charity's staff, Kate made a beeline for the young children inside as the mother-of-three exuded warmth and friendliness during her interactions with them.

Speaking to FEMAIL, body language expert Judi James noted how her 'immersive' demeanour helped 'create instant rapport' with the children and their parents as Kate appeared visibly moved by her interactions this morning. 'She crouches down on the ground as low as possible to meet eye-to-eye with the very smallest children for what looks like a long time, and we can see her fun, open-mouth expressions are aimed at making them smile,' Ms James explained.

Photos from Kate's visit this morning showed her holding hands with the children, who have life-limiting conditions, kneeling beside them while asking about their interests, and joining in a hand-painting session as well. Reflecting on the princess' interactions, Ms James added: 'Her touch rituals look very gentle with these unwell children but the way she reaches out to touch them or hold their hands projects caring and warmth.

'She makes this look less like a royal visit and more like a visit from a friend or relative.'. The Princess of Wales, 43, visited children at a Welsh hospice on Thursday 'as a friend, not a royal' and formed instant connections by 'making them smile', a body language expert has said. Kate began her first royal 'away day' since 2023 with a heartwarming visit to Tŷ Hafan - the oldest Welsh children's hospice - in Sully near Cardiff, as she officially over its patronage from King Charles.

Kate made a beeline for the young children inside as the mother-of-three exuded warmth and friendliness during her interactions with them. Kate later praised the work of Tŷ Hafan in a post on the official X/Twitter account of Kensington Palace, writing that 'love, empathy, and kindness' was at the heart of the charity's mission. She described her visit as 'incredibly moving' before adding: 'Seeing the care and compassion provided to children with life-shortening conditions, and to their families.'.

While at the hospice, Kate met a young girl who uses a wheelchair, and who was dressed in pink and had her hair in pigtails for the occasion. 'What do you like doing when you're here?' the princess asked, before the girl replied to explain she enjoyed music. Kate then asked: 'Have you played any of the instruments?' and picked up a rattle before giving it a little shake. The little girl erupted in giggles and went on to demonstrate her percussion playing on a xylophone.

She was also overheard discussing 'challenging' times for families as she spoke with parents whose children have received care from the hospice. Catherine had joined children at a 'stay and play' fun-filled event after Kensington Palace donated musical instruments - and admitted her own children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would have 'loved' the activities. Walking into the room where children were entertained by a guitarist, she said: 'This is very vibrant.'.

Photos from Kate's visit this morning showed her holding hands with the children, who have life-limiting conditions, kneeling beside them while asking about their interests, and joining in a hand-painting session as well. Like her father-in-law, King Charles, who visited the hospice in 2018, Kate also created a handprint artwork (above). Smiling Catherine crouched down to speak to Dani-Rae, 3, and asked: 'What do you like doing here? Are you having a good time? Are you singing songs?.

She shook some maracas and asked: 'Do you like playing any instruments?'. The mother-of-three also warmly chatted with parents and carers asking: 'Are there any places like this in the community?'. She also joined in the games rolling a sparkly ball along the floor and asked Dani-Rae: 'Are you going to meet your friends? You're gonna stay here? It's really nice to meet you.'. She sat with Felix, 12, and listened to how he was being cared for at the hospice, saying: 'This is a really calm place.'.

And she spoke to the family of Maisie, 16, about what she enjoys about coming to the hospice. While speaking to Savanah-Blu, 5, she tenderly placed her hand on her left knee. She later asked the parents and carers: 'How much has the support here helped her?'. Catherine had joined children at a 'stay and play' fun-filled event after Kensington Palace donated musical instruments - and admitted her own children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would have 'loved' the activities.