Kate Middleton impresses young artist with ‘body strength’ on latest royal engagement

The Duchess of Cambridge lifted heavy equipment during a visit to a London centre for young artists in celebration of Windrush Day

Kate Middleton shows off ‘body strength’ on royal engagement
(Image credit: Getty)

Kate Middleton impressed a young artist during her visit to a youth center in London yesterday, after proving she's got the strength to pull off impromptu manual labor when she needs to. 


Kate Middleton's love for the arts was well and truly on display on Wednesday, as the royal utilized her impressive 'body strength' to participate in an impromptu camera workshop at a youth center in Brixton, southeast London. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dropped into ELEVATE yesterday, an organization that supports young creatives to cultivate their talents by offering a range of free courses and facilities. Their engagement saw them meet numerous members of the British-Caribbean community in honor of Windrush Day, which marks the generation of Afro-Caribbean people who emigrated to the UK between 1948 and 1971. 

Kate took inspiration from Meghan Markle's all white outfit at the Invictus Games for the event with an elegant white fitted suit, while Prince William showed up in one of his signature suit and tie ensembles. 

Kate

(Image credit: Getty)

To cover as much ground as possible during the visit, the couple split up and spoke to people on an individual basis. 

Kate was particularly interested in Davinia Clarke, a 22-year-old visual artist holding an impressive camera with a shoulder rig. The illustrator kindly gave the duchess a quick demo of how to operate the pricey equipment, having learned how to use it correctly herself on a course run by the social enterprise, Iconic Steps. 

Kate, who released her Covid-19-inspired Hold Still photography book last year, eagerly participated in the lesson as reporters watched on. Despite seeming to find the task a little cumbersome at first, the 40-year-old persevered and appeared to thoroughly enjoy the novelty of maneuvering the professional device. 

A video of the duchess trying to steady the camera and asking her tutor about its magnifying controls has since circulated online. 

Clarke later revealed that Kate Middleton joked, “You need a lot of upper body strength," after realizing the weight of the equipment. The UAL student also explained that the duchess "wanted to understand how to put it on and how to move it around." 

“She was up for it and she did better than me,” Clarke added. “It’s really heavy, she was good." 

It shouldn't come as a surprise to royal fans that the Duchess was able to lift the camera. The mother-of-three reportedly adheres to a strict healthy lifestyle, with Kate Middleton's diet fuelling an intense exercise regime that keeps her super-fit into her 40s.

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.