Prince William and Kate Middleton step in for the Queen as Her Majesty declares, 'I couldn't be more proud'

Prince William and Kate Middleton filled in for the Queen at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference as the Queen continues to rest after her brief hospital stay led her to pull out of the event.

• Prince William and Kate have stepped in for the Queen at the COP26 Summit.
• This appearance from the royal couple signaled their future position in the royal family as leading members of the monarchy.
• In other royal news, Queen spotted driving around her estate for the first time in weeks after hospital stay.

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge attended the COP26 Summit in place of the Queen who was unable to attend.

Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen had a short stay at King Edward VII's Hospital in London on October, 21. Following her hospital stay, the Queen pulled out of the COP 26 which officially started on November 1, 2021.

Kate and William appeared to be happy to step in for the Queen and were also accompanied by Prince Charles and Camilla the Duchess of  Cornwall.

The members of the royal family and other world leaders gathered to watch a video message from the Queen. 

In the speech, the Queen said, "It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet, lives on through the work of our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William. I could not be more proud of them." 

Prince William and Kate appeared to be charming and entertaining as they chatted with a variety of world leaders including Angela Merkel and Boris Johnson. 

Aside from their formal duties, the royals also appeared to joke around with the guests and made some of them giggle as Kate jokingly offered her husband some larvae to eat from a plastic container. 

The royals showed that although the COP26 plays a very important role, there is no reason that the leaders can't laugh and share a good evening with one another as they unite for an important cause.

The Queen missed the summit due to her health and in her recorded speech she addressed her own mortality as she announced, 'none of us will live forever.' Although this was in relation to climate change and the effects that will be a problem primarily for the younger generation, this was also a poignant point about Her Majesty's own health.

Following her health scare, Her Majesty was unable to walk her dogs and the Queen missed church for the first time in years. As well as stepping in to cover for Her Majesty, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also reached out to the Queen while she was recovering.

Kate Middleton's sweet gesture to the Queen took the form of homemade cards from Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis that were sent to their great-grandmother.