Ryan Dunn

By PAUL HARRIS

Smiling and waving for the crowds, Kate Middleton performed adeptly on her first official appearance

IT wasn’t exactly an event on the scale of a royal wedding, and as walkabouts go, probably not too testing either.

Even the boat she launched was a humble inflatable – hardly the Ark Royal.

But for a certain Miss Catherine Middleton, yesterday was a crucially important milestone in the life of a princess in waiting.

With a dazzling smile (and a craftily cut-down herringbone overcoat) she launched herself on the royal stage with the kind of confidence few might have expected from someone so new to public duty.

Why, she even looked as if she was enjoying it.

Royal role: Kate Middleton, right, greets children as Princess Diana did. Left the Princess of Wales meets Bosnian children in 1997

This was Kate’s first official public engagement alongside Prince William and their formal debut in Anglesey, where they will make their home.

And after naming a lifeboat that she christened with champagne, the Prince, perhaps appropriately, threw her in at the metaphorical deep end.

But within seconds, she appeared to have charmed a crowd of more than 1,000 people, who had been waiting hours in a cold and blustery wind for a glimpse of the couple – and, in particular, for a peek at the bride-to-be.

Support from the Prince: Kate performed admirably on her first Royal appointment

Praise: Kate Middleton looked every inch a Royal as Prince William addressed the crowd at the Trearddur Bay Lifeboat Station

THE £16,000 DINGHY LAUNCHED BY KATE AND WILLS
The 25ft-long Hereford Endeavour launched by Kate and Wills costs £160,000 and is one of the RNLI’s most advanced craft, with a tough carbon-fibre hull and capable of 35 knots – 40 mph.

Carrying four crew and with room for 20 survivors, it has special engines that work even after a capsize.

Stunning: Kate's chocolate-brown bespoke headpiece was handcrafted by Salisbury-based Vivien Sheriff. Designed this year, it is decorated with feathers and military button

Big smile: 2,000 people turned up for the launch of the lifeboat and to see the Royal couple

Blustery: Kate Middleton had to brave strong winds and grey skies as she visited the North Wales RNLI base but, right, she sang the Welsh national anthem perfectly

Kate prepares to douse the bow of the new Hereford Endeavour with champagne as William watches on

Prince William applauds as Kate Middleton pours champagne over the new lifeboat. The bottle was not smashed, as is tradition, because the vessel is inflatable