The Palace said the visit was planned to "showcase the city's vibrant arts scene and engineering talent." Keith Merrin, chief executive of Sunderland Culture, added: “The timing of the royal visit couldn’t have been better, with so much happening already in the city’s cultural sector and some exciting news to be announced in the coming months.”
William and Kate's first stop was The Fire Station, one of Sunderland’s most iconic buildings, recently converted into a music and arts hub.
On arrival, the couple met members of the local community.
William and Kate have taken the time to speak to fans in Sunderland-they’ll now take a tour of the Fire Station Arts Centre #HeartNews pic.twitter.com/AtZNcqwKv3— Heart NE News (@HeartNENews) February 21, 2018
William greeted a very important guest, Jane, 101 years old!
Jayne told Kate her brother used to work at the Fire Station.
The Fire Station houses a dance studio, drama studio and a heritage centre. A £3.5m transformation was completed last year thanks to a £2.4m Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The building stood empty for 22 years before becoming a significant part of the Music, Arts and Culture Trust’s plans to create a £10m cultural quarter centred on The Fire Station and an adjacent new £8m auditorium, where work will commence soon.
The Station is also home to popular bar and eatery 'The Engine Room'.
They watched a Bollywood dancers performance.
Will and Kate have entered The Fire Station and are watching a Bollywood dance #Royalvisit pic.twitter.com/vtUt8BJSDc— Sophie Brownson (@SBrownsonJP) February 21, 2018
Applause for the talented young performers.
William and Kate met Little Inventors - a terrific project turning children's inventions into reality.
The Duke and Duchess unveiled a plaque.
Their next stop was The Engine Room.
Kate meeting staff.
The couple met young people.
Kate got a Henna flower tattoo on her hand.
Richard Palmer said she also took some bindi for Princess Charlotte to wear on her forehead.
Kate gets some body art done - a henna flower design that will last a couple of days. pic.twitter.com/hp585WS0FG— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) February 21, 2018
More from the Mail Online:
'Chatting to a group from Young Asian Voices at the Fire Station Arts Centre, Kate asked if one of the girls would draw a henna design on her hand. The Duchess seemed delighted when Shajida Begum, 18, drew a black flower with a swirl.
Miss Begum said: 'I said 'Would you like a design?' and she was like 'Yes, if you don't mind'. 'She was saying that it was really pretty. 'I was just telling her how it works. I was telling her when she can wash it off - I said 'when it becomes flakey'. Kate also asked the girls for a pack of bindis, which she said she wanted for her daughter Charlotte.'
Below we see the tattoo.
Next, The Duke and Duchess travelled to see the Northern Spire, an ambitious and striking new bridge over the River Wear.
The Duchess arrived sporting her new tattoo.
William and Kate adhered to safety regulations wearing safety glasses, hard hats and high visibility jackets.
We're used to seeing Kate in hats by Jane Taylor and Lock & Co. Before you all ask at once... Kate's hard hat was supplied by Sunderland City Council :)
The 1,550-tonne pylon structure is twice as high as Nelson’s Column and taller than Big Ben's clock tower. It weighs the equivalent of 125 double decker buses.
As a Sunderland City Council project, Northern Spire is a key part of a wider transport plan to improve links between the Port of Sunderland and the city centre with the A19. It will help attract new jobs and investment and will be the catalyst for major economic and regeneration benefits to Sunderland and the region.
William tightened a bolt on the new bridge.
The Duke tightens a bolt on the brand new bridge. 🔧— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 21, 2018
The #NorthernSpire is due to open in the spring and will be the tallest structure in the North East of England. pic.twitter.com/GVY2G5f2zh
William joked: "We'll walk away and the bolt will drop out".
They met construction workers and engineers who made the bridge a reality.
William and Kate met local children whose generation will benefit from the bridge in the future.
Kate's dress is by her go-to maternity brand Seraphine. The Phaedra Woven Maternity dress is described as "Dress is a classic choice for every stage of pregnancy. Made in soft woven fabric, the flattering A-line shape drapes beautifully over your figure, while a curved empire waist highlights your slimmest point." With thanks to the lovely Susan from What Kate Wore for the swift ID!
The Duchess wore her Tod's pumps.
Kate changed into her Russell & Bromley HalfNHalf boots at the bridge.
Kate carried her green Emmy suede clutch.
The Duchess accessorised with her Mappin & Webb Empress earrings.
And her trusty Cartier Ballon Bleu watch.
I always enjoy the 'away days' and today was certainly no exception. William and Kate appeared to enjoy every moment of their time in Sunderland. We leave you with another great photo from James Whatling!
Kate has three engagements scheduled for next week.
27 February - The Duchess will visit the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to learn more about the College’s global health programmes to reduce maternal and newborn mortality worldwide, and will attend a roundtable discussion on tackling the stigma around women’s health.
Later that day, Kate will visit St Thomas' Hospital to officially launch a campaign to promote nursing worldwide. Her Royal Highness will visit a specialist ward, take part in a roundtable discussion and deliver a speech to mark the launch of the Nursing Now campaign.
28 February - The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of the National Portrait Gallery, will visit the exhibition 'Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography'. Forming the Gallery's first Patron's Trail, Kate has selected images from the exhibition for which she has written personal captions that will be displayed alongside the photographs. The Duchess has also written a foreword to the exhibition catalogue.
I imagine Kate will be going on maternity leave very soon. We don't know when the baby is due in April, but it seems safe to assume she's nearing the 8 month stage now.
