Kate Middleton marked a big milestone of her career as a royal earlier today. The Duchess of Cambridge gave her first public speech solo at the opening of the East Anglia Children's Hospice outside London.
"I am only sorry that William can't be here today. He would love it here," she says about her husband, Prince William. "A view of his -- that I share -- is that through teamwork, so much can be achieved. What you have all achieved is extraordinary."
Middleton, 30, wrote the speech herself and delivered it in front of 600 attendees. Wearing a blue Reiss belted dress (that was actually borrowed from her mother's closet!), the new member of the Royal Family says she was impressed with the way the charity's hospice had created a welcoming environment.
"Far from being a clinical depressing place for sick children, it was a home. Most importantly, it was a family home, a happy place of stability, support and care. It was a place of fun," she says. "The feelings you inspire -- feelings of love and of hope -- offer a chance to families to live a life they never thought could be possible."
After the speech, Middleton helped pack some soil around a new tree planted on the children's hospice's grounds. People reports that she told one guest, "I find doing speeches nerve wrecking."
