First signs of the royal baby bump on show

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge meets a finalist in the child champion award. Photo / Getty

The Duchess of Cambridge was all smiles with a very visible baby bump as she welcomed charity guests to Kensington Palace for a reception and awards ceremony thrown on behalf of a mental health charity.

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Kate, who is around four months pregnant with her second child, wore a pretty spotted black top by High Street store Hobbs - which has long since sold out - and a skirt by designer Jenny Packham. She also had a wide belt clinched around her still slender waist.

She was joined at the Kensington Palace State Apartments by visitors her children's mental health charity Place2Be for their first ever Wellbeing in Schools Awards.

The Duchess, 32, arrived for the reception at the Queen's Gallery at 6.20pm, leaving her son, Prince George, with his father and nanny next door, and was introduced to Place2Be Chief Executive Benita Refson.

Writing a foreword in the event programme, Kate described the awards as recognition for the "wonderful" work in children's emotional health.

"The commitment, dedication and hard work that is going in across the schools involved with Place2Be is truly humbling, and to reconise that feels incredibly important."

Kate and William moved into the central London Kensington Palace a year ago, spending £4.5 million of taxpayers money on renovations on Apartment 1A, Princess Margaret's former home.

Guests will not get to see their private home, but the State Apartments for public events and entertaining are just a stone's throw from the apartment, meaning the Duchess didn't have far to go for her engagement.

- Daily Mail