Kate tries out key part of 'commoner' life

Kate Middleton has today tried out one of the most defining parts of life as a 'commoner'; the morning commute.

The Duchess of Cambridge travelled from London to Norfolk via public transport to attend a royal engagement, hopping onto a Wherry Lines train to make the journey.

The line is supported by the Community Rail Partnership, a UK grassroots movement that promotes social inclusion and sustainable travel, causes Kate would likely support.

Packed in with regular commuters, Kate likely looked a little out of place in her vibrant Oscar de la Renta skirt suit, but it seems the royal had a fairly run of the mill journey.

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She was snapped by fans stepping off the train in Norfolk before heading to The Nook children's hospice nearby, where she met with families who receive care and support there.

One mum, Naomi Wright, became emotional while speaking to the duchess about her four-year-old son Rupert, whose rare diagnosis of Hunter syndrome seriously affects him and his family.

But Kate was quick to comfort the fellow mum, embracing her when Naomi began to cry.

"I unfortunately cried, so I got a little hug, and it was quite emotional," Naomi told Town and Country magazine.

"She's a mum herself and you get that sense of, she does understand… this is something that means a lot to her."

Kate has been involved with The Nook for half a decade now, originally launching a public fundraising appeal for the centre in 2014 that saw almost $19 million raised for the hospice.

In the last years she has made several private visits to the centre, as well as visiting families the charity supports in their own homes according to the charity's outgoing Chief Executive Graham Butland.

Today she returned to the hospice publicly to officially open a new state-of-the-art facility there, including a hydrotherapy pool, sensory room, and music studio.