Kate visits the hospital where she was born during final leg of Royal Train tour

The Duchess of Cambridge has made a special visit to the hospital where she was born 38 years ago.

Kate and Prince William travelled to Reading, the eighth stop on their Royal Train tour, to thank those who have gone above and beyond during the coronavirus pandemic.

There, the royal couple met with nurses and midwives at The Royal Berkshire Hospital.

The duchess was born at the hospital on January 9, 1982.

Her siblings Pippa Matthews, 37, and James Middleton, 33, were also born at the hospital. The Middleton family home, Bucklebury Manor, is nearby.

Soon after her arrival on Tuesday local time, Kate was greeted with a "welcome back" from Graham Sims, chairman of Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.

The duke and duchess also met with members of the Royal Berkshire NHS (National Health Service) Foundation Trust's 775-strong team of nurses and midwives.

They were shown a special badge that was designed by lead nurse Rafael Fernandes and funded by NHS Charities Together to mark the 2020 Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

Yesterday, Prince William and Kate were announced as joint patrons of NHS Charities Together.

The 240 National Health Service charities in the UK provide extra funding and additional services above and beyond what NHS core funds, supporting hospitals, community and mental health services and ambulances services.

Earlier in the day, Kate and William visited the Cleeve Court Care Home in Twerton, Bath, where they paid tribute to care staff.

During the stop, the duke and duchess heard about the home's efforts to help its residents, who have dementia, to stay connected to their loved ones throughout the pandemic.

They also meet a number of the residents, while keeping to strict social distancing rules.

Kate and William's day began with a visit to Cardiff Castle in Wales, where they met university students and heard about some of the challenges they have experienced during the pandemic, particularly in the area of mental health.

Kate stood out from the crowd in a festive red Alexander McQueen coat, Emilia Wickstead tartan skirt and matching tartan scarf.

But the most talked-about moment of the Royal Train tour will undoubtably be its final stop near Windsor Castle, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were reunited with the Queen.

Her Majesty posed for a group photo outside the castle with Prince William and Kate, the Prince of Wales and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Princess Anne, the Princess Royal.

It was the first time the senior royals had been photographed together since the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey in March.

Inside the castle, Her Majesty led a small reception to thank local volunteers and key workers for their service during the pandemic, including those who are volunteering or working to help others during Christmas.

The Duchess of Cambridge changed into a forest green Catherine Walker coat for the reception and wore a pair of diamond chandelier earrings borrowed from the Queen.

All of Kate's coats worn on her pandemic thank-you tour are repeats, in a deliberate move by Kate to showcase her thrifty nature during a time when countless people across the UK are struggling financially.