Kate Middleton and Prince William meet people who have raised money for those in Turkey and Syria

The Princess of Wales wore a floral headscarf as she joined Prince William to meet with volunteers who had fundraised to help communities in Turkey and Syria this morning.

Kate Middleton, 41, opted to recycle an Alexander McQueen black pleated dress, which she first wore to meet with well-wishers in Sandringham after the Queen’s death, for the outing at Hayes Muslim Centre in London today. 

Meanwhile she also wore a black and white veil by Pakistani brand Élan, which is part of a set worn by the mother-of-three when she visited the country in 2019. 

During today’s engagement, the couple met with representatives from the centre who, through bucket collections and other donations after prayers, have raised over £25,000 for the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal.

Later, the couple also met with aid workers who have recently returned from the crisis zone in Turkey.  

The Princess of Wales wore a floral headscarf as she joined Prince William to meet with volunteers who had fundraised to help communities in Turkey and Syria this morning 

During today’s engagement, the couple met with representatives from the centre who, through bucket collections and other donations after prayers, have raised over £25,000 for the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal 

During the outing today, the Princess kept her outfit muted, opting for a black pleated dress and grey coat by Alexander McQueen 

The Princess opted for a black and white detailed headscarf as she arrived at the Muslim centre today. 

The piece, which was crafted by Pakistani brand Élan, is believed to have been part of a set worn by the then-Duchess of Cambridge when she visited the country in 2019. 

As she departed Lahore, she wore a white tunic from Élan, which featured pretty black detailing, over a pair of white trousers. 

The white tunic featured pretty black floral embroidery over it’s bodice, sleeves and hem. 

While Kate did not wear the scarf with her outfit at the time, it’s believed she is likely to have had the veil as part of the set. 

The royal mother-of-three kept the rest of her outfit modest for the occasion today, opting for a black pleated dress from her favourite designer, Alexander McQueen. 

She has worn Alexander McQueen – one of her favourite fashion brands – on numerous occasions, most notably choosing its creative director Sarah Burton to design her wedding dress. 

The Princess also carried her black Grace Han bag, which she has worn on a number of different engagements.  

Today, Kate and William met with representatives from DEC member charities, such as Save The Children, Islamic Relief, Action Against Hunger, Age International and the British Red Cross.

The charities shared the latest on the situation on the ground and the impact incoming aid is having on communities across the region.

The couple appeared to be in good spirits as they left the centre after meeting with locals who have been fundraising for the appeal 

Finally, the couple met with other communities who have made considerable efforts to fundraise as part of the appeal. 

This included the Turkish Women’s Association, an organisation based in Richmond, who partnered with a number of Richmond schools to raise more than £10,000 for the appeal with an event at St Stephen’s Church Primary School at the end of February. 

Stalls included Turkish coffee, homemade bakes and origami crane making run by pupils from Waldebridge School, which is a symbol of hope and healing during challenging times. 

In the early hours of Monday 6 February, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northwest Syria killing more than 50,000 people and causing colossal damage to housing, infrastructure, schools, and hospitals. 

Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless and are in need of help.

In response, The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal which is helping to provide life-saving aid to people in the hardest-hit areas, including medical treatment, shelter, food and clean water.

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She appeared in good spirits as she arrived at Hayes Muslim Centre alongside the Prince earlier today, donning a smart grey coat and black pleated skirt for the occasion 

The Princess of Wales was elegant in a headscarf as she joined Prince William to meet with volunteers who had fundraised to help communities in Turkey and Syria this morning

The appeal has now reached over £100 million thanks to the generosity of the UK public. 

In February, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a personal donation to the UK’s Turkey and Syria earthquake relief fund.

In a tweet signed from William and Catherine, the couple said: ‘We have been horrified to see the harrowing images coming out of Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the earthquakes this week.

‘Our thoughts are with the communities affected and we are pleased to support the DEC campaign which will aid the response on the ground.’

Palace sources confirmed the couple had made a personal donation to aid rescue efforts, but it is unknown how much this donation was.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) separately thanked King Charles III and the Queen Consort for their ‘generous donation’, which they said would help provide medical aid, food, blankets and other urgent help to survivors.

The visit comes amidst a busy week for Kate, who yesterday visited the snowy Salisbury Plain Training Area to take part in a training exercise with the Irish Guards.

Dressed in military fatigues, boots, gloves and a woolly hat the Princess was almost unrecognisable as she dressed in camouflage kit for the engagement. 

With her hair pulled back in a sensible plait, Kate managed to look stylish in camouflage as she got stuck into a battlefield casualty drill during her first official duty as the new Colonel of the Irish Guards.

The piece, which was crafted by Pakistani brand Élan, is believed to have been part of a set worn by the then-Duchess of Cambridge when she visited the country in 2019 (pictured in 2019)  

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Crouching in the snow, she held the soldier’s leg as she was shown how to wrap the wound and check the casualty’s vital signs during basic battlefield first aid training.

As she placed a tourniquet – used to stop heavy bleeding – on his calf, the Princess apologised and said: ‘It’s the first time I’ve done this’.

The visit today comes as the couple’s nephew Archie and and niece Lilibet have officially been recognised as a prince and princess by the King.

The children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had their titles updated on the line of succession on the Royal Family’s website, where they remain 6th and 7th in line to the throne.

Until 9.30am this morning, the children had been referred to as plain ‘master’ and ‘miss’ on the Buckingham Palace webpage. Now they are ‘Prince Archie of Sussex’ and ‘Princess Lilibet of Sussex’.

It came shortly after their California-based parents declared that it is Archie and Lilibet’s ‘birthright’ to be called prince and princess in a new statement defending the decision.

The Duke and Duchess also insisted that the matter had been ‘settled for some time’ with King Charles – despite only being revealed by the couple yesterday.

A spokesman for Harry and Meghan said: ‘The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became Monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.’

The King is said to have told Prince Harry that his children would be allowed to be called prince and princess in a ‘private conversation’ after the Queen’s funeral last year.

But their 21-month-old daughter Lilibet saw her royal title of ‘Princess’ used formally for the first time yesterday when the couple told the world she had been christened in California without Charles, Camilla, William and Kate present.