Kate was greeted by Keith Mills. Mr Mills is an entrepreneur and deputy chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Kate was also warmly welcomed by excited students.
The 1851 Trust roadshows use Sir Ben Ainslie’s British America’s Cup challenge to inspire both primary and secondary school pupils into STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths), with practical applications of the challenges the team has faced in their preparations to compete in the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda. The roadshows also offers pupils the chance to get on the water themselves. The Trust noted: "The sessions have each been carefully designed to enrich the school curriculum, using real-life examples from within the Land Rover BAR team to engage and inspire young people."
The Land Rover BAR team made the headlines last week when they suffered major disappointment as their quest to win the 35th America's Cup ended in defeat last week when they were beaten 5-2 by New Zealand in the Challenger Semi-Final. The ambitious bid to bring the Cup home after 166 years, spearheaded by four-time Olympic champion Ainslie, received enormous support. Land Rover BAR were lavishly funded, to a figure in the region of £100 million which included sponsorship by Land Rover, private backers and blue-chip commercial partners, and £7.5 million out of taxpayers money. In terms of media support, there were several features in an array of publications spreading the word and of course the team were lucky enough to secure royal support from the Duchess who has carried out a number of engagements with them, and became the royal patron of their charitable arm, the 1851 Trust. Given the level of hype and preparation it was no doubt a devastating blow, however, a resilient Ainslie said: "We will be back next time and we will be stronger."
More from the Telegraph's article:
'There are two ways of looking at Ainslie’s campaign. The first is that they under-performed. Badly. Land Rover BAR were extremely well funded – title and innovation partner Land Rover responded to the team’s exit by committing to a new Cup cycle – a fantastic new base in Portsmouth (partly funded out of the public purse, a fact which rankled with some but must surely be seen in the wider context of what having an America’s Cup team based on the south coast of England can do for UK Plc and the wider marine industry).
They were open about the fact that they wanted to win the Cup at the first attempt, asking to be judged to that standard. They believed they could, too, having won the America’s Cup World Series last year. They were led by Ainslie, a man who had never failed at anything.
That belief, though, began to drain from the team in the months following their arrival here last winter. After BAR launched their boat in February it rapidly became clear to them that they were off the pace.
Clearly, there are valid questions to be asked of Ainslie and his team. Why were they so off the pace? What could they have done differently? Was this a colossal failure?
The other, more generous – and surely more reasonable – way of looking at their campaign is that they were a first-time team who only launched three years ago. In one of the most ferociously competitive sports on earth, BAR were playing catch-up from the start.'
Kate became patron of the 1851 Trust in October 2014. At the time she said: "I am delighted to be Royal Patron of the 1851 Trust. I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed sailing from a young age and I know it is a great way of providing young people with the opportunity to develop skills and confidence. I am looking forward to being part of this journey and I hope that through the 1851 Trust we can engage and inspire a new generation into sailing along the way."
Today, Kate was accompanied by excited students from four schools in East London. The Duchess joined the group in an educational treasure hunt with science and technology questions included in the game.
Mail Online royal reporter Rebecca English shared a video of the hunt.
Video: the Duchess of Cambridge takes part in an interactive treasure hunt at the @1851Trust event today pic.twitter.com/4cNPTXPTCS— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) June 16, 2017
Kate participated in an ocean plastics sea-bird activity, which highlights the damage caused by single use plastics and promotes sustainability.
Rafi enjoyed a chat with Kate and asked her "how many cars do you have?" She said she had a Land Rover. 'She asked me "what's your favourite car?" I said a Lamborghini. 'I felt like I was going to be famous.'
Kate chatting with a group of children about their experiences at the roadshow.
More from the Mail Online:
'Earlier, Kate spoke to Katie Lam about how the 10-year-old year five pupil at Cubitt Town Junior School, in East London, would be going sailing in the afternoon. The Duchess said: 'You look very smart in your school uniform. 'Are you going out later? Have you got sailing stuff with you?' She jokingly added: 'I hope you don't end up swimming.' Katie later said of the Duchess: 'She looked even better in real life than in photos. 'She asked me if I'm going sailing and I said I was doing it last. It was amazing to meet her.'
Beverley Smith, education manager of the 1851 Trust, told Kate and the pupils how when birds eat plastic they feel full but can then starve because it has no nutritional value. She said: 'The birds starve to death. We haven't just made this up - this is very real. They think they are full up. We've talked about the problems, now we are going to talk about how you can do something about it.'
Kate seemed very much in her element in the classroom.
The Duchess and the children spoke to Sir Ben Ainslie live from Bermuda about the team's experiences in the America's Cup. You can watch a video of the chat below.
Whilst speaking to Ben Ainslie, Kate said: 'Commiserations, obviously, but really well done. We've been watching with really keen interest. Both William and I have been glued to the telly. Well done to you guys. I gather now you're on to the next thing.'
The Duchess posed for photos before leaving.
Richard Palmer noted plans for Kate to go out on the water were scrapped after it was decided by aides it would be "inappropriate to look too jolly while the Duke of Cambridge was accompanying the Queen to meet people helping victims of the Grenfell Tower fire across London in North Kensington." I thought it a wise decision considering the two visits were ongoing simultaneously.
 |
| Richard Palmer Twitter Feed |
The Duchess opted for a nautical navy and white look featuring stylish separates.
Kate sported her ZARA Ivory One Button Blazer. It has been sold out for some time; below we show it at Poshmark.
The most interesting aspect of Kate's look today was seeing her select a new style of trousers. Kate's Closet quickly spotted they are the J Crew Sailor Pant in Two-Way Wool. The £138 trousers are described as "fitted through hip and thigh with a cropped, kicked leg". Kate's navy pair are sold out but there are several colours available at J Crew; they are also available in white at Nordstrom.
 |
| J Crew |
More from the product description:
'We crafted these slightly cropped pants with a cool, kicky leg and added nautical buttons for the perfect touch. This pair also features a sleek stretch-wool blend that won't bag out—so there's that too.'
The Telegraph reports on Kate embracing the current trouser trend:
'Although the J.Crew style is no longer available, they do play into one of the key trouser looks of the moment and mark quite a departure from the Duchess's usual penchant for skinny cut trousers. Cropped, flared trousers have been something of a slow burner trend, emerging as a key piece thanks to designers from Prada to Gucci, Chloe and Alexander McQueen featuring versions in their collections. Meanwhile, denim labels including Mih jeans, Frame Denim and Current/Elliott have created more casual jeans takes on the look which have become a modern alternative to the skinny jean.
Arguably, Kate was likely first drawn to her new J.Crew trousers because they work brilliantly into her penchant for literal dressing i.e dressing as closely as possible to suit the occasion. Given today's visit was all about sailing, her navy and white colour palette and those shiny gold buttons are the epitome of smart-casual sailor styling. '
According to fashion experts, sailor pants are extremely tricky to pull off. J Crew even has a page with tips on how best to style them.
 |
| J Crew |
Kate's wore her £278 J. Crew Avery Heels in Tweed. The Italian-made, pointed-toe style features textured tweed fabric, tassel details and a stacked heel for maximum wearability and comfort.
 |
| J Crew |
The Duchess acessorised with her much-loved Mirabelle Lolita earrings.
The small gold-plated earrings are an affordable and incredibly versatile pair. The handmade, fair-trade pair retail for £35.
 |
| Mirabelle |
Kate completed the look with a red and navy bracelet.
With many thanks to Katie, it is the £15 Band of Britain available at The 1851 Trust's Online Shop. It is described as "Wear the Band of Britain to support Britain’s America’s Cup Challenge. The Band of Britain is a limited edition supporter’s wristband, made from recycled ocean plastics developed with the team’s Exclusive Sustainability Partner 11th Hour Racing and BIONIC® Yarn."
What do you think of Kate embracing a new style of trouser? Could it mark a move away from the skinny styles she's favoured in recent years?
************
We also have a couple of brief updates to share. Earlier this week, Kensington Palace confirmed the Duke and Duchess will tour Poland and Germany from 17-21 July visiting Warsaw, Gdansk, Berlin, Heidelberg and Hamburg. The tour runs from a Monday to a Friday, and is a continuation of what has been dubbed as the 'Brexit tour' which has seen various members of the Royal family visiting locations across Europe. It will be interesting to see the itinerary, which we can expect to see by early July. The dates work rather well in terms of not conflicting with either the Spanish state visit (12-14 July) or Wimbledon (3-16 July).
 |
| Kensington Palace Twitter Feed |
This morning, Her Majesty and Prince William visited the Westway Sports Centre in London - the centre has been a focal point for efforts to support those affected by the fire.
The Queen and Prince William met members of the emergency services, as well as local residents and community representatives.
The Mail reports William said it was "one of the most terrible things I have ever seen".
'Prince William talked emotionally about the inferno which has claimed the lives of at least 30 people and described it as 'one of the most terrible things I have ever seen'.
While talking to Penny Appeal charity worker Taksima Ferdous, 31, from east London, The Queen said, ‘You have been incredible, please keep continuing,' and Prince William shook her hand to say thank you.
The visit was slightly tarnished by a desperate local who shouted, 'What about the children?', at the Queen and Prince William as they left, but The Duke held his hand up in a calm manner and told the man not to worry, reassuring him that they would return.'
In the video below, you can hear William promise he will return.
You can view a video from the visit on YouTube.
During a visit to Borough Market yesterday, which has reopened following the London Bridge attack, Prince Harry said of those affected by the fire: "Those poor people, our thoughts go out to them."
Donations have been flooding in to the appeal to help those affected by the horrific fire. The tragedy has left a number of people in need of urgent assistance; if you would like to donate, no amount is too small with each donation greatly appreciated, you can do so via by visiting the Dispossessed Fund website or their Just Giving page. I know I speak for all of us when I say all those affected are very much in our prayers.
