Kate Middleton Meets Jill Biden for First Time at UK School Event

First lady Jill Biden joined Kate Middleton on Friday for their first in-person meeting amid [...]

By Allison Schonter

First lady Jill Biden joined Kate Middleton on Friday for their first in-person meeting amid President Joe Biden's first international trip for the G7 summit. Biden, who has worked as an English professor and a high school teacher, and the Duchess of Cambridge visited the Connor Downs Academy preschool, a state-funded school in the Hayle neighborhood of Cornwall that works with students who have dealt with trauma, for a classroom visit with teachers and young children.

Both donning shades of pink for the joint outing – Middleton wore a fuchsia Alexander McQueen dress as Biden opted for a hot pink blazer and nude dress – met children aged 4 and 5, with the head of the school, told reporters ahead of their arrival that the kids "are quite aware of who's coming and obviously incredibly excited in the way that a 4 or 5-year-old can be." As they entered the room to silence, PEOPLE reports Biden quipped, "they're scared to death" as Middleton added that "it's the quietest class I've ever been to."

In the classroom, Biden and Middleton chatted with the children, who were reading Greta and the Giant. The duchess asked the first lady if she knew of the book, with Biden responding, "I know Greta of course." The two also ventured outdoor area of the school, where they met one of the school's rabbits, a bunny named Storm. Biden brought along a bowl of carrots so the children could feed the rabbits. Outside, Biden and Middleton were spotted in conversation.

They also participated in a roundtable focused on early education, where they were briefly asked about the newest addition to the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's newborn daughter Lilibet, whom Middleton said she hopes she will get to meet "soon." Speaking to Biden, Middleton said, "it's a huge honor to have you in the United Kingdom." CNN reports that before leaving the school, Biden and Middleton were each presented with small bouquets of local flowers, which were handed to them by two of the children at the school.

Biden is in the U.K. as she accompanies her husband or his first Group of 7 summit, which h is being held in Cornwall from Friday to Sunday. During her trip, Biden has "an independent schedule of her own," her press secretary Michael LaRosa said. After first arriving in the U.K. on Wednesday and following her joint outing with Middleton, Biden and the president are set to meet with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle on Sunday, which will mark Her Majesty's first major meeting with a world leader since the April death of her husband, Prince Philip.

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