Kate Middleton Played a Classic Road Trip Game as She Took on the Role of Field Trip Chaperone

Kate Middleton may have shared a glimpse into family road trips with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis during her latest royal outing.

The Princess of Wales, 43, made a surprise arrival at the National Portrait Gallery on Feb. 4, stepping off the bus with schoolchildren and teachers for their field trip to the London art gallery.

Alix Ascough, the executive head of All Souls Church of England Primary School in London, tells PEOPLE that Princess Kate "sat with the children on the coach and chatted with them." At one point, the royal took part in a classic road trip game: I Spy.

"She was so relaxed and animated, and it just felt really natural," Ascough says. "We’ll never have another school trip like that, will we?"

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When they arrived at the National Portrait Gallery, Kate walked in holding the hand of a student named Grace. Inside, the group visited an interactive trail that used the artwork to explore how faces can express feelings and emotions. The project is part of the new Shaping Us Framework from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, the Princess of Wales' initiative to give children the best possible start to life.

Ascough tells PEOPLE, "For the children, it was just so magical. It was an awe and wonder moment. They’ve been doing lots of artwork at school, so for them to be able to that within the gallery with the princess was magical. It’s what memories are made of."

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Liz Smith, director of learning and engagement at the National Portrait Gallery, tells PEOPLE that the outing was "a regular school trip with a very special person on the bus. That was quite deliberate. It’s planned to be for children, and it can lose that magic if you have that formal launch."

At the end of the interactive trail, Princess Kate helped the children create self-portraits in a "cozy nook" that Smith calls "our storytelling space."

Smith adds, "They all sat and drew and posted them into a magical cabinet where they disappeared. We might be revealing some of them."

Princess Kate was "naturally nurturing and was listening and integrated with the group. She was one of the school party, and there was no official presentation. It was as if she was one of the mums, one of the helpers. And, as you are on a school trip, you’re learning as you’re walking and making sense of the environment. It was a real treat."

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The Princess of Wales, who remained out of the spotlight for much of 2024 as she received treatment for cancer, made the outing on World Cancer Day.

On Feb. 3, Kate shared a personal message of support for others battling the disease in a new social media post: "Don’t forget to nurture all that which lies beyond the disease." She signed the note with a "C" for Catherine and added the hashtag #WorldCancerDay.

Accompanying the post were two new photos. One featured Princess Kate standing with her arms outstretched in the woods of Windsor — and in a surprise twist, the photography credit went to her 6-year-old son, Prince Louis!

Kate, who has previously called herself an "enthusiastic amateur photographer," got behind the camera for a second picture, which showed a close-up view of plants that appeared to be ferns. The image comes with a special meaning: ferns are often interpreted as a sign of endurance, resilience and new beginnings given their ability to flourish in diverse conditions.

Read the original article on People