Spring in her step: Kate dons gingham dress to visit mentoring project in London with William - as the royals spend a second day on official duties

The Duchess of Cambridge displayed her Jackie Kennedy-style ladylike chic today as she stepped out in a red and white gingham check two piece.

Designed by Kensington-based bespoke firm Eponine, set up by former personal stylist Jet Shenkman, she added a touch of spring-like flair to the occasion in the colourful ensemble.  

Kate, 33, arrived at the XLP youth mentoring project in Barbican, London to meet people who have benefited from the programme along with husband William, the Duke of Cambridge.

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Shrugging of recent criticisms that they don't take on enough royal duties, the couple looked happy and relaxed as they chatted with representatives of the XLP mentoring project in Barbican, London. Prince William even jokingly asked if he could keep the charity's van, a former police riot van which has been turned into a mobile recording studio

The Duchess of Cambridge displayed her Jackie Kennedy-style ladylike chic today as she stepped out in a red and white gingham check two piece

Although her outfit is in fact red and white, it gave the impression of being a peach colour because of the red and white squares. The retro outfit from the brand's SS16 collection costs £600 apiece.

The brand is inspired by the elegant lines of the Fifties and the unexpected styles of the Sixties, and is named after the character from Les Miserables.

It was something of a departure for the Duchess who normally favours well-known high street brands such as Reiss and L.K. Bennett and designer labels such as Jenny Packham and Alexander McQueen. 

She also sported a pair of Kiki McDonough morganite and diamond cushion drop earrings worth an eye-watering £3,400. 

Prince William today admitted he'd watched the MTV show Pimp My Ride and asked if he could have the XLP project's van, which had been made over on the show. Kate laughed when the project's  founder explained that the young people had been asking if the Duke would perform a rap in the van

Kate teamed the ladylike ensemble with a black clutch bag and wore high heeled black pumps to complete the look

William and Kate previously visited another XLP project in Gipsy Hill just under a year ago when Kate was eight months' pregnant with Princess Charlotte

Make like Kate in regal red this spring

Eponine London SS16 top and skirt

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Just when we thought we knew the Duchess of Cambridge's wardrobe better than our own, she goes and surprises us.

Yesterday she wore a green coat by Erdem from 2013 over a Jonathan Saunders/EDITION for Debenhams dress which dates back to 2012. But today's top and skirt combination is brand new!

Kate loves both high street and high end labels, but this time she is introducing us to a name that we all need to know. Her full look is by UK-based brand-- Eponine, which specializes in bespoke pieces inspired by the Fifties and Sixties.

We love the red and white check print of this retro little outfit, which is from the SS16 collection. The button details are a nice touch and the box pleated skirt is super flattering.

Click the link (right) to make sure this brand is on your radar, or recreate Kate's look with the help of our edit below. We've found some Eponine-esque options by the likes of Kenzo, ASOS and Kate Spade.

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  Motel Annie Mini Skirt in Plaid at ASOS.com

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  A.W.A.K.E. midi skirt at Harrods

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The couple were completing a second day of official engagements after packing in four meetings yesterday on the difficult issue of suicide and mental health.

And they appeared to be in high sprits as Prince William revealed he has watched MTV programme Pimp My Ride. And he even joked that he wanted to keep the impressive van belonging to the youth charity which they use to spread their message on London streets.

After he and Kate arrived at the charity's London headquarters, they were introduced to XLP's work by founder and CEO Patrick Regan.

He asked: 'Have any of you seen the programme Pimp My Ride?', to which William grinned and raised his hand.

In 2008, the show converted a former police riot van into a mobile recording studio for the charity.  

As the crowd of young people and their mentors laughed, Patrick continued: 'When I told people the Duke was coming back to see the work of the charity for a second time they said 'Can you get him to rap in the van?'.'

Kate wore a dress from Eponine set up by former personal stylist Jet Shenkman, and named after the lead character is Les Miserables 

Designed by Kensington-based bespoke firm Eponine, she added a touch of spring-like flair to the occasion in the colourful ensemble

The couple are visiting the XLP project which works in more than 75 schools in London to help young people who are facing emotional, behavioural and relational challenges

Kate's retro style outfit had a hint of Jackie Jennedy about it and comes from Eponine's SS16 collection, costing £600 apiece

William looked less sure about this suggestion but a laughing Kate was clearly tickled by the suggestion.

After moving inside, the royals watched a moving presentation by XLP staff and mentees discussing how the charity has changed lives, including hearing an original song Heaven Help Me by mentee Basia Bozzao, 20, from South East London.

Afterwards they were presented with a CD of the song and Patrick told them he hoped to hear it 'blasting out from Kensington Palace' to which William joked: 'Do we get the van? I want the van.'

The XLP van now travels to schools, pupil referral units and on estates across London using the medium of music and music production to engage with some of the hardest to reach young people.

Patrick Regan, 42, set up XLP 20 years ago after doing youth work in a school and seeing the issues young people face.

The royals met with Patrick Regan, 42, pictured centre, who set up XLP 20 years ago. As they chatted with Mr Regan he asked if they had watched the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which in 2008, converted a former police riot van into a mobile recording studio for the charity

XLP founder Patrick Regan was seen leading the royals into the event in this picture shared by Kensington Palace's Twitter account. He set up the charity after doing youth work in a school and seeing the issues young people faced

THe royals meet XLP London mentors who help teens who are on the verge of school exclusion or who have already been excluded or involved in crime

He said: 'I remember meeting a kid who wore a bullet proof vest under his school uniform and he said 'I'll be dead by next week. 'He got stabbed through the neck six weeks later. He survived.

'I met a 14-year-old girl who said her biggest aim in life was to be a single mum. So I found seventeen people to give me £25 per month and I started XLP.'

The charity now works in schools and on housing estates and set up its mentoring programme in 2008 to pair up young people with mentors for two hours per week.

Inside, the royals were introduced to mentors who help teens who are on the verge of school exclusion or who have already been excluded or involved. 

They also watched a film about XLP's battle against knife crime made by the charity to raise awareness of the issue.

Former gang member Sephton Henry, 27, from Greenwich, told how he was in and out of jail seven times before the charity's mentoring scheme helped him.

Now he works training police about gang culture and said about meeting the royals: 'It was amazing. It's really breaking the barrier between the different worlds and showing that we're not much different.

'They've really got a passion about the subjects we're talking about.'

Patrick said of William and Kate: 'I know that the Duke and Duchess are very keen to try and understand what the issues are, I know they are very interested in issues around young people's mental health.

'It's really important that the future King has an understanding of what life is really like for a lot of young people today.'

XLP works in more than 75 schools in London to help young people who are facing emotional, behavioural and relational challenges.

The programme run by the charity sees at-risk 11 to 18-year-olds matched with a community mentor who commits to providing them with two hours face-to-face time each week for a minimum of 12 months. 

The royals listened as young people shared stories about their experiences with gang violence, crime and family issues, but they were seen smiling during ligther moments in the visit

Inside, they watched a film about XLP's battle against knife crime in London made by the charity to raise awareness of the issue

William and Kate smiled as they conversed with representatives of the charity, in this image posted to Twitter by Kensington Palace

Clearly impressed the royals clapped after watching a moving presentation by XLP staff and mentees discussing how the charity has changed lives, including hearing an original song Heaven Help Me by mentee Basia Bozzao, 20, from South East London

Many are facing exclusion from school, or at risk from involvement in gangs or anti-social behaviour.

William and Kate previously visited another XLP project in Gipsy Hill just under a year ago when Kate was eight months' pregnant with Princess Charlotte. Now, with two young children of their own, they want to learn more about its work.

The royal couple met mentors and service users from three boroughs at the XLP project at London Wall, near the Barbican in the City of London.

Young people taking part have been referred to the project by their schools, pupil referral units, youth services and the police.

Despite the serious subjects being discussed there was still plenty of laughter during the royal visit 

William playfully points during the visit to an XLP project in London which saw him receive a request to do some rapping from youngsters

It looked as if William was cheekily pointing at his wife who seemed delighted to share in the joke 

The royals, who are parents to 10-month-old Princess Charlotte and two-year-old Prince George take a keen interest in emotional challenges that young children may face 

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge smiles as she visits the mentoring programme of the XLP project at London Wall. Although she's known for playing it safe when it comes to fashion, Kate chose an eye-catching red and white gingham outfit for today's visit 

Their mentors are all drawn from the local community and receiving training and supervision from an experienced full-time co-ordinator, who manages up to 25 active relationships by supporting the mentors, mentees and families through the process.

The stories of lives changed through this project are, the organisation says, 'truly amazing' and show what a significant and lasting difference a mentor can make to a young person's life.

Over 90 per cent of beneficiaries have either remained in school or returned to school and are doing well after 12 months with a mentor.

The charity is looking to expand the project within London, and has also decided to give away the expertise by operating a free training programme for groups who wish to do mentoring in their own area.

The down-to-earth royals were in great spirits as they engaged with mentors and mentees from the XLP Project in London

The couple are doing their best to prove the critics who say they are part time royals wrong as they complete a second day of official engagements after packing in four meetings yesterday on the difficult issue of suicide and mental health.

The mother-of-two wore her brunette hair styled in loose waves which fell around her shoulders

The mother-of-two was looking relaxed and fresh faced following her recent ski break to the French Alps

More than 100 organisations have already taken part in the two day course for co-ordinators who are trained to run programmes and to train, in turn, their own mentors.

Yesterday the Duke and Duchess pledged to make the issue of mental health their priority and raise awareness to help tackle the problem.

While visiting St Thomas' Hospital, they met Jonny Benjamin, who famously tracked down the man who saved him from throwing himself off a bridge through the social media #FindMike search.

The flurry of engagements, all of which are organised months in advance, come after intense public criticism of William's commitment to both his part-time job as an air ambulance pilot and his work as a senior member of the royal family.

Kate also sported a pair of Kiki McDonough morganite and diamond cushion drop earrings worth an eye-watering £3,400 (left). The Duchess kept her make up understated but she didn't neglect to apply a slick of her favourite black eyeliner

Yesterday the Duke and Duchess pledged to make the issue of mental health their priority and raise awareness to help tackle the problem. Kate is particularly passionate about the need for children with mental health issues to receive the right support 

William placed a protective hand on his wife's back as they made their way to a visit to the mentoring programme of the XLP project, which aims to create positive futures for young people growing up on deprived inner city estates

ources at East Anglia Air Ambulance have suggested that he is failing to pull his weight at work, while others have suggested he should also be doing more to help his grandmother, the Queen, who turns 90 next month.

The hours worked by the Queen and their grandfather Prince Philip would put the younger royals to shame. 

Aged 94, the Duke of Edinburgh clocked up 250 official duties at home and abroad in 2015, compared to the 198 conducted by William, Kate and Harry combined. 

And today the Duke himself made reference to his workload and had people in fits of laughter after joking about being the 'world's most experienced plaque unveiler.

The 94-year-old made the quip while officially opening a new military barracks named after him at the recently refurbished MoD Lyneham in Wiltshire.

The Duke of Edinburgh was given a tour of the former RAF site which has been given a new lease of life as a £230 million state-of-the-art military training facility.

The site is also home to the new regimental headquarters of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), of whom Philip is Colonel-in-Chief.

Philip glowed with pride as he told a crowd of more than 100 military personnel and local schoolchildren how flattered he was to have a barracks named after him.

Today the Duke of Edinburgh had people in fits of laughter after joking about being the 'world's most experienced plaque unveiler.'

The 94-year-old made the quip while officially opening a new military barracks named after him at the recently refurbished MoD Lyneham in Wiltshire

As he pulled back a ceremonial curtain during the opening ceremony, he joked: 'I hope you realise what you're about to see now is the world's most experienced plaque unveiler in action.'

The former Navy officer was described as being in 'top form' by many of the military personnel and trainees he met during his three-hour visit.

As well as viewing a truck engine simulator, he saw a remote controlled bomb disposal robot put through its paces as well as an old Land Rover once owned by the late Queen Mother.

Major Rebecca Macklin, of the newly formed 8 Training Battalion REME, said trainees were excited and thrilled to be showing off their skills in front of royalty during a series of demonstrations in a converted aircraft hangar.

She said: 'He had a lot of interest in our training programme and the facilities we have.

William has faced criticism this week after it was revealed he worked just 80 hours a month as an ambulance pilot with East Anglian Air Ambulance

The couple are undertaking their second day in a row of engagements after yesterday visiting a suicide refuge, visiting campaigners at St Thomas Hospital, joining a documentary screening at Kensington Palace and having a private discussion with families bereaved by suicide  

It's really the best you can get anywhere in the world. We have a state-of-the-art Man engine truck simulator - which can be programmed with various faults which trainees have to try and find and repair.

'The new training battalion is fantastic because it brings together two different units from Arborfield and Bordon under one roof.

'His Highness was really impressed and everyone was surprised by how chatty he was. We didn't expect for him to spend the amount of time talking to us as he did. He had lots of questions about where people were from and their training.'

The Duke also stopped to speak to youngsters from the nearby Lyneham Primary School, who waved Union Jacks as he approached.

Head teacher John Read said: 'It's been a really exciting day for the children. It was great to be here because our school has strong links with the base and many of our pupils have family in the military.

The last time Kate visited one of the XLP project's programmes she was eight months pregnant with Princess Charlotte, who is now 10 months old

 While the young royals visited the central London project, William's grandfather Prince Philip was in MoD Lyneham in Wiltshire where he joked about being the world's best qualified plaque unveilier

The royal couple were set to meet mentors and service users from three boroughs at the XLP project at London Wall, near the Barbican in the City of London. Mentors are all drawn from the local community and receiving training and supervision from an experienced full-time co-ordinator

'It ties in nicely with our lessons in school - about what it means to be British and British values.

'This will be a day they remember for the rest of their lives.'

Meanwhile, Kate and William also faced criticism this week for choosing to take their first holiday as a family with Princess Charlotte in secret.

Their aides bizarrely refused to say where the royal family had stayed during their secret holiday, other than to say it was in the French Alps, but it's believed they enjoyed their break in the pretty Alpine village of Courchevel.

The upmarket 'playground of the oligarchs' resort within the popular Les Trois Vallées ski region is known for attracting A-list celebrities and royals. Film star Brigitte Bardot helped to put it on the map in the 1960s and David and Victoria Beckham are regular visitors.

After almost five years of marriage the couple are still clearly very much in tune with each other and Kate glanced admiringly at William (right) as they spoke to charity representatives outside the event 

After the event one of the speakers said the royals had shown a real engagement with and an interest in the issues they are aiming to highlight

Kate says goodbye to founder and CEO Patrick Regan, who set up the charity after being called in to a school to help pupils and teachers deal with the aftermath of a playground stabbing 

Unlike royal ski holidays of old - when a group of photographers was invited to capture the family relaxing on the slopes - the Cambridges chose to escape the country without telling the media of their plans.

Instead of arranging a photo-call to mark the getaway, William and Kate invited only a single Press Association photographer, who took a small number of posed portraits.

However they shrugged off the controversy yesterday as they attended a meeting with mental campaigners to highlight suicide prevention at St Thomas hospital, followed by a discussion with Streatham school children in Kensington Palace.

They also undertook two private engagements on the same day, visiting a suicide refuge in Finsbury Park, North London. Later they met with families bereaved by suicide at Kensington Palace.