It's Meccano Mickey! Kate makes friends with a ROBOT as she visits a workshop project in Rotterdam before jetting home to William

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Duchess, 34, wore pale blue skirt suit by Catherine Walker
Kate visited Bouwkeet, the social Makerspace of Bospolder-Tussendijken in Rotterdam
While there she witnessed a robotics demonstration including a particularly impressive Meccano bot
Earlier today the duchess visited the Mauritshuis art museum to see a Dutch Old Masters exhibition
An iconic photograph was taken of Kate before Vermeer's The Girl With The Pearl Earring

By Siofra Brennan and Martha Cliff for MailOnline

Published: 13:58 EST, 11 October 2016 | Updated: 15:08 EST, 11 October 2016

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She may have been without her beloved husband Prince William during her trip to the Netherlands but it seems that the Duchess of Cambridge had no trouble making friends in Rotterdam this afternoon - even if they were made of plastic.

Kate, 34, was pictured shaking hands with a robot constructed form Meccano in Rotterdam where she went to learn about Bouwkeet, the social Makerspace of Bospolder-Tussendijken.

The Duchess was performing her first solo engagement abroad today but seemed to have no trouble in getting acquainted with both the people of Holland and their robot friends.

The Duchess met with youngsters during a class at Bouwkeet workshop in Rotterdam and even got the chance to meet a real-life robot, where she was pictured shaking hands with the machine

The mother-of-two beamed as the robot's constructor, a young school boy, demonstrated its capabilities including working limbs.

The Bouwkeet workshop saw her learn about the new community focused initiative in the centre of an economically deprived district which provides a creative design and technology workspace.

Local residents can use the facilities, and 'pay' by sharing their skills with others, providing education, skills and positive role models within the community.

The centre works with local schools to bring young people in the area into workshops, where they learn to design, create and build their own projects.

Kate collapses into giggles as she is introduced to a robot by a local youngster at Bouwkeet for teenagers

The Duchess seems keen to find out as much as possible about the children's work at the robotics class on Tuesday

Kate looks impressed as she is given a live demonstration during a robotics class after a busy afternoon in Rotterdam

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Residents pay by sharing their skills with others, providing education, skills and positive role models in the neighbourhood.

And while designed for the use of youngsters the trip proved to be endless fun for the duchess who was happy to get hands on in various activities.

The Duchess met with youngsters in woodwork and bike-building classes, during her final engagement in this afternoon.

As well as the Meccano masterpiece Kate also witnessed another robot demonstration that saw the machine paint before her very eyes.

Although the demonstration didn't appear to go to plan as a young girl put her head in her hands as the duchess was left in giggles after witnessing the robot's handy work.

Kate looked fascinated as she met with teenagers who were building a bike in Bouwkeet on Tuesday afternoon

The teens were keen to show Kate the ropes as they demonstrated how to put together pieces on a bike wheel

All hands on deck: The elegant royal showed no signs of being out of her comfort zones as she chatted with youngsters

Kate even offered to help out as she held the wheel in place as the youngsters got to work with a screwdriver

The Duchess looks delighted as she learns about woodworking at a class at Bouwkeet workshop, her final engagement

Kate's visit to the woodworking class marked the end of a busy day of engagement on her first solo trip abroad

Earlier today the wife of Prince William visited the Mauritshuis museum in the Hague where an iconic photograph was taken of her by Vermeer's The Girl With The Pearl Earring.

Being patron of the National Portrait Gallery and studied history of art at university, it is unlikely that it was a coincidence that she wore a near identical pair of earrings to those seen in Vermeer's masterpiece.

Standing in front of the painting this afternoon, Kate looked like a perfect match for the enigmatic figure in Vermeer's masterpiece.

Her choice of jewellery for today's visit - a pair of diamond and pearl earrings borrowed from the Queen - made for a picture perfect moment.

Given her knowledge of art, it was surely no coincidence that the Duchess of Cambridge borrowed a pair of pearl earrings for her visit to The Hague today, where she viewed Vermeer's most iconic painting

The Duchess looked impeccably polished in a bespoke Catherine Walker suit, which she teamed with her trusty nude suede heels as she arrived at the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague on her one-day visit to Holland

Kate views Vermeer's famous work The Girl With The Pearl Earring while wearing similar jewellery loaned to her for today's visit to The Hague by the Queen

Kate smiles as she takes in The Girl With The Pearl Earring by Vermeer, part of the permanent collection at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague

Kate's companion appears to notice the resemblance between the Duchess's earrings and those seen in Vermeer's work

The Duchess of Cambridge visits the Mauritshuis in The Hague for the exhibition 'At Home in Holland: Vermeer and his Contemporaries from the British Royal Collection'

Kate meets a young artist taking part in the Mauritshuis gallery's learning programme

What shall I paint next! A young boy entertains the Duchess with his pensive expression as she greets children who are taking part in a learning programme at the Mauritshuis gallery

The Duchess lingered in front of the Dutch masterpiece, made famous by the film of the same name starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson, to ensure that photographers had ample time to take their pictures of the girls in pearls.

She regarded the visit as 'a real treat' according to the Mauritshuis gallery director Emilie Gordenker who showed her around the permanent collection as well as the Queen's paintings.

She said: 'She didn't mention the earrings she was wearing, but she was interested in the painting. She asked if it had become a lot more popular since the film came out, and I said it definitely had.

'The Duchess seemed to particularly enjoy seeing The Goldfinch, by Carel Fabritius.

The Duchess wore a bespoke Catherine Walker skirt and jacket for today's engagement, which she teamed with the same nude suede court shoes she wore to an engagement in London yesterday

Eager royal fans looked delighted to meet the Duchess on her debut visit to Holland

Kate was looking impeccably groomed today, choosing the sweep her brunette locks back in a sleek updo

The Duchess of Cambridge views "The Bull" by Paulus Potter as she visits the Mauritshuis in The Hague for the exhibition 'At Home in Holland: Vermeer and his Contemporaries from the British Royal Collection

Kate was interested to know if Vermeer's painting had become more popular since the film The Girl With The Pearl Earring, starring Scarlett Johansson

The Duchess lingered in front of the masterpiece, allowing photographers plenty of opportunity to capture the two girls with their pearl earrings

'But she asked a lot of questions about the presentation of the paintings, because although she is familiar with a lot of the Queen's paintings she has never seen them in this setting before, which gives them a different context.'

Kate was visiting the museum as part of a day of engagements in the Netherlands - her first solo foreign trip on official royal duties without William.

The mother-of-two looked elegant in a bespoke pale blue skirt suit by Catherine Walker and in a break from her usual style she wore her brunette locks swept back in a chic bun.

Kate paused to chat to youngsters who had gathered outside the Mauritshuis gallery to wave Union Jack flags to welcome her

One is amused! The Duchess of Cambridge laughs during a roundtable discussion at the British Ambassador's Residence

The Duchess looked delighted to be meeting the Dutch monarch King Willem-Alexander and was showing no hint of nerves on her first official overseas visit without William

Kate waves to the crowd as she arrives at the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague to visit an exhibition of 22 picture by Dutch artists loaned to the art gallery from the Royal Collection

She teamed her outfit with her trusty Gianvito Rossi suede pumps, which she also wore yesterday for an engagement in London and carried a small nude box clutch from L.K. Bennett.

The chic ensemble gave the Duchess more than a hint of Jackie Kennedy style, and is in keeping with her new high end wardrobe.

Kate was given a personal tour of an exhibition featuring Dutch Old Masters loaned by the Royal Collection, with artwork, furniture and other objects accumulated over centuries by the British monarchy.

The highlight of the visiting exhibition is Johannes Vermeer's 'The Music Lesson,' but the Duchess also toured the museum's permanent collection, which is where she encountered Vermeer's best-known work, as well as 'The Goldfinch' by Carel Fabritius.

Before leaving, the Duchess met children taking part in the gallery's learning programme and attended a short reception with museum supporters.

Kate is greeted by the director of the Mauritshuis gallery Emilie Gordenker in The Hague

Kate shares a joke with King Willem-Alexander as the pair pose for photos before sitting down for lunch

Earlier today, Kate made a courtesy call to King Willem-Alexander at Villa Eikenhorst, the royal residence he shares with wife Queen Maxima and their three daughters, Princesses Amalia, Alexia and Ariane.

The family home is on the forested De Horsten estate in Wassenaar, near The Hague, and, despite being a private residence, the Dutch monarch sometimes hosts foreign guests.

'Welcome, welcome, very nice to see you,' the king said, as he greeted his guest for the first visit by a British royal to the Dutch kingdom in three years.

Kate has been heralded as a 'secret weapon' for UK diplomacy as the country faces Brexit negotiations

Th down-to-earth Duchess interacts with members of the public during her first official visit to Holland

Kate usually lets her flowing brunette locks flow around her shoulders, but today she opted for a chic updo - all the better for showing off the earrings she borrowed from the Queen

Her one-day trip is a royal milestone for the Duchess as it's the first time she's travelled abroad by herself on official royal duties without William.

A tour of Malta in 2014 was scheduled to be Kate's first solo trip but she had to cancel as she was suffering from acute morning sickness while pregnant with Princess Charlotte.

Folowing her museum visit, Kate travelled to the official residence of Sir Geoffrey Adams, Britain's Ambassador to the Netherlands, to convene a round-table discussion on the themes of addiction, intervention, family and mental health.

Taking part were professionals from the Trimbos Institute, a non-profit research centre working on the issues of mental health and addiction.

Rutger Engels, President and Chief Executive officer of the Trimbos Institute said: 'Still too often children are overlooked when one of their parents has a mental disorder or addiction problem.

'We are very pleased that The Duchess will use her visit to the Netherlands to raise more awareness for the vulnerable position these children are in.'

Kate laughs as she prepares to convene a round-table discussion on the themes of addiction, intervention, family and mental health

Kate gives a cheery wave to well wishers as she is led into the Mauritshuis gallery by its director Emilie Gordenker

Kate (left) admires Vermeer's masterpiece The Girl With The Pearl Earring. Fittingly, the Duchess chose the same accessory for today's visit to The Hague

Kate listens with interest as she tours the Mauritshuis with museum director Emilie E.S. Gordenker

Kate glances at Italian Landscape with Inn and Ancient Ruins 1658 by Jan Baptist Weenix

Royal fans were eager to get a snap as they crowded around the royal visitor with their camera phones

Royal fans were delighted to catch a glimpse of the Duchess on her first visit to The Netherlands - also her debut solo engagement overseas

Kate looks around at the art work as she's led up the stairs at the Mauritshuis art museum by director Emilie E.S. Gordenker

The Duchess arrives at the British ambassador's residence in The Netherlands

The mother-of-two leans in to chat with a young royal fan in the crowd outside the Mauritshuis in The Hague

Kate, who is patron of the National Portrait Gallery looked delighted to be visiting the Mauritshuis art museum

Art fan Kate steps out of her car at the Mauritshuis gallery where she will view an exhibition of Old Masters paintings

Kate surveying the Dutch masterpiece The Bull by Paulus Potter during a personal tour of the exhibition 'At Home in Holland: Vermeer and his Contemporaries' from the British Royal Collection

History of art graduate Kate leans in to admire The Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius during a private tour of the Mauritshuis gallery

The Duchess shares a laugh with the children who had gathered outside an art gallery in The Hague to welcome the royal visitor

Mother-of-two Kate looks animated as she chats you young well wishers on her visit to The Hague - her first official overseas trip without Prince William

Kate was all smiles as she chatted with her royal counterpart at the start of her day of engagements in Holland

Kate carried a small nude box clutch and accessorised with a pair of simple pearl earrings

Kate's outfit is a bespoke creation by Chelsea-based designer Catherine Walker who was a favourite of Princess Diana

Kate, 34, looked elegant in a pale blue skirt suit by Catherine Walker as she made a courtesy call to King Willem-Alexander at Villa Eikenhorst this morning

King Willem Alexander shows Kate into the Villa Eikenhorst on the forested De Horsten estate in Wassenaar, near The Hague where the pair will have lunch together

They were joined by counterparts from two of the Duchess's UK charities - the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, a leading charity in the research, teaching and the provision of care for children and young people with mental health issues, and Action on Addiction.

The visit comes a day after Prime Minister Theresa May was in the Netherlands for talks with her Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, to put forward her case for a fair deal for the UK with the European Union.

Mrs May also visited Denmark for talks with Prime Minister Lars-Lokke Rasmussen as part of her diplomatic offensive ahead of the formal beginning of the Brexit process.

Kate is handed a bouquet by a local. Her final engagement of the day was a visit to the neighbouring city of Rotterdam

The royal is visiting the Dutch city to learn about Bouwkeet, the social Makerspace of Bospolder-Tussendijken

The Duchess looks delighted as she chats to local youngsters in Rotterdam and is handed an edible gift

Kate looked elegant in a pale blue skirt suit by Catherine Walker as she arrived in the city for her final engagement of the day

Kate is handed countless bouquets and bunches of roses from friendly locals as she arrives in Rotterdam on Tuesday

The Duchess seems determined to shake hands with as many people as possible as she arrives at Bouwkeet in Rotterdam

Some commentators believe Kate will be an asset in helping to safeguard the UK's relations with its European neighbours as Brexit takes shape in the coming years.

One of the Queen's most senior aides, her private secretary Sir Christopher Geidt, joined Kate's small entourage - which may be interpreted by some as reflecting the importance of the trip.

But a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'The Duchess' visit centred on an exhibition featuring works from the Royal Collection. Sir Christopher attended in his capacity as a trustee of the Royal Collection.'

Royal sources dismissed the speculation that Sir Christopher's presence was Brexit related, and said his joining the Duchess also reflected the close ties between the British and Dutch royal families.