Catherine briefly addressed
staff and patients of the Kuala Lumpur hospice as the British monarchy
continues to ease the former Kate Middleton into her official duties as the
Duchess of Cambridge.
"Providing children and
their families with a place of support, care and enhancement at a time of great
need is simply life-changing," she said after Malaysian officials launched
a new paediatric palliative care programme.
"With effective palliative
care, lives can be transformed."
Kate's speech at Hospis
Malaysia had been among the tour's more anticipated events as the British
public and fans worldwide sought clues on what sort of image she would project.
But she she spoke for only
about two minutes, extolling the need for palliative care -- a
multidisciplinary approach to relieve the physical, emotional and other pain of
longtime disease-sufferers.
William arrived in a blue suit
and tie and Kate wore an aqua-coloured, knee-length pleated dress.
During the visit they sat with
young patients, chatting and drawing on clay bricks that will later be included
in a wall at the hospice entrance, a British High Commission official said.
William drew a cat and mouse
resembling cartoon characters Tom and Jerry, while Catherine asked a
14-year-old boy what to draw.
"Draw what makes you
happy," he replied, the official said, and she drew a "beautiful tree
with some birds flying above it".
William and Kate flew in
earlier Thursday from neighbouring Singapore, where they kicked off a nine-day
tour that will keep them in Malaysia until Saturday before they move on to the
Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.
Britain's younger royals are
touring the globe throughout 2012 as part of celebrations marking the 60-year
reign of William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
After arriving in Malaysia,
they attended a lunch hosted by Prime Minister Najib Razak, followed by the
hospice visit.
In the evening, they were
received by Malaysia's 84-year-old king, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, at
his palace for dinner with 400 guests.
The royal couple will make a
highly-anticipated public appearance Friday at a park in central Kuala Lumpur
before visiting a nature conservation site in the Borneo jungle Saturday.
The couple's marriage in April
2011 was watched by up to two billion TV viewers around the world, sparking
fresh excitement in Britain's monarchy after years of crisis.
In Singapore, William caused a
stir when he revealed that he wanted to have two children with Catherine,
according to British media accompanying them.
About a dozen fans gathered
along a security cordon outside the hospice.
Evelyn Tan, a university
student who skipped classes along with a fellow classmate for a chance to
glimpse the couple, called it a "once in a lifetime chance".
"We are diehard fans. The
British royal family is quite famous in the world so it's a big thing for
us," she said.
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