Royal Watch News

Duchess Catherine: It was a treat to return to school

Dec 3, 2012, 16:02 GMT

Duchess Catherine

Britain's Duchess of Cambridge said it was a 'treat' to return to her old school.

Duchess Catherine visited St. Andrew's School - where she was a student between 1986 and 1995 - in Berkshire, Southern England, last Friday (30.11.12) to celebrate St. Andrew's Day with the current pupils.

The duchess - known as Kate Middleton before her marriage to Prince William - recalled how much she enjoyed being taught there, and how she had once vowed to return as a teacher.

Speaking to the pupils, she said: 'I absolutely loved my time here. They were some of my happiest years, which makes it so incredibly exciting to be here today.

'In fact, I enjoyed it so much that when I had to leave, I told my mother that I was going to come back to be a teacher. While that didn't quite happen, I was thrilled to have been asked back today on St. Andrew's Day.'

The duchess revealed she developed her love of sport during her time at St. Andrew's as she formally declared the Astroturf field open.

She told Hello! magazine: 'Sport has been a huge part of my life, and I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had to play outside in such wonderful open spaces.

'I hope that you all enjoy playing sport as much as I used to, and make the most of these incredible facilities.'

After the official ceremony, the Duchess - who was once hockey team captain at the school - looked joyful as she joined pupils on the field for a quick game of hockey while wearing high-heeled boots and an Alexander McQueen tartan coatdress.