Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, Makes First Public Speech

The Duchess of Cambridge appeared at a children's hospice on Monday, making first public speech as a member of the Royal Family.

She was in Ipswich, England as a royal patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, at the launch of a new center called the Treehouse.

The Duchess, formerly known as Catherine Middleton, praised the efforts of hospice workers and gave thanks for being invited.

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"I'm only sorry that William can't be here today," drawing laughs from listenters. "He would love it here."

"What you have all achieved here is extraordinary," she said in the speech.

"When I first visited the hospice in Milton I had a preconceived idea as to what to expect. Far from being a clinical, depressing place for sick children it was a hope. Most importantly it was a family home. A happy place of stability, support and care. It was a place of fun."

"What you do is inspirational," she said. "It is a shining example of the support and the care that is delivered not just here but in the children's hospice movement at large, up and down the country."

Watch her speech below: