Duchess of Cambridge reveals they're keeping chickens as pets - which they hatched from eggs
Watch: Kate and US First Lady visit school as G7 summit begins
The Duchess of Cambridge has revealed her family now has pet chickens, which they hatched from eggs.
Kate was overheard chatting to Dr Jill Biden as the two women toured a school in Cornwall, helping pupils there give the school rabbits their lunch of carrots.
Dr Biden asked the royal if they had any pets, and as well as mentioning their two dogs, Kate said they had chickens, adding the extra detail that they had hatched them themselves.
The chickens live at Anmer Hall, Prince William and Kate's Norfolk home, which they were given when they married in 2011 as a wedding gift from the Queen.
Kate has previously said her children collect eggs from the chickens in the mornings when they are staying there.
The family lived there for some time when George, their oldest, was small, and he went to nursery in Norfolk.
Read more: Duchess of Cambridge says she 'can't wait' to meet new niece Lilibet - and hopes it will be soon
However, they moved back to London ahead of Charlotte, their second born, starting nursery, and as they began to ramp up their royal engagements.
Shared pets might give the Cambridges and the Sussexes another chance to bond as they seek to heal the rift between William and his brother Harry.
Harry and Meghan took Oprah Winfrey to their chicken coop in California when they filmed their interview with the TV host, and Meghan told her she enjoyed being able to "live authentically" there.
Meghan's author biography in her new book, The Bench, includes that she lives with a brood of rescue chickens, and eagle eyed Winfrey interview watchers spotted that the hen house had been called Archie's Chick Inn.
Kate was with Dr Biden in Connor Downs Academy in Hayle, as a side event during the G7 summit.
The two women toured the school, meeting children aged four and five as they took part in Maths and English lessons, and then helping them feed the school rabbits.
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They then took part in a round table discussion on the importance of EarlyYears development, a key part of the duchess's royal work.
Kate said it was a "huge honour to welcome Dr Biden" as she opened the round table.
Dr Biden was full of praise for the duchess, saying: "Thank you for this programme today, thank you to the academy, I met some wonderful teachers and principals and the children, who are so inspiring and so well-behaved - I can't get over it."
At the end of the roundtable event, a broadcast journalist from the US asked Kate if she had any wishes for her new niece, Lilibet Diana, who was born on 4 June.
Kate smiled and replied: "I wish her all the very best. I can’t wait to meet her because we haven’t met her yet, so hopefully that will be soon."
She was also asked if she had spoken with the family: "Have you FaceTimed with her?"
Kate replied: "No, I haven’t."
The duchess told the first lady of her passion for the Early Years work, saying she hoped the two nations could work together and share information.
Asked how important the first years of a child's life were, Dr Biden said: "Very important. It’s the foundation of everything.
"This is amazing to see what these children are doing and how far advanced they are at four and five years old."
Read more: Queen, Harry and Meghan more admired than William and Kate by young people, new survey reveals
Kate and Dr Biden appeared at ease with each other during the visit, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge later shared more pictures of a one on one conversation they had.
Dr Biden was full of praise for the duchess, saying: "Thank you for this programme today, thank you to the academy, I met some wonderful teachers and principals and the children, who are so inspiring and so well-behaved - I can't get over it."
Kate said, "It was great to host Dr. Jill Biden and experts from the UK and the United States for a discussion on the importance of early childhood on lifelong outcomes, and how we can work together to make a difference.
"The importance of providing support for parents and children alike during early childhood, and the positive impact that this can have across society, is something we share a great passion for."
Her official social media account also announced, "Next week, The Duchess is looking forward to sharing a major announcement about how she is working to elevate the importance of early childhood and continue the conversation on this vital issue."
Replying on Twitter, Dr Biden said: "We could have kept going for hours! Thank you for having me today to talk about an issue we both care deeply about, and one that is critical to the future of both our countries."
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