Kate Middleton sports full military gear during visit to British armed forces training academy

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Kate Middleton is popular among palace aides and ‘a rock’ to Prince William, royal author claims

Kate Middleton is popular among palace aides and ‘a rock’ to Prince William, royal author Tom Quinn, who penned ‘Kensington Palace,’ claims.

Kate Middleton is going for a completely new look in honor of the UK’s Armed Forces Day.

On Saturday, Kensington Palace released unseen photos of the Duchess of Cambridge from her visit to Pirbright Training Academy. During the outing, which took place in November, the 40-year-old spent time with the 101 Operational Sustainment Brigade at Abingdon Airfield to learn about how recruits and serving personnel are trained.

The mother of three noticeably sported full military gear, including a camouflage jacket, as she climbed into a tank during her visit.

"Today on Armed Forces Day, William and I would like to pay tribute to the brave men and women, past and present, serving in all of our armed forces, at sea, on land and in the air, here in the UK and around the world," Middleton wrote on Kensington Palace's social media accounts. "Thank you for all you and your families sacrifice to keep us safe."

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"Last year, I was honoured to spend time with the @BritishArmy to see how they train serving personnel and new recruits," she shared. "It was wonderful to see first-hand the many important and varied roles the military play day in, day out to protect us all, and I look forward to discovering more about the @RoyalNavy and @RoyalAirForceUK in due course."

Middleton signed the caption with a "C," indicating that the message came personally from her.

Middleton’s late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, had a similar experience in 1988 when she visited the Royal Hampshire Regiment at Tidworth. For that outing, the mother of Prince William participated in military exercises while wearing an army green jumpsuit.

William, 40, served as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force.

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Diana, Princess of Wales  (1961 - 1997) visits the Royal Hampshire Regiment during maneuvers at Tidworth in Wiltshire, England. The visit took place on June 23, 1988.  (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

Natalie Bressani, who met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a Christmas party for military families in 2018, recalled how the couple’s first English Cocker Spaniel, Lupo, played a prominent role in their lives.

"When Prince William was away in the Falkland Islands, he went for dinner with some good friends of ours in the Air Force, and he was saying how difficult it was for Kate because he was leaving for six weeks," said Bressani, as quoted by People magazine. "It was when they'd just got the Spaniel to help her with the time apart. She appreciates what wives and families go through."

The daughter of a flight attendant and a flight dispatcher, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born in Reading, England, on Jan. 9, 1982, and grew up with a younger sister, Pippa, and a younger brother, James.

It was at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland that Middleton first met William, who is second in line to the throne. First friends and then housemates along with two other students, the pair became romantically linked around 2004, when they were pictured together on a skiing trip in Switzerland. Middleton graduated in 2005 with a degree in art history and a budding relationship with the prince.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge share three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. (Getty Images)

William complained about press intrusion, and Middleton's lawyers asked newspaper editors to leave her alone. Even so, the British media followed every twist in their relationship, including a brief split in 2007. William later acknowledged that the couple’s romance wobbled for several months, saying they were both young and trying to find their way.

The tabloids dubbed her "Waity Katie" for her patience during their courtship. The couple eventually married at Westminster Abbey in 2011. They have three children.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.