The Duchess of Cambridge has worn a face mask at a royal event for the first time as she revealed that stories of families struggling during lockdown had moved her to tears.

Kate described how she wept after a previous trip to a baby bank, which provides essential items to mothers in need like nappies and infant clothes, when she helped out at a similar project in Sheffield.

The duchess’s tour of Baby Basics UK in South Yorkshire highlighted her efforts to spearhead a donation drive which has seen shops like John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Tesco give more than 10,000 new goods to baby banks across the country.