The Duchess of Cambridge dazzled in pink in Deptford and wowed Sydenham crowds as she carried out her last public events before the birth of her second child.
Kate and William kicked off a string of three engagements by touring the Stephen Lawrence Centre in Deptford, which helps young people break into the professions.
They were shown around the centre, named after Stephen, who was fatally stabbed by a group of white youths near a bus stop in Eltham in April 1993, by his mother Baroness Doreen Lawrence.
With the Duchess thought to be around eight months pregnant - her baby is due at the end of April - she is unlikely to make an official public appearance until the day she leaves hospital with the latest addition to her family.
As she left the centre today Kate was presented with flowers by Stephen's niece Mia.
The Duchess, who was wearing a fuchsia pink coat by Mulberry and black high heel shoes, revealed shepherd's pie is one of her favourite dishes while chatting with the 10-year-old, who likes to cook the dish.
William told Mia: "I quite like shepherd's pie, I will have to pop round and try it."
Baroness Lawrence said: "It was a quite amazing visit. The Duke and Duchess spent a really good time talking to our young people and showed genuine interest in what they were doing."
Asked about Mia's chat with the Duchess, the Baroness said: "Mia loves to help with the cooking but I didn't realise that shepherd's pie was her favourite.
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"They invited her to go and do some cooking for them."
During their visit the royal couple met staff and volunteers in reception, where they were received by St-Martin-in-the-Fields High School choir.
They were wished good luck with the new baby, with William replying: "Thanks vey much, any day now."
They sat to chat with pupils from the Harris Academy law workshop in the centre's lecture room while the youngsters carried out a mock trial.
The Duke got some laughs as he spoke with Owen Wetsi-Kindudi about what kind of lawyer he wants to be.
The 13-year-old later said: "I told him that I want to go into litigation because it will be fun to sue people.
"He said to me 'you are a bad one'."
Kate and William were also shown a journalism project and a display of some of Stephen Lawrence's architectural work.
Later, crowds cheered as the Duke and Duchess arrived on the Hazel Grove estate in Sydenham to visit XLP's bus project and mobile recording studio.
Ethan Bernard, 33, who runs the studio, said that the visit had allowed him to tell the Duke and Duchess "my story, where I'm from and what I'm about".
He told reporters: "Unfortunately a friend of mine was murdered 13 years ago and it was at that point that my life took a turn.
"I wanted to go back into the communities where I am from and support young people who don't have a role model like I didn't have a role model. XLP has really allowed me to spread my wings.
"Having the chance to give young people something like this which I didn't have and see some changes in their lives is amazing. I love this."
Tex Tuwizana, a 16-year-old student from Catford, south-east London, said that after he was stabbed the studio saved his life.
He said that Kate had encouraged William to get on the studio's control deck but they did not have time for it.
"Meeting them was an amazing experience," he said. "Not a lot of people from our area get the opportunity to do something like this.
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