Kate wields hammer to chop wood on fact-finding mission to Danish forest school

The Duchess of Cambridge went back to nature on her visit to Denmark, chopping a log and taking a woodland ramble as she joined children at a forest nursery school.

Kate embraced the outdoor life that forms the backdrop to teaching for many youngsters in the country who thrive on being given the freedom to play in the open air.

In a wooded area on the outskirts of Copenhagen, the duchess, dressed for the bitterly cold but sunny conditions in boots, jeans, a polo-neck jumper and jacket, took on the challenge of splitting a log after watching five-year-olds complete the task.

Surrounded by children dressed in outdoor onesies, teaching assistant Carla Bro advised Kate on her stance and grip and, laughing, the duchess struck the wood.

Kate took just three blows to split the log and was applauded for her efforts by Ms Bro, 21, who said afterwards: “She was very good, she had the right stance with both hands on the hammer and had good focus.

“She asked how we deal with risky play and how we keep things safe. We have safety rules and we teach the children they should not be afraid of tasks but treat them with respect.”

The duchess knelt down to meet the five and six-year-olds when she first arrived at Stenurten, a combined nursery and kindergarten in Copenhagen, and one little boy made her smile when he shouted out “hello Kate”.

When one youngster stepped up to split a log, Kate told him “you’re so strong” as he whacked the wood, and she clapped when he let out a sigh of relief when it finally split.

The duchess is on a two-day fact-finding visit to Denmark to better understand the country’s world-leading approach to the early years development of children.

Kate joined other activities and went on a brief woodland walk with a “wing buddy”, which sees a youngster paired with an older child to gain comfort and support.

She held the hand of a little girl who also held the hand of Maibritt Iverson, head of Stenurten, and the trio followed pairs of children as they ran into the wooded area.

At the end of the event, a mindfulness session was held to relax the children. The duchess sat with them in a circle around a fire covered by a wood canopy as everyone stared into the flames.

Kate’s two-day visit is also paying tribute to the historic ties Britain shares with Denmark and celebrates the countries’ joint jubilees – the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Golden Jubilee of Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, both of which fall in 2022.

Denmark’s monarch greeted her guest, who had changed into a Catherine Walker coat, along with her daughter-in-law Crown Princess Mary of Denmark at Christian IX’s Palace in Copenhagen.

The three royal women posed for a picture in a large room within the royal residence and were overheard commenting about its decor.

Later Kate and Mary walked across the impressive Amalienborg courtyard and waved at around one hundred members of the public gathered in the open space as they made their way to Frederik VIII’s Palace for a private lunch.

The duchess and crown princess, who have met a number of times in the UK and Denmark, later visited the Danner Crisis Centre.

The shelter helps women and children who have been exposed to domestic violence. It is supported by the Mary Foundation, founded by the crown princess in 2007.

Kate heard how mothers coming to the shelter tell their children it is a hotel where they are having a break.

Older children also receive diaries so they can write about their experiences.

Lene Frisch Larsen, a child therapist at the centre, said: “A lot of the mums say their child hasn’t seen anything.”

“But children notice,” nodded Kate, adding: “The older they are the more they can articulate and explain how they feel.

“Parents I’ve seen in addiction, their children are two or three who (they think) don’t notice it. But it’s because they don’t have a voice… But children feel relationships.”