Kate Middleton prepares for her first public engagements without Prince William

The Duchess of Cambridge will be busy while Wills is thousands of miles away in the Falkland Islands

Kate Middleton faces six weeks apart from Prince William as he starts a stint with the RAF in the Falklands, but she has the prospect of her first solo public engagements to keep her occupied.

While Wills is thousands of miles away in the Falkland Islands, the Duchess of Cambridge will undertaking a busy schedule of engagements - the first without Prince William by her side.

She'll start her duties on February 8 with a preview of the Lucian Freud Portraits exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, of which she is patron.

Then on Valentine's Day she won't have a chance to miss her new husband as she'll be in Liverpool visiting The Brink, an alcohol-free bar which aims to help people recovering from drink and drug addiction.

According to Palace staff, the Duchess has chosen the charity Action On Addiction to be one of her four patronages because she believes addiction is at the root of many social problems across Britain.

KATE MIDDLETON'S CHARITIES ANNOUNCED

Next up the 30-year-old will stop by at the Ronald McDonald House at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital where she will meet staff and patients, as well as officially opening one of the new apartments there.

A St James's Palace spokesman said: 'She was keen to visit all of her charities publicly in the first couple of months of her announcing her patronages.'

In October, Kate attended her first solo private engagement when she stood in for Prince Charles at a dinner for his charity In Kind Direct.

Good luck, Kate! 

PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON MOMENTS

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