Prince who? Kate stuns at first solo royal appearance

The Duchess attended a private viewing of a new exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery

Video: Princess Kate solo at Freud art show

Image: Kate Middleton at the National Portrait Gallery

Jorge Herrera / AP

The Duchess of Cambridge, who has a degree in the history of art, became patron last month of the National Portrait Gallery, which staged Wednesday's event.

By Natalie Finn

updated 2/8/2012 7:53:35 PM ET

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Kate Middleton has been out alone since marrying Prince William. But not royally alone!

With her husband away doing search-and-rescue training in the Falkland Islands, Duchess Catherine was obliged to go solo to a private viewing of a new exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in London--her first public appearance as a representative of the royal family made without Will by her side.

Story: Prince William flies first Falklands sortie for RAF stint

And what do you know?

MORE: Royals' Best Friend: Kate MIddleton and Prince William Become Proud Parents...of a Dog

Middleton managed to stun on her own!

Clad in a gray tweed coat dress by high-street label Jesire (think there are any left now?), she enjoyed a guided tour of paintings by Lucian Freud along with VIPs such as photographer Mary McCartney (Paul's daughter) and the artist's daughter, Bella.

Middleton studied art history at the University of St. Andrews, so she really couldn't have scored a more fitting event to attend without Will, her usual partner in criminal glamour.

Story: How Kate Middleton is spending Valentine's Day

And while we don't think there's any Thelma & Louise action in Middleton's future, the Daily Mail reports that she's also planning an "away day" excursion to Liverpool on Valentine's Day. While in the Beatles' old stomping grounds, she'll supposedly visit an alcohol-free pub called the Brink (Middleton is a patron of Britain's Action on Addiction program), as well as the Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Freud exhibit opens to the public tomorrow.

GALLERY: Kate Middleton's Totally Royal Life

Photos: Life of Kate Middleton

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Showing off a baby bump
Prince William (left) and Duchess Kate arrive at Westminster Abbey in London for a service on June 4 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. (Leon Neal / AFP/Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Second wedding anniversary
Duchess Kate visits Naomi House on April 29 in Hampshire, England. (Eamonn M. Mccormack / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Royals in the Far East
Prince William and Kate travel in a special boat vehicle as they arrive at Honiara International Airport during their Diamond Jubilee tour of the Far East in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island, on September 16, 2012. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, presents a shamrock to the regimental mascot as she takes part in a St Patrick's Day parade while visiting Aldershot Barracks in Aldershot, England, on March 17, 2012. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Kate and the queen
Duchess Kate and Queen Elizabeth II are pictured as they visit the city of Leicester in central England, on March 8, 2012. (Rui Vieira / AFP/Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Honoring heroes
Prince William, Kate and Prince Harry leave after attending "A Night of Heros," the annual Sun Military Awards, to honour members of the British armed forces in London on December 19, 2011. (Arthur Edwards / AFP/Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Yeehaw!
Will and Kate watch a rodeo demonstration at a government reception at the BMO Centre on July 7, 2011, in Calgary, Canada. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Gang's all here
Britain's Prince William and his new wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, pose with their page boys and bridesmaids following their wedding on April 29, 2011. Clockwise from bottom right, Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Eliza Lopes, Grace van Cutsem, Lady Louise Windsor, Tom Pettifer, and William Lowther-Pinkerton. (Hugo Burnand / Clarence House via AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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Paying respect
Prince William, newly minted as the Duke of Cambridge, salutes the Cenotaph as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, bows her head on their way to Buckingham Palace after their wedding at Westminster Abbey. (Gerry Penny / EPA) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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You may kiss the bride
Prince William kissed his new wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, watched by bridemaids Grace van Cutsem, left, and Margarita Armstrong-Jones. (Dylan Martinez / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Royal fans
Kate Middleton talks to children during a visit to Witton Country Park in Darwen, northern England, on April 11. A large crowd of well-wishers braved a downpour to cheer Prince William and Kate Middleton as they took part in their final official engagement before their wedding. (Darren Staples / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Practice run
Months before she is set to serve as Kate's maid of honor, Kate’s sister, Philippa “Pippa” Middleton, 27, attends the wedding of a friend. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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A royal doll
The Limited Edition Princess Catherine Engagement Doll launched at Hamleys toy shop in London on April 7. The doll has been dressed and accessorized by seven award-winning British designers; some proceeds from each purchase go to the Help for Heroes charity. (Luke Macgregor / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Fat Tuesday
Kate practices her kitchen skills while accompanying William on his first official visit to Northern Ireland. She's flipping pancakes to mark Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, when the British indulge in sugar, fat, eggs and other foods that are not eaten during Lent. As Kate greeted the crowd that gathered in Belfast, one woman gave her a daffodil pin after Kate said she liked it. Kate held the pin in her hand while she flipped flapjacks with the other. (Cathal Mcnaughton / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Wedding gift
St. Andrews established a new scholarship in honor of William and Kate. The university presented the scholarship to the couple as a wedding gift in February. (Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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A return to where the romance began
In February, Prince William and Kate return to their alma mater, University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where Kate first stole the prince’s heart. They make the trip six years after their graduation to launch a campaign marking the 600th anniversary of the university’s founding. Prince William is the patron of the campaign. (Wpa Pool / Pool via Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Commoner greets the public
Smiling Kate meets members of the public – and potential neighbors – as she and Prince William attend a naming ceremony for a new lifeboat in Anglesey. (Phil Noble / Pool via AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Anglesey’s new residents
Kate and Will make a visit to Anglesey in February 2011; the island off the coast of Wales is where they're said to live as husband and wife. (Phil Noble / Pool via AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Two royal engagements
Kate and William's isn't the only royal relationship taking the plunge. Here, Prince William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, attends a rugby match with his cousin, Zara Phillips, who is engaged to rugby player Mike Tindall. (Clive Mason / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Life as a royal is bubbly
Prince William and Kate make their first official appearance since their engagement. In February 2011, Kate dedicates the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) new lifeboat with a bottle of Champagne. (Phil Noble / Pool via AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Charitable Catherine
Kate has attended charity events on the prince's arm, but royal watchers are waiting to see if she dives into that kind of work like William and his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, did. William is the patron or president of at least 20 organizations, and Diana was the president or patron of more than 100 charities during her marriage to Prince Charles. (Rui Vieira / PA via AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Eight years to age 28
After eight years, Prince William and Kate, now referred to as Catherine, announce they will finally say “I do.” William popped the question at 28 – the youngest age that he said he would marry. (Ben Stansall / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
From countryside to castle
Kate Middleton was raised in a middle-class family in Bucklebury, 60 miles outside London. Kate’s father, Michael, was an airline pilot and her mother, Carole, was a flight attendant before they started their own party supply business, Party Pieces, and became self-made millionaires. The Middletons made sure their daughters received a good education, sending them to some of the United Kingdom’s best schools. Prince William has described Kate’s parents as loving, caring, fun and welcoming. (Wpa Pool / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Styles and smiles
Over the years Kate has worn a bright smile to match her many hats. Her style sense is closely watched, and signature pieces include long jackets, boots and the occasional feathered fascinator. While Prince William became a lieutenant in the British Army, Kate worked as an accessories buyer for British clothing chain Jigsaw. (Dylan Martinez / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Kate’s social circle
Kate attends the Gatcombe Park Festival of British Eventing with friends in August 2005. She has proven herself to be a multitasker over the years, balancing academics, friends, family and her relationship with the heir to the British throne. (Matt Cardy / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Go Wills
Kate is a familiar face on the sidelines of the polo field, where she has often been seen cheering on Prince William. (Barry Batchelor / PA via AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Duty calls
Kate has supported William in all of his royal duties. Here, she attends the Annual Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle in June 2008 where Prince William was made a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter by the queen, becoming the 1,000th in history. (Steve Parsons / Pool via AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Game changer
Although Kate is regularly spotted at the prince’s ceremonies and polo matches, her attendance at Prince William’s graduation from The Royal Military Academy was seen as a game changer. This was the first time she attended an important event with the queen and other senior royals. Many saw it as a coming-out for the prince’s girlfriend. (Adrian Dennis / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Split but not broken
Prince William and Kate were said to have split in April 2007. Just a few short months later, she attended the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London, sitting with her brother only feet away from the prince. She was among the 70,000 people who joined Princes William and Harry for the concert in memory of their late mother. (Leon Neal / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Mum’s mishap
Kate is poised, as usual, at William's Royal Military Academy graduation ceremony. When the cameras focused on the Middletons during the Sandhurst parade, Kate's mother, Carole, was spotted chewing gum -- a major faux pas. (Tim Ockenden / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Rare sight
Kate Middleton and Prince William embrace after their graduation from St. Andrews University in June 2005. The pair has followed in the queen's footsteps and not shown much affection in public. This Middleton family picture captures a more relaxed and loving couple. (Middleton Family via AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Top notch education
In June 2005, Kate graduated from St Andrews University in Scotland, where she studied art history. She went to high school at boarding school Marlborough College. (Middleton Family via AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Sweet scout
The Duchess of Cambridge was a Brownie in 1990 at St. Peter's Church Hall, wearing a traditional Brownie uniform which included a yellow sweatshirt, brown or tan skirt and a yellow necktie.

Like Princess Diana, Duchess Kate revealed her first charities for which she will lend her official patronage — and many of them help children in need. One charity in particular seems especially close to the her heart: the Scout Association, for which she will serve as a volunteer leader with the youngest scouts — Beaver Scouts and Cub Scouts — near the home she shares with Prince William in north Wales. (MAVRIXONLINE.COM) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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Camera ready
Kate Middleton, 5, smiles for a family photo. Little did she know she was preparing for a life in front of the cameras. (Middleton Family via AFP-Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Reaching the summit
In this Middleton family photo, 3-year-old Kate scales up a rock on a family vacation in the Lake District in England. The official royal wedding site lists hill-walking as a favorite hobby of Kate's. (- / Middleton family via AFP - Getty) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Cultured Catherine
Kate began learning about other cultures as a child. At age 2, she moved with her family to Amman, Jordan, for two and a half years. Kate's experiences abroad might help her relate to the many people who circulate through the palace gates. Kate is photographed here with her sister, Pippa, and father in Jerash, Jordan. (Middleton Family via AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Mining Middletons
Kate is not a coal miner's daughter, but she is the great-granddaughter of a miner. Kate's family has deep roots in the coal mines of northern England. Her great-grandfather, Tom, pictured front left, worked in the coal pits. Kate's family connection to coal mining only adds to the commoner-turned-princess mystique. (Scott Heppell / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation