Kate, Princess of Wales, was confronted by a woman and told she's not "in her own country" while on a Northern Ireland trip this afternoon.
The exchange unfolded when Kate and William, the new Prince and Princess of Wales, were carrying out an impromptu meet and greet with people in north Belfast.
While shaking hands with Kate in Carrickfergus, the Irish nationalist said: “Nice to meet you but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country.”
The woman, who was wearing an emerald green cardigan and appeared to be videoing the exchange on a mobile phone, added: “Ireland belongs to the Irish.”
The encounter happened in what is a predominantly nationalist area of Belfast.
While surprised at the remark, Kate remained composed throughout the brief incident and laughed off the comment before going on to meet other well-wishers.
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William and Kate received an otherwise warm reception as they were greeted by other members of the public who gathered outside the Public Initiative for Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm (PIPS) charity on the city’s Antrim Road.
The royal couple shared an image of the meet and greet on their Instagram page but seemed to crop the woman who made the comment to Kate out of the photograph.
And Kate also exchanged a beaming smile with baby Barney, who showed his teddy off to the princess.
Kate appeared familiar with the stuffed toy, which she named 'Bun 'Bun', before commenting: "I recognise those... our kiddy’s have quite a few of those."
Barney is son of Laura-Ann, a prominent Instagrammer with 172,000 followers, and a keen royalist to boot.
After meeting the royals, the mum said: "What a morning .. I need a lie down from all the excitement."
Hundreds of people had lined the Marine Highway in Carrickfergus as the Prince and Princess of Wales continued their visit to the Co Antrim town.
They shook hands and fist-bumped with local schoolchildren who had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.
The PIPS charity was their first stop of the day, with Lord mayor of Belfast Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.
Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charity’s executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.
PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year.
They were also greeted by the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Noel Williams.
The late Queen had given William and Kate the titles Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus on the morning of their wedding in 2011.
William and Kate have also spent the day learning about the work of Carrick Connect, which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties.
The royal couple were told about some of the projects the organisation is currently implementing in the community, and meeting with their team of mentors and some of the young people who benefit from the projects.
And the couple also got stuck into a spirited cocktail-making race at an outdoor market in Belfast city centre this afternoon.
The next-in-line-to-the-throne and his wife laughed during the duel to be the quickest to make the potent drink, before William was declared the winner.
The prince and princess visited Trademarket on the second stop of the day during a visit to Northern Ireland.
They met with local entrepreneur, Will Neill, and heard about his aim to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area of the city centre.
They also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company who came on board and provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent, and heard about the measures that have been put in place to ensure the site is both ethically and environmentally sustainable, including the removal of single use plastics and a commitment to paying staff a real living wage.
Yesterday, Kate met mothers and babies on a visit to a maternity unit.
Mum-of-three Kate, dressed in a sunshine yellow belted dress with her hair down, toured the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford to hear about the holistic support it provides to pregnant women and new mothers.
Kate gave birth to all three of her children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – at the private Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London.
The visit marked Kate’s first major solo engagement since being made the Princess of Wales by the King, the day after the death of the late Queen.
