Royals Princess Kate Comes Face-to-Face with 83-Foot Whale Skeleton During Natural History Museum Visit Princess Kate visited one of her and Prince George's favorite spots on Thursday: the Natural History Museum! By Erin Hill Erin Hill Twitter Senior News Editor, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 13, 2017 03:59 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Princess Kate visited one of her and Prince George’s favorite spots on Thursday: the Natural History Museum! During her solo visit, Kate, who stunned in a glittering tiara at a state banquet Wednesday night, saw the unveiling of the London museum’s latest attraction — a giant blue whale skeleton. Kate and George had a memorable outing in 2015, where she was spotted holding his hand and showing him around the exhibits at the Natural History Museum. The royal mom, who is a patron of the museum, joined famed naturalist Sir David Attenborough to be among the first to see the 83-foot long skeleton suspended from the ceiling in the revamped Hintze Hall. Yui Mok/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Kate, who styled her new short ‘do in loose curls, wore a pale blue Preen dress by designer Thornton Bregazzi and sky-high Prada sandals with wavy straps that she first wore during her royal tour of India last year. Kate said that both Prince George and Princess Charlotte love going to the Natural History Museum — especially to see the dinosaur exhibit. “Like many of you here tonight, I remember visiting the Natural History Museum as a child, and being inspired with a love of nature,” she said during a speech. “And now, as a parent myself, I am experiencing the joy all over again with my own children, who adore coming here, and it is not just to see the T-Rex mind you. “Who could fail to be inspired standing here in this wonderful hall. It is so fitting to see the ocean now taking centre stage, with many other marine specimens as star attractions in this splendid Hintze Hall.” The whale skeleton replaced Dippy the Diplodocus, which first went on display in 1979. Kate took part in a special send-off for the exhibit last year. TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty FROM PEN: How Princess Kate Is Changing the Royal Parenting Rules The skeleton, from a whale that became stranded in Wexford Harbor in Ireland in 1891, “is a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the responsibility we have towards our planet,” museum director Michael Dixon said. Kate has been on a museum spree this summer. In June, she also opened opened new areas of the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) close to her London home at Kensington Palace.