Princess Kate attends opening of center for families of seriously ill children

— -- Princess Kate today met with sick children and their families at a London children's hospital, continuing her growing charitable work.

Kate, 35, dressed in a blue, fringed Rebecca Taylor peplum suit, greeted children and families at Evelina London Children's Hospital and helped to open a new facility to house the families of the hospital's young patients.

Evelina London House, run by Ronald McDonald House Charities, provides 59 bedrooms for families who have loved ones with serious illnesses being treated at the hospital. Kate was presented upon her arrival with a bouquet of flowers from an 8-year-old girl whose 6-year-old brother is a patient at Evelina London Children's Hospital.

Kate, the mother of Prince George, who turns 4 in July, and Princess Charlotte, who is nearly 2, cooed over an 8-month-old girl who has been hospitalized for nearly her whole life and a baby born with a seriously damaged heart who has defied the odds after multiple surgeries.

Kate also chatted with youngsters who were decorating pancakes in the center's kitchen ahead of Lent.

The center provides housing and support for families, who can interact and share their experiences with other families suffering from similar challenges. Families are able to stay free of charge at the Evelina London House while their child is being treated at the hospital.

Kate's visit comes a day after she and Prince William attended a Buckingham Palace reception held by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to celebrate U.K. and India culture.

Kate wore a sparkly Erdem dress and a pair of glittering, Cinderella-like heels to the event which celebrated the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture