THE DUCHESS of Cambridge “loved” her time living in
Jordan as a young child,
Prince William said during his historical tour of the
Middle East as he also revealed his wife was "upset" for not being able to join him.
The Duke of Cambridge talked about his wife's fondness for the country as he visited Jordan at the start of a major five-day tour of the Middle East.
During a reception at the British ambassador to Jordan's residence in Amman, William met Rania Malki, chief executive of Save The Children in Jordan.
The charity boss said she knew the house where the Duchess lived while she was in Jordan because it is now the home of her children's paediatrician.
The duke replied: “No way, she will be thrilled.
“She loved it here, she really did. She is very upset that I am coming here without her."
The Duchess of Cambridge’s family moved to Jordan in May 1984 when she was aged two and her sister Pippa was just eight months old.
The move came after father Michael, a British Airways manager, relocated to the Jordanian capital of Amman for work.
Kate went to an English language nursery while her parents were in the country for almost three years, before they returned to Berkshire in 1986.
A picture of a young Duchess with her father and sister at the famous Roman ruins at the Jordanian city of Jerash was released before her 2011 wedding.
During the reception, which marked the Queen's birthday, William spoke about the Duchess: "My wife Catherine is very sorry she cannot be here with me so soon after the birth of our son Louis, but her family remembers very fondly the almost three years she spent here as a child when her father worked for British Airways in Amman.
"Catherine's experience is not unique. The interchange between our two countries is real and deep: work, study, tourism and family links.
"Our historic ties and friendship are played out in the lives of thousands of people who consider both countries home."
William is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his trip.
His father Prince Charles and grandfather, Prince Philip, have made trips to the region, although these have been in an unofficial capacity.
He has made history as the first member of the Royal Family to officially visit both Israel and Palestine.