Princess Kate's unusual request on royal hospital visit that delighted fans

Princess Kate made an unusual request during a recent royal engagement that left fans delighted. Earlier this month, the Princess of Wales visited the RHS's Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital.

During the solo trip, the princess, 43, met staff and patients, and spent time looking around the garden. She also planted some "Catherine's Roses" in the wellbeing garden, which the RHS charity named after the royal this year.

Before planting the roses, Kate was given a pair of gloves to wear to protect her hands. However this led to the Princess of Wales making an unusual request.

After being handed the gloves, Kate asked if she was allowed to not wear them, saying she wanted to "feel the earth".

This delighted royal fans, with many believing it showed just how similar the princess is to ordinary people.

Commenting under a video uploaded by Kensington Palace of the visit and planting of the rose, one fan wrote: "I loved seeing her hands in the dirt gardening. That is how I garden."

Another said: "I love that HRH gets right down into the earth. No gloves, no care about dirt on her knees. She really connects to the earth and it's so healing for her."

Someone else wrote: "Loved how you embraced the earth with your bare hands. (Keeping your engagement ring on) that's class!"

Another fan commented: "Adorable Catherine, our Princess of Wales, feeling the earth in her bare hands."

Since being diagnosed with cancer last year, the future Queen, whose cancer is now in remission, has spoken openly about how nature has been a great comfort to her during a challenging time.

The princess even previously described nature as a "sanctuary" for herself and Prince William, as well as their three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.