Prince William and Kate Middleton all smiles at royal reception for COP26 summit

Prince William and Kate Middleton hosted a reception for world leaders in Glasgow. Photo / Getty Images

Prince William and Kate Middleton hosted a royal reception for world leaders at the COP26 climate summit in Scotland this week.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wore stunning matching blue outfits as they led a reception for the Earthshot Prize Awards in Glasgow, reports The Sun.

The couple spoke to guests as key members of the Sustainable Markets initiative, as well as the finalists and winners of the Earthshot Prize during the event at the Clydeside Distillery.

The couple were all smiles at the event, with Kate even at one stage attempting to feed her husband dead larvae - usually used as food for livestock.

The event was also attended by Prince Charles, Camilla, and the Prime Minister of Britain Boris Johnson, as part of the wider COP26 talks.

Guests all paused to watch and listen to the Queen's speech as she spoke to world leaders virtually at the event.

She pre-recorded her words at Windsor Castle after being prevented from attending the event on doctors' orders.

The emotional Queen "couldn't be more proud" of her son Prince Charles and her grandson Prince William and their efforts to fight climate change, she said.

The Queen also paid tribute to her late husband Prince Philip's environmental work, which she said lives on through William and Charles.

"It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet, lives on through the work of our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William," the Queen said.

Will and Kate joked around at the event, as Kate offered him some dead larvae. Photo / Getty Images

"I could not be more proud of them."

The Queen paid tribute to the younger generation who have taken on the climate crisis in their own lives.

It comes after it was announced this week that the Queen will be taking on lighter duties in the wake of her recovery from an illness.

Speaking to world leaders over video, she added, "In the coming days, the world has the chance to join in the shared objective of creating a safer, stabler future for our people and for the planet on which we depend.

"None of us underestimates the challenges ahead.

"But history has shown that when nations come together in common cause, there is always room for hope."