'Kate effect" spices up first stop on the Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour This week, her travels took her to Leicester, to the exotic-sounding De Montfort University, named after a man called Simon who led a rebellion against the monarchy in the 13th century; to the city's cathedral, notable for being the "fourth smallest Anglican cathedral in England"; and finally to the Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower in the city centre, built in 1867 to commemorate famous sons of Leicester, but now best known as a meeting point for teenagers due to its proximity to TK Maxx and McDonalds. Leicester city council had pulled out all of the stops to make the newest member of the Royal family feel at home, putting up 10,000 Union flags and 10,000 yards of bunting. Crowds lined the street 10 deep - at one point they even burst into a spontaneous rendition of the National Anthem, drowning out a brass band. The Duchess had arrived by train from St Pancras with her husband's grandparents, for the start of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour. But few eyes were on Her Majesty, far less the Duke of Edinburgh. Indeed, while Palace officials refused to reveal why the Duke had cotton wool stuffed up his nose, speculation was rife that he had placed it there in an attention-seeking gesture. The person everyone wanted to see was Catherine, or Kate, as they continually screamed. She may have joined the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall last week on a trip to Fortnum and Mason, but that was a mere dress rehearsal, a trip to the corner shop, given how close it is to Buckingham Palace. Leicester was her big test, her first outing with the Queen but without the comforting guidance of her husband or stepmother in-law. As the Duchess chatted with Her Majesty during a fashion show by students at De Montfort University, she seemed to be taking it all in her elegantly long stride. It was, of course, a fashion show that first brought the Duchess to her husband's attention, a fact she alluded to while speaking to the university's chancellor, Lord Waheed Ali, telling him that she had attended a similar event in the past. And while the dresses on display were certainly interesting, nothing was ever going to match the fascination the audience displayed in the Duchess's teal outfit. From LK Bennett she wore a "Jude" jacket, reduced from £295 to £145, and a "Davina" dress, down to £60 from £195. On her feet were black heels from the high street label Episode (£59), on her head a hat by John Lock, rumoured to cost around £375. All of the items sold out immediately. The Queen looked lovely in a fuchsia dress by Angela Kelly, and matching coat, though there was a slight embarrassment when she clashed with a brightly-coloured clergyman outside the cathedral. It was like two Hollywood stars turning up to the Oscars in the same frock. The Duchess chatted to teenagers from a scout group, and seven-year-old Daniella Mann, to a soundtrack of church bells, Sikh Dohl drummers, and another brass band. For some, it was simply too much. One elderly member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service fainted. "I think I need some gin," she told the St John Ambulance man. One sensed that the Queen would approve. After a short service, there was lunch, followed by a show by local dancers in front of the Clock Tower. The Republic lot were here, whingeing that the Duchess's only discernible talent was "receiving bunches of flowers from children, and waving," and when another band started playing the Imperial March from Star Wars, you had to check that they hadn't hijacked the musicians. The 5,000-strong crowd seemed to be having a lovely time though, and it all ended with the Queen unveiling a plaque to be placed on the site of a new Jubilee Square. It is currently a car park at the top of the high street. Who said being a member of the Royal family was glamorous?