Kate Middleton's sweet response to a disappointed girl expecting her to look like Cinderella

The Duchess of Cambridge often looks like she has stepped straight out of a fairy tale ...

But one young girl was left disappointed during her meeting with Kate Middleton after the royal mum wore a red knitted dress instead of a gown the character Cinderella wears in the popular Disney film.

The 38-year-old mum was accompanying Prince William during a visit to the RNLI Mumbles Lifeboat Station in Wales when she met Annabel Costella and her mum Rhian.

The three-year-old was so excited to meet a "real princess" as she loves fairy tales and Cinderella.

As the Duchess greeted the youngster, Annabel said: "I thought you'd look like Cinderella."

To which, the royal mum-of-three issued a sweet apology for her very un-Cinderella look, saying: "I'm really sorry I'm not wearing a pretty dress today."

Kate then gave Annabel a huge hug.

While she wasn't dressed like Cinderella, Kate still looked immaculate, wearing a long navy coat from upmarket UK clothing store Hobbs, a red knitted dress and a heart print scarf.