The Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to Fortnum & Mason the day before her trip to the Museum of Childhood. Photo by Jeff Spicer/PA

The Duchess of Cambridge made a secret visit to an East End museum on Friday, it has emerged.

In an impromptu drop by at Bethnal Green’s Museum of Childhood, the Duchess spent time looking at an exhibition about magic throughout the ages.

It came just a day after her high-profile official trip to luxury goods store Fortnum & Mason with the Queen and Duchess of Cornwall.

Kate, 30, is said to have spent about an hour perusing the long-running exhibition, which was in its final week and described as an exploration into the ways magic, illusion and fantasy have been embraced for hundreds of years.

The Duchess, who has a degree in art history, has already expressed an interest in becoming more involved with galleries and the creative industries.

One of her new roles is patron of the National Portrait Gallery.