On day two of her tour, Kate took part in a number of outdoor activities with the youngsters, who are taught in the open air for part of the year.

Teaching assistant Carla Bro advised Kate on her stance and grip and, laughing, the duchess struck the wood.

Kate took just three blows to split the log and was applauded for her efforts by Ms Bro, 21, who said afterwards: "She was very good, she had the right stance with both hands...

"She asked how we deal with risky play and how we keep things safe. We have safety rules and we teach the children they should not be afraid of tasks but treat them with respect."

Read more: Kate slides into Denmark visit as she takes work on early years development abroad

The visit is part of a fact-finding mission to better understand the country's world-leading approach to the early years development of children.

At the nursery school on the outskirts of Copenhagen, she picked up ideas on the role of nature in education.

Experts believe it has huge benefits for children's mental health and wellbeing and its value is something Kate has championed through her own work.

The two-day visit is also paying tribute to the historic ties Britain shares with Denmark and celebrates the countries' joint jubilees - the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and the Golden Jubilee of Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, both of which fall in 2022.