Held at the Copper Box Arena in London, they met with athletes set to benefit from Sportaid funding in the coming years as they look to compete in future editions of the Games.

The Commonwealth Games are due to begin here next Wednesday (April 4) and ver 350 previous SportsAid beneficiaries are set to compete for their respective nations.

During the day, diver Emily Martin, volleyball player Sam Marsh and Para-sprinter Souleyman Bah participated in a session aimed at offering advice on how best to tell their story to a wider audience through the media.

Double Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold sat in on the session with the Duke and Duchess, the skeleton gold medallist offering her advice.

Yarnold, a former beneficiary of support through the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS), a programme managed by SportsAid, explained the help she received.

She was studying at the University of Gloucestershire when her TASS award helped her balance her sporting and academic pursuits.

"Meeting lots of young athletes is always a nice way to spend the day because they are the people I need to make sure I am inspiring," said Yarnold.

"It’s a great help [SportsAid support] when younger athletes don’t yet know the world of dealing with school studies and university and sport.

"They have different experiences but essentially we are all the same athletes, who want to get better, be selected for the next big event and perform on the big stage.

"It’s awesome to come back and tell them that I was exactly where they are and now I’ve got two Olympic gold medals, they can absolutely do it."

Yarnold also joined the Royal couple in taking part in a special Commonwealth Quiz with students from the Chobham Academy and athletes.

Teams were split into 18 all named after cities which have hosted the Commonwealth Games.

England Para-athlete Joshua Bain also spoke to the Duke and Duchess prior to travelling to the Commonwealth Games, along with weightlifter Chris Murray.

Amber Anning and Vera Chinedu, winners of medals at last year's Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas, discussed their ambitions to qualify for Birmingham 2022.

"I had the honour of speaking with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge," Chinedu, a sprinter, said.

"I was a bit nervous at first but they are really nice and down to earth.

"He was asking me about my sport, and what event I did.

"He wanted to know how I fit my education and other parts of my life with my sport.

"They also asked about how SportsAid helps me as an athlete.

"Last year I was injured and I had to pay for medical fees and SportsAid helped me a lot.

"Without it I might not have been able to afford it so quickly. 

"It also gave me a mental boost knowing they supported me and that gave me belief too.”

The visit came ahead of next month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, with the the Duke and Duchess concluding their stay by being handed soft toys of the Gold Coast 2018 mascot Borobi for their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Proceedings ended with SportsAid’s annual wheelchair basketball competition, which focused on sport and its accessibility.