Are William and Kate the new Brexit ambassadors?

So Kensington Palace has just announced William and Kate will visit Poland and Germany in July.

They already have a planned visit to France - they're going to Paris later this month.

You might argue the government is using them as ambassadors for the UK just as Theresa May triggers Article 50 and the negotiations get underway over our divorce from the EU.

Kensington Palace says the visits to Paris, Poland and Germany are taking place "at the request of the Foreign Office" - although that's not new.

All visits by members of the The Royal Family take place in collaboration with the government based on its priorities at the time.

Nevertheless, you can't help but note all the official tours by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge this side of the summer are to EU countries.

Just at the moment when the UK starts on the path towards its departure.

A diplomat tells me the visits are not officially related to Brexit but the royal tours could help to reinforce the message that "Britain might be leaving the EU but it's not leaving Europe."