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The Duchess of Cambridge tried her hand at conducting a prestigious symphony orchestra on the final day of the royal tour of Germany.

Her Royal Highness took the baton at the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra's new home, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall.

It was part of an event where 250 schoolchildren were introduced to music in front of the Duke and Duchess.

The Royal party are due back in the UK on Friday evening, after a five-day tour that began in Poland on Monday.

On the last day of the tour, the Duchess, who comes from a musical family and played the flute at school, took the musicians through the first notes of Beethoven's fifth symphony.

The royal couple then listened to a performance of a symphony especially adapted for young people, and then went on stage to learn more about the orchestra.

Earlier, Catherine and William walked around the stage accompanying six children trying out different instruments, including a violin, flute, timpani [kettle drums] and trombone.

Helicopter fun

Later the Duke of Cambridge gave Prince George and Princess Charlotte a guided tour of a helicopter at the Airbus factory in Hamburg.

Prince George tried on a pilot's helmet while Princess Charlotte played with buttons in the cockpit.

The Duke flew helicopters when he was an air ambulance pilot.

Antoine van Gent, head of flight testing at Airbus, said: "The Duke was very relaxed showing his children the professional aircraft he uses.

"George was excited, with the first helicopter he wanted to sit in the cockpit and then he wanted to sit in the next one, he already knew there was a difference between them."

Charlotte was less impressed after taking a tumble on the concrete after leaving the aircraft but Mr van Gent said she enjoyed playing in the pilot's seat.