Kate drinks water from vines in the Belize jungle before getting glammed up for Wills’ wedding reception

KATE Middleton dazzled guests yesterday in a glam pink gown after spending the day in the Belize jungle drinking water from vines.

After a trek, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, 39 and 40, were given a “truly authentic jungle experience” and taught how to catch and kill wildlife.

The royal couple also dazzled guests at a reception last night at the Mayan ruins of Cahal Pech.

Kate wore a stunning pink glitzy gown, while Wills looked dapper in a blue suit.

During a reception to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Duke told guests that his son George is always interested in learning about different parts of the world.

“We let them know where we are, and he finds us on the map, puts a pin in it, and shares it with the others,” William explained.

The Duchess dazzled the crowd in a stunning metallic gown designed by Vampire’s Wife, which she accessorised with a Maya embroidered bag.

In the presence of Prime Minister Johnny Brienco, the couple met with community leaders, well-known Belizeans, and government officials.

The Cambridges will fly to Jamaica later, the next stop on their eight-day Caribbean tour, and will be greeted by an official welcome.

Earlier in the day, the couple drank water from massive water vines that had been hacked down with a machete to demonstrate their dedication.

Kate laughed as she cocked her head back and, with the assistance of a Belizean troop, funnelled the water in.

They were greeted by British and Belizean soldiers working together in the undergrowth at the British Army Training Support Unit (BATSUB).

It was a return visit for future King William, 39, who had previously spent time with a specialist unit in 2000, at the start of his gap year before university.

It also provided an opportunity for him to re-connect with his former Sandhurst academy sergeant major, who now commands the jungle unit.

William and Kate spent more than an hour and a half learning survival techniques taught to British soldiers who almost all spend 6-8 weeks in the field.

Arriving at the BATSUB HQ, dubbed ‘The Schoolhouse’, the couple were briefed on the five main pillars of survival in the environment – cooking; animal traps; shelters; water capture and fire.

The squaddies had spent five days cleaning a portion of the jungle with machetes to set up camp and before the royals arrival.

They were shown how to boil water using a plastic bottle dangling over a fire, fashion a bamboo tree to use as a pressure cooker and sharpen a bamboo spear to create a medieval type weapon to trap and kill monkeys and birds to eat.

William got stuck in after watching a demonstration and had a go of a contraption used to gain much-needed food in the jungle.

William said: “I’ve been a monkey a few times but this is extraordinary.”

Looking at the trap, suspended 15feet in the air from a tree, William turned to the observing press pack and joked: “Ah, it could trap the media!“

Before watching the skills of Belize soldiers, the Cambridges quenched their thirst with water from huge overhead vines.

By vigorously rubbing two pieces of bamboo together, one extraordinary troop demonstrated the art of creating a flame.

As Kate looked on, William congratulated the soldier, saying, “You did far better than me, I wouldn’t have even started the smoke.”

“It was great to see Prince William again, as it always is,” BATSUB commander Lieutenant Colonel Simon Nichols said after reuniting with William and meeting Kate for the first time.

“William has aged gracefully and remains largely the same man I remember. I hope they had a good time here and had a good time.

“Every time I go to the jungle, I learn something new; every day is a school day in this environment.

“The jungle is our Crown Jewels, and we all have a responsibility to protect it for one another.”

Their exotic excursion came after they were impressed by a guided tour of ancient Mayan ruins known as the ‘Sky Palace.’

Kate looked stunning in a bright white t-shirt tucked into green trousers and white pumps, while the Duke wore a matching green outfit.

She led him up the steep steps of the 141-foot-tall jungle ruins in Caracol, Belize.

Archaeologist Allan Moore showed the couple around the 2,400-year-old Mayan marvel, which he compared to Buckingham Palace.

They posed halfway up on a plateau similar to the palace balcony where they kissed in front of the crowds at their wedding in 2012.

The palace adventure occurred on the third day of the couple’s Caribbean tour.

Archaeologist Allan Moore stated, “What you are seeing is the Buckingham Palace of its day.”

“This would have seemed very modern three thousand years ago.”

The magnificent relic is still the tallest man-made structure in Belize today, and it was built by the ancient Mayans to place their rulers at the top of their known world.

It was known as Canaa, which translates as “Sky Palace.”

At his peak, more than 150,000 people would have lived in the settlement around the temple.

Kate and William, on the other hand, were given free reign of the empty remote ruins, which are a two-hour bus ride down inaccessible forest tracks and attract only a handful of tourists every day.