Prince William retraces steps of four-year-old Kate Middleton as he visits family photo spot at ancient site in Jordan

Prince William retraced his wife's steps today as he visited the same ancient settlement site where the Duchess of Cambridge was pictured with her family as child

William visited the Roman ruined settlement of Jerash in Jordan as part of his high profile, five-day trip to the Middle East.

He was pictured in his sunglasses and blue jacket, smiling as he posed at the ruins of the impressive first century complex in almost the exact spot his wife was photographed as a child.

A young Kate visited the settlement with her father Michael Middleton and sister Pippa in the 1980s, when she was just four-years-old.

To mark William’s visit, Kensington Palace shared a picture of the young Duchess-to-be posing with her family in her flowery shorts and pink t-shirt.

She is seen with short blonde hair and smiling as she leans on her father's leg in the cute snap.

The family picture was first shared ahead of her wedding to the Prince in 2011.

Kate's family moved to Jordan in May 1984 when she was aged two and her sister Pippa was just eight months old, after father Michael, a British Airways manager, relocated to the Jordanian capital of Amman for work.

William revealed on Sunday that she had "loved" living in Jordan as a young child after meeting a charity boss who knew the house in which Kate’s family had lived when they were in Jordan.

The Duke replied: "She will be thrilled. She loved it here, she really did. She is very upset that I am coming here without her."

Kate went to an English language nursery while her parents were in the country for almost three years, before they returned to Berkshire in 1986.

During a reception to mark the start of William’s five-day tour, William spoke about the duchess saying: "My wife Catherine is very sorry she cannot be here with me so soon after the birth of our son Louis, but her family remembers very fondly the almost three years she spent here as a child when her father worked for British Airways in Amman.

"Catherine's experience is not unique - the interchange between our two countries is real and deep: work, study, tourism and family links.

"Our historic ties and friendship are played out in the lives of thousands of people who consider both countries home."

During William's visit the site will host a celebration for young people benefiting from the Makani programme, a nationwide charity that works with those from deprived backgrounds, especially refugee communities.

Later the duke will travel to the north of the country to visit a new base for the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), which has been formed with British military support.

The Duke will watch the QRF practising pre-deployment drills and will also meet British officers on attachment to the Jordanian armed forces.

William will later visit the Dar Na'mah Centre - a project of the Princess Taghrid Institute (PTI), a charity established by Princess Taghrid to support women of all ages to develop their own livelihoods and support their families and communities.

He will meet women who have built the centre, try some of their traditional food, and watch them make crafts. He will also meet a group of young orphaned women who have been supported by PTI to develop skills and complete their education.

At the Al Quds College William will meet a number of young Jordanians and Syrian refugees who are enrolled in its media school, training in film and music production as part of the college's partnership with Middlesex University.

The Duke will end his visit to Jordan at Marka airport where he will chat to Jordanian Air Ambulance crews and look over their helicopters before flying to Israel for the next leg of his Middle East tour.