Prince William recoils after Kate Middleton offers him a jar of dead bugs during COP26 event

Royal couple joined by Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall at climate event

Prince William grimaces as Kate Middleton offers him a jar of dead bugs (Getty Images)

An exchange between Kate Middleton and Prince William is going viral after the Duchess of Cambridge was photographed offering her husband a jar of dead bugs.

On Monday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined world leaders at a reception during the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, with the duchess opting for a bright blue Eponine gown while her husband chose a navy suit.

During the event, which the couple hosted for key members of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, as well as the winners of the first Earthshot Prize Awards, they were joined by Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

However, at one point during the reception, the Duchess of Cambridge appeared to shock her husband when she offered him a jar of dead larvae - which Getty notes is used as livestock feed - with photos showing Prince William turning away in disgust.

In one of the photos, the duchess, who was smiling, held the jar up near her husband’s face, while the duke can be seen grimacing.

While he initially seemed horrified by the dead bugs, Prince William ultimately accepted the jar, with a photo posted to social media by the official EarthShot London 2021 Awards showing the duke holding the tub of larvae while the duchess looked on in amusement.

Kate Middleton offers a jar of dead larvae to Prince William during COP26 event (Getty Images)

Kate Middleton smiled as she jokingly offered Prince William a jar of dead bugs (Getty Images)

The couple also shared moments from the reception to their own social media accounts, with one photo showing the duke and duchess laughing with the Prince of Wales and his wife, while another sees the group listening to a recorded message from the Queen.

During the recorded message to the assembled delegates, the 95-year-old monarch spoke of the significance of addressing climate change while noting that the topic was one “close to the heart of my dear, late husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh”.

“It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet lives on through the work of our eldest son, Charles, and his eldest son, William. I could not be more proud of them,” the Queen added.