Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, makes Valentine's Day trip to Liverpool

(CBS/AP) LONDON - Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, is spending her first Valentine's Day as a married woman nearly 8,000 miles away from her husband.

The former Kate Middleton, 30, spent the romantic holiday on a solo visit to the English city of Liverpool, while Prince William is currently deployed as a helicopter search-and-rescue pilot in the remote Falkland Islands.

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Her first stop was The Brink, an alcohol-free bar linked to Action on Addiction, one of the charities she supports.

Kate, wearing a brown belted coat by Hobbs, shook hands with staff and met community leaders during the visit, according to the Telegraph. She was served a smoothie named "The Duchess" in her honor, which reportedly contained almonds, skim milk, honey, banana and a dash of cream.

But just because Kate was short a prince doesn't mean she was short a valentine - the duchess got a card and a bouquet of red roses from 8-year-old Jaqson Johnston-Lynch, whose mother works at the charity. Speaking before the royal's arrival, he told reporters that he would tell Kate: "Happy Valentine's Day, your Royal Highness. I'm sorry Prince William can't be here."

According to the Daily Mail, Kate accepted the young boy's gift with a "gracious smile," and told Jaqson and his mother that she received flowers and a card from William that morning.

The duchess then went on to visit Liverpool's Alder Hay Children's Hospital. The Daily Mail reports that she was given a tour of the hospital's facilities, including the oncology and burn units. She was also to meet with Aimee Haswell, a 7-year-old girl suffering from a rare heart condition, according to the Telegraph.

Last week, Kate took on her first solo royal engagement, visiting London's National Portrait Gallery, of which she is patron, to tour a special exhibit of Lucian Freud's work.