Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, known around the world as “Kate,” wants to visit Ireland, according to a local Donegal man.

Cruise liner officer Paul Gill, from Greencastle in Inishowen, said he met the Princess at her final public engagement before giving birth to Prince George in June.

Gill was on board the cruise liner Royal Princess when it was launched by the the Duchess in Southampton.

A Greencastle native, Gill told the local magazine Peninsula People: "After all the public festivities surrounding the launch, she came to the bridge of ship to meet with the officers.

"She was really, really lovely. She noticed I was wearing a badge with the Tricolour and my name on it.

"She asked me what part I was from. When I told her I was from Donegal, she said, 'I hear it is lovely, I would love to visit there some day'," Gill said.

Genealogy research conducted by Tourism Ireland revealed that the princess's ancestors, the Lupton family, from Yorkshire, are descendants of a Fitzmaurice family from Kerry. The Fitzmaurices have links back to Brian Boru, the first High King of Ireland.