Prince George takes some gentle coaxing from his father as royals arrive in Poland for 'Brexit diplomacy' tour

It is a very big task for a very small person.

Little wonder Prince George needed a little coaxing today, as he embarked on a five-day family tour to charm Europe.

The Prince, who turns four on Saturday, took some gentle persuasion from his father, the Duke of Cambridge, as he landed in Warsaw to face a line of grown-up dignitaries and the drizzling rain.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte join Royal Tour of Poland and Germany, in pictures

With his hand firmly in his pocket, the little boy seemed reluctant to leave the cosy private charter plane, halting at the door before listening carefully to a few words from the Duke.

In wet weather, the family of four put on a brave face as they stepped down a short flight of steps onto Polish soil.

Princess Charlotte, two, clung tightly to her mother, ready to be carried along a receiving line in front of the world's media.

George, who walked hand-in-hand with the Duke, diligently listened to a formal welcome from dignitaries, before concentrating hard on his shoes instead.

With his bottom lip stuck out, he scuffed his shoes on the red carpet, swinging his leg backward and forward and wrapping one around the other.

Princess Charlotte, safe in the Duchess's arms, appeared more cheerful, calmly looking around her at the airport terminal.

The Duchess wore Alexander McQueen, while George dressed in a long-sleeved checked shirt and navy shorts, and Charlotte sported a floral dress and bright red shoes.

Shortly after arrival, the Duke and Duchess moved on the meet Poland's President Andrzej Duda, while the children retired to Belvedere Palace.

Mr Duda had already tweeted a warm welcome to the Royal children, sharing a photographs of the toys awaiting them.

A teepee tent has already been erected in one of the palace rooms, with an array of wooden toys including a bicycle, sit-on model plane and rocking horse.

In the gardens, two difference climbing frames await them: one with a pink slide and one with blue. Prince George and Princess Charlotte will spend the majority of their time in Poland at the palace, left in the care of their nanny while their parents carry out their official duties.

At the bottom of the steps waiting to greet them was Jonathan Knott, Britain's Ambassador to Poland, his wife Angela, and the diplomat's Polish counterpart in Britain Arkady Rzegocki.

After embarking on their official duties, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were given a rapturous welcome in Warsaw when they went on a walkabout outside the presidential palace.

“Come here please!” shouted a young woman holding a sign that also said “Come here please”.

Another read “We (heart) Kate and William”.

The couple were given their first glimpse of Poland’s enthusiasm for the royal family when a group of children waved flags as they left the palace and the duchess was presented with a bouquet of flowers.

However it was outside the palace that they saw the full extent of Warsaw’s royal fervour when they were greeted by a crowd well over a thousand strong.

Magda Mordaka, 21, a student, said: “We are fans of the British monarchy. We have a Facebook group. We love her style, and her contact with people. We were waiting for this visit from the very beginning. What would she wear? Would she bring the children?

“We were telling her that she is beautiful and perfect, but she said it's not true - it's just the make-up.”

Sebastian Brodowski, 39, an accountant who lived in the UK for 15 years, said: “She is a stunning lady - she has got class. I really love her attitude. I believe that she will be the next Diana.”

The walkabout followed lunch at the palace with the president Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata.

The couple showed William and Kate the gardens from a terrace at the back of the palace before taking them into an intimate lunch with just eight guests in the White Room. 

Earlier, Kancelaria Prezydenta, the Polish President, posted pictures on Twitter of toys that the young royals will be able to enjoy during their stay.

George and Charlotte are likely to be seen on only a few occasions during the tour of Poland and Germany, making appearances during arrivals and departures at the two countries, and possibly at one or two of the engagements.

Royal watchers will also get a glimpse of Kate's new haircut dubbed the "Kob", Kate bob, which she debuted during a visit to Wimbledon last week.

Kate appears to have lost quite a few inches from her tresses and it has a vibrant deep brown colour.

A Kensington Palace spokesman has said: "The Duke and Duchess are very much looking forward to this tour and are delighted with the exciting and varied programme that has been put together for it.

"They have decided that their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will travel with them and we expect the children to be seen on at least a couple of occasions over the course of the week."

William and Kate's five-day trip will begin with a welcome from President Andrzej Duda in the Polish capital, followed by a visit to the Warsaw Rising Museum, dedicated to the 1944 Polish uprising to liberate Warsaw from German occupation during the Second World War, and end with a Queen's birthday garden party.

During their five-day tour William and Kate will also meet survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi oppression as they acknowledge the complex 20th century histories of each country.

In Poland, they will tour the former Stutthof concentration camp where 65,000 people died at the hands of their captors, and also visit Berlin's Holocaust museum and memorial.

They will also tour the site of Gdansk's shipyards, the birthplace of Poland's Solidarity movement that helped topple Communist rule.

Here they will meet with founding members of the organisation but it is not known if Lech Walesa, Poland's former president and leader of its peaceful pro-democracy struggle, will be present.

Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold a private meeting with the royal couple in Berlin at the start of the German leg of their tour on Wednesday, and afterwards William and Kate will visit the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of German unification.

The mood will change when the Duke and Duchess renew their friendly sporting rivalry, which seems to play a part in most of their trips, when they visit the picturesque Germany city of Heidelberg, twinned with Cambridge.

William and Kate will take to the waters of the River Neckar to cox opposing rowing teams in a race with crews drawn from Cambridge and Heidelberg.