The little joke by Sabina Higgins did not go unnoticed...

Duchess Catherine Smiles As The Irish First Lady Jokes About The Recent Royal Family Drama

Irish First Lady Sabina Higgins made a subtle nod to the recent royal family drama when she greeted Duchess Catherine on Monday, but the mother-of-three just smiled and did not seem to mind at all!

Duchess Catherine and Prince William started their three-day royal tour of Ireland on Monday. Their "post-Brexit charm offensive", as the Daily Mail calls it, started in Dublin where they were welcomed by Irish President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina at their residence. And the First Lady could apparently not help but crack a little joke when she greeted the Duchess of Cambridge.

Sabina Higgins comments on recent royal family drama

As they were shaking hands, Ms. Higgins said to Catherine: "Delighted to welcome you. You've had lots of exciting things happening in your family." The Duchess of Cambridge seemed equally delighted and smiled calmly.

The Irish First Lady was, of course, referring to a number of dramatic events that the royal family has been dealing with during the past six months.

From Prince Andrew's disastrous BBC interview (which lead to the Duke of York stepping back from all royal duties) to Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan deciding to step back as senior members of the royal family - it HAS been quite an exciting few months for everyone involved, especially Queen Elizabeth II.

But it turns out that the Queen holds no grudge towards her grandson and his wife. During a lengthy talk on Sunday at Windsor castle, she reportedly told Prince Harry that he will "always be welcomed back" into the fold of the royal family.