It was a day filled with festive engagements and celebrating those who went above and beyond during the pandemic, as the Cambridges visited Edinburgh -- the first stop on their royal train mini-tour.
Kensington Palace noted the itinerary was very much planned to "celebrate community spirit and demonstrate the impact of the public’s generosity this year by showcasing organisations and initiatives that have been supported by community relief funds". They added, "There will be a number of festive performances from artists, celebrating the inspiring work of the organisations and projects the Duke and Duchess are visiting."
The first full day of the tour fittingly coincided with the announcement both the Duke and Duchess have become co-patrons of NHS Charities Together. The organisation said they are "honoured", describing the show of royal support as "wonderful news". The aim of the charity is to bring together the 240 UK NHS charities and harness their collective power to the best advantage. Collectively, these charities raise over £1 million per day. This has played a pivotal role in pioneering research, extensive projects and helping patients access care when they need it most.
Cheers from locals following the royal arrival.
WATCH: Prince William and Kate got a huge cheer from the crowd on his arrival at Berwick railway station this lunchtime. pic.twitter.com/tjDShz6yub
— Radio Borders News (@yourbordersnews) December 7, 2020
The charity notes they "play a key role in mobilising volunteers to support NHS staff, brightening wards and waiting areas with colourful and engaging art and building an important link between our hospitals and our communities. Other NHS charities support mental health trusts, community health trusts and ambulance trusts".
A look at the impact of generous donations thus far.
The announcement was released as the first engagement of the day got underway -- a visit to the Scottish Ambulance Service in Newbridge, Edinburgh. Prince William previously worked with the East Anglia Air Ambulance for two and a half years, flying helicopter emergency medical service missions.
The Scottish Ambulance Service is the frontline of the NHS in Scotland and employs over 5000 highly-skilled members of staff who are committed to helping patients and saving lives. The service provides an emergency ambulance service to a population of over 5 million and serves all of the nation’s mainland and island communities. Every year, the Service responds to over 1.5 million calls for assistance and over 600,000 of these are emergency and unexpected incidents.
William and Kate heard personal stories from paramedics. More from Shropshire Star:
'William and Kate heard from paramedic Alistair Matson about how he had to cope with his father falling ill and later dying in hospital during the pandemic.
Mr Matson, 54, said: “It was very emotional talking to the prince about losing my father.
“He was very anxious to hear how we managed to cope with the mental strains of our job. I was helped considerably by the great sense of camaraderie at my work. There was never any rush to come back and they have been like another family to me.'
Kensington Palace noted, "There have been additional pressures on the NHS and ambulance services during COVID-19 and the Scottish Ambulance Service has responded by utilising a range of staff and resources on the front line to help patients. The Service has also recognised the impact of the pandemic on staff and has promoted a range of health and wellbeing support measures to help them during this unprecedented time." The Palace sadly noted, "There is also added poignancy as the visit falls on the day the Service remembers a colleague."
'It also emerged during the visit that William and Kate had sent a special bouquet of flowers to the family of a veteran paramedic, who died last month after he re-enlisted in April four years after his retirement.
Rod Moore, from Falkirk, died aged 63 after contracting coronavirus. His funeral was due to take place during the royal visit.
A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “I know that Rod’s family greatly appreciated the flowers sent on behalf of the royal family. It was a lovely gesture.”
The couple also made a particular point of thanking the cleaning staff at the unit, telling cleaner Ellen Reeder, 65, that she was “one of the most important people in the whole organisation, keeping everything together”.
Afterwards, Ms Reeder said: “It was such an honour for me to meet them. They kept it secret until this morning, which is just as well or I would have got tongue-tied speaking to them. That has really made my day. In fact, I think it has made everyone’s day here to get that appreciation from the Royals. I am a huge fan.”
There were festive scenes when the couple stepped off at Berwick-Upon-Tweed back in England to meet staff and pupils from Holy Trinity Church of England First School.
As a special surprise for pupils at the school, the Palace arranged for Rent A Reindeer to take three reindeer to the school much to the excitement of the children. Owner George Richardson brought Crackers, Chaz and Echols along to meet the royals. He described the booking by the Palace as "top secret", adding, "We got a phone call out of the blue two weeks ago. They asked us to bring a reindeer for the royal visit and we were happy to oblige."
The Argus shared more on the visit:
'The trio munched on hay bales and their favourite treat of Arctic moss while they were penned in under a tent.
As local saxophone group The Earl Grey Saxes played Christmas tunes, including Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, William and Kate chatted to pupils and teachers in the playground.
Some of the children wore antlers on their heads and some donned Santa hats for the lunchtime visit.'
The visit was planned to highlight the commitment and dedication of teachers throughout the year. Headteacher Nicholas Shaw said, "It has been fantastic and the children loved it. We feel honoured to have been chosen and appreciate they are taking the time to think about teachers and the work that has been going on in schools. It has been a challenge during lockdown, a lot of new skills have been learned. We stayed open throughout for children of key workers and vulnerable children."
A sea of Santa hats from a very happy group of pupils :)
Chris Ship shared a video from the railway station.
The #RoyalTrainTour pulls into Berwick Upon Tweed station. For stop number 2. And if William and Kate thought they had kept this location a secret ... I have news for them 😬 pic.twitter.com/hg8ii9FLSG
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) December 7, 2020
Now for a look at the Duchess' ensemble today.
The Duchess wore her blue bespoke funnel neck Catherine Walker coat, which she debuted in Norway in 2018. At the time, the garment served as a maternity piece for Kate. The coat has been altered and taken in since. She also wore it for Sunday service at Sandringham in 2019.
Kate's very chic new clutch is by Scottish brand Strathberry (with thanks to Lady Parky and Gabi).
The Multrees Chain Wallet in embossed croc is described as, "Understated and elegant, this beautifully handcrafted wallet with chain is the perfect day-to-night companion. The fold-over magnetic closure top is decorated with the signature Strathberry bar, and opens up to a surprisingly spacious interior featuring 8 card slots and a zipped pocket with a leather pull." It's available on pre-order for £255. The brand is a popular one among the royals with both the Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Sussex firm fans.
Kate's face mask today is the Emma and Georgina pattern by Amaia Kids.
"Thank you to transport workers everywhere for keeping the country moving throughout this difficult year. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!"
'Len spoke about the pair's conversations to the Sun, and revealed how the Duchess had immediately dispensed with formalities on their very first call, telling him, "Call me Catherine."
"Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be talking on the phone to the future Queen of England," said Len, who is battling bladder cancer and is a carer for his wife, Shirley, who has Alzheimer's.
"I will treasure our conversations for the rest of my life. Those calls helped me because they gave me something to look forward to."
The pair also discussed their shared love of Italian food, with Kate asking whether Len made his own pasta. "I said I don't because I haven't got a pasta machine and in any case, you have to use a special flour.
"About three days after our conversation, a brand new pasta machine arrived from the Duchess. Two days later I got two kilos of '00' (the Italian grading system) flour from Buckingham Palace.'
I've been longing for something to boost my Christmas spirit...the reindeer did it for me! What a wonderful idea to rent reindeer for the children to see. Kate and William have thought of everything, and I know we have more surprises to come. As another reader said, "thank you, thank you, Charlotte!"
ReplyDeleteA pasta machine. I.LOVE.HER.
ReplyDelete😍
DeleteLove the surprise gift of the pasta machine and flour. In my opinion, blue is really Kate's color. It really lights up her complexion. I wear a lot of the Hobbs brand since it was introduced to the USA market several years ago. The navy coat is great for running around by day and compliments a casual look.
ReplyDeleteI want Kate's coat. That is all. That is my favorite shade of blue.
ReplyDeleteI feel like that first photo is begging for a caption. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Charlotte for the speedy and informative post.
It's absolutely brilliant to see them on the road working so hard. Very sad to read there has been complaints about them breaking travel restrictions in the UK. Surely while working on behalf of The Queen of the United kingdom and the nation they would be exempt from this rule. People would do well to remember all the hard work they have done and continue to do on the front line. In some cases Doctors and nurses putting there jobs before their own family's. Well done to the Duke and Duchess and may this tour of thanks continue. Thanks for the update Charlotte, you choose some beautiful photos of today.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they be exempt? The virus doesn’t care if you’re royal or not. They can catch it (as Prince William already has) or be carriers like anyone else. This trip was really ill advised IMO I’m honestly a little shocked the palace didn’t anticipate the blowback.
DeleteYou’re exactly right Doctors and Nurses ARE putting their jobs in front of their own families because they have to: what they need is to be adequately compensated and for the country to do what is being asked of them and stay home. Not go on a morale tour attracting crowds.
The idea of the tour was good. It's like the annual garden parties: royals thanking people for the work they do. But unfortunately royals attract big crowds. Big crowds in the middle of a raging pandemic are not wise. A few unannounced pop up visits might have done the same thing without the blowback. But a train trip on the ROYAL train will cause huge commotion and crowds.
DeleteI am so on edge about this. I love the tour and the idea behind it. I also think it’s never wasted to give a heartfelt thank you.
DeleteBut I think that the notice, that from this week on the UK will start their vaccine program is, in the end, the biggest energy and morale booster. There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel. Comparing the job and realities of front line workers to the job and realities of members of the BRF is pretty much laughable. I am a royalist, don’t get me wrong here. I wish very much to see Prince George crowned. But I am also realistic. They weren’t half as helpful in this pandemic than I hoped for. The Queen’s speeches were fantastic but the rest is far off the spirit the BRF has shown in times of big crisis in the past. They are unbelievable privileged on almost every level. That is miles away from what our from line workers did and experienced this year. And I agree, that they probably would rather see themselves finally financially compensated and appreciated with better and fairer wages. Their job is hard and tedious, even without a pandemic. Clapping on your doorstep is almost cynical if you think about how badly some are paid.
The Cambridge’s mean well and the tour idea is nice- but I think using it as a kick off for next year. Celebrating that those people kept the nation going and now we finally, slowly come back to normal. In the end, not meeting anyone if you don’t have to and wearing masks when you cannot avoid it, will help and protect everyone over the winter period and till enough people have been successfully vaccinated.
But, I also completely understand that people will love this. The whole set up brings some much needed Christmas cheer (if only Kate would bring out more festive outfits). As I said- I am on edge. Both sides of the argument have very valid points.
C.
It would be ill advised if there were large and long inside gatherings. If they meet a few people on a street, with their masks on, while traveling on a private train, I don´t think it´s such a problem. They keep distance and change their masks. On the other hand I would appreciate if they said they tested negative before their departure (I hope they got tested and just haven´t published it).
DeleteElla
The did nothing during the pandemic? I guess the charities benefitting from the 1.8 million handed by the Royal Foundation think otherwise. Participants from hold still and the 5 million people that watched the exhibition site thought the idea was valuable. Just to mention two examples. The RF has nothing to do with the underpayment of workers. Following that reasoning they could never visit factories, schools or shops because all the people that work there are terribly underpaid as compared to them.
Delete@Anonymous: I think you are misinterpreting what I wanted to say? I never said they did nothing nor did I imply they are responsible for unfair wages. I said I found them half as helpful as I hoped for. That is very different. Handing out money is always helpful for charities and I am a fan of the Hold Still project. But apart from that I found their effort to keep up the nations (and the kingdoms and the Commonwealth's) spirit rather small. They could have easily taken on several digital meetings per week (I know many say they won't leave home for long because of the kids and staying at home was the way to go in this crisis anyway). They could have showcased their patronages and other charities on their SM, they could have issued letters. They could have recognised that clapping is a nice way to show appreciation but that they hope those jobs will finally find the reputation (care wotk is NOT a highly valued or respected or popular job) and appreciation (fair workload, conditions and wages) they deserve. Always and not just if it serves the individual. The BRF doesn't meddle with politics directly (even though they try sometimes) but they are never shy to shine a light on important issues that are topics in politics too (enviroment, wildlife, humanitarian). Being part of the Hold Still project is nice, but it doesn't help you when your shifts make it hard to spend time with your family or your wages make it hard to provide for your family. That doesn't mean the project shouldn't have been done but more that the work shouldn't have ended there. Private citizens and their efforts (Captain Tom Moore is just one and maybe the most outstanding example) definitely overshadowed them. I think the BRF needs to up their game. Not so much in their traditional engagement department but in terms of the HOW they interact and how they promote causes. Do good and talk about it is very much the way to go here- especially as they don't profit financially from it. It is in fact the opposite- they get massive privilege to be public about this. The world has changed and the BRF needs to asses what behaviour/workflows they want to bring into this new world (many actions have proven themselves and are still very much the best choice), which they have to adapt and where they have to branch out.
DeleteC.
Simple, thoughtful, kindness - reindeer for children, meaningful 'behind the scenes' phone conversations with an elderly gentleman during the pandemic, a gentle conversation with a grieving son, reminding a cleaner of the importance of her work - especially at this time. Thank you for providing these heart-filling background stories on Kate and William's work, Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteIt's an added delight to see them interacting with each other. They so clearly enjoy one another's company!
I agree! They really are just delight to watch together.
DeleteKate and Len’s story is the sweetest thing ever. I’m sure she was heartbroken not being able to give him and his wife a big hug.
ReplyDeleteCaption for the first photo: William: Kate was complaining I took too long getting ready this morning. Those rail car loos are just too narrow for two people doing their hair!
ReplyDeleteLove this tour. Kate and William look great and it is so nice to have the addition of the music and how fun for the kids to have the reindeer. Love the Strathberry bag.
ReplyDeleteJust an opinion, I really like Kate in lightly sun kissed hair in summer. Perhaps the photos I am viewing are distorted. Kate's hair appears to once again seems to be introducing us to yet another shade. I love her beautiful dark natural color draping just a few inches off her shoulders and a little tousled.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful it is to see the Duke and Duchess traveling around their future kingdom. SPREADING good will and cheer. All while wearing masks and social distancing. The reindeer are beyond cute and very thoughtful of the hard working couple. The kindness the Duchess showed to that gentleman is heartwarming. Bravo to both, it's just a pity that they couldn't of went on a week tour of the UK.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, William and Kate are simply amazing! Just a little quibble, Kate's wearing a child-sized face mask, I have wondered for months why her masks seem so skimped on her face.
ReplyDeleteI assume she's wearing child-size masks because her face is narrow and the adult masks don't seal well as a result. My face is not nearly so narrow as hers and I have that problem along with them coming up too close under my eyes, which is another problem she avoids by wearing a smaller mask.
DeleteOne thing..... I Just Love Everything about This!! :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteBecca USA
Me too, Becca! ❤️ Kudos to them for lifting up people's spirit!
Deletei just love the duke and duchess cambridge they are truely natural with the kids i just love how they intract with kids they are natural with them
ReplyDelete