It has been another packed day for the Royal family, with the King and Queen Consort in Cardiff and the Prince and Princess of Wales visiting Army Training Centre (ATC) Pirbright.
Today's engagement was scheduled to give the Prince and Princess an opportunity to meet troops from the Commonwealth who have been deployed to the UK to participate in Her late Majesty's State funeral.
Located 30 miles west of London, close to Alderson, ATC Pirbright delivers the 14-week training course known as the Common Military Syllabus, which is completed by all adult recruits.
Kensington Palace said: "Soldiers from Canada, Australia and New Zealand have gathered at Pirbright to rehearse their roles in the ceremony."
The Prince and Princess met with senior representatives of the defence staff and service people from each nation to thank them for their role in planning in Her late Majesty's final farewell.
The Haka was conducted by troops from New Zealand.
The haka has been conducted by troops from New Zealand as the Prince and Princess of Wales meet soldiers in Pirbright, Surrey.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 16, 2022
Latest: https://t.co/8AFWhoW82a
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/02x96URMw5
Pilot officer Arna Woods from New Zealand spoke to Sky News afterwards about meeting Kate and said: "She was really lovely, thanking us from the Commonwealth for coming all this way for the State funeral, and for all our hard work that we've been putting into rehearsals. She asked us about our lives back in New Zealand and the family and how they're finding this time."
The Telegraph reports:
'Prince William told soldiers he thought the Queen would be "looking down on Monday, hoping it all goes well".
He made the remarks while speaking to New Zealand soldiers who have been seconded especially for his grandmother's funeral on Monday.
Corporal Greg Gifford, 31, of the Royal New Zealand Infantry, told the PA news agency: "Prince William said the Queen would be looking down and studying the the details of the soldiers and the precision of the drill, which he said she really used to like.
"It is such an enormous honour to be here. William and Kate are wonderful, so interested in us and we’re thanking us for coming over for the occasion. My mother will be watching on television and crying with pride."'
The Mail reports Kate said: "Going from the Jubilee to this in a few months is strange." Kate also discussed a lack of sleep with the troops.
The Mail added: "The heir to the throne also enjoyed some rugby banter with an Australian soldier, as he referenced the Wallabies' narrow 39-37 defeat to New Zealand yesterday. 'You played the All Blacks? Gave them a run for their money. They (New Zealand) are a bit too good at the moment.'"
The Princess privately visited Pirbright last year; the images were shared to mark Armed Forces Day.
The visit coincides with news eight grandchildren will stand vigil beside her coffin at Westminster Hall tomorrow evening. Prince William will stand at the head of the coffin and Prince Harry at the foot. They will be flanked by Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and Lady Louise and Viscount Servern. At the King's request, both William and Harry will be in uniform. It promises to be an incredibly poignant event and will follow a vigil by the Queen's children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward, tonight.
Once again, we saw the Duchess wearing the Queen's Silver Jubilee diamond and pearl earrings.
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Meanwhile, after a day of reflection, the King and Queen Consort resumed their tour of the UK with a visit to Cardiff.
The Queen Consort walked the stairs outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay where route-liners were made up of soldiers from 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, 1st the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, the Royal Welsh, as well as sailors from the Royal Navy and RAF personnel. I should add, it's been reported Camilla broke her toe before Her late Majesty passed, so this will have been a grueling week for her.
The then Prince Charles was created Prince of Wales aged 9 on 26 July, 1958 and was formally invested with the title by the Queen on 1 July, 1969 at Caernarfon Castle. Before the Investiture, Charles spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth learning to speak Welsh and studying the culture.
Being the Prince of Wales saw Charles forge a formidable philanthropic legacy in the belief the heir must "do" whilst the monarch must "be". In 2017, Charles became the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history.
Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford spoke about the new Prince of Wales today, noting William's investiture will be "very different" to his father's.
'The Prince of Wales should be willing to use the Welsh language but "nobody is expecting miracles", the First Minister of Wales has said.
Mark Drakeford said that while the Welsh people were not anticipating a "suddenly acquired fluency" in Welsh, an ability to use the language "at the margins" would be appreciated by the public.
He also suggested that Prince William would follow in his father’s footsteps by assiduously studying the country and the issues it faces today, ahead of what is expected to be a scaled-back investiture ceremony.
The Labour politician revealed that the heir to the throne had told him that he wanted to take his new responsibilities on slowly so that he could ensure his knowledge of Wales and the issues facing it were "fully established".'
Below, the King with the First Minister today.
The King and Queen Consort greeted crowds in Cardiff.
🏴 Diolch am eich geiriau o gefnogaeth a chydymdeimlad. pic.twitter.com/DabxPb00Xm
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 16, 2022
In the Siambr, the debating chamber, the King and the Queen Consort received a Motion of Condolence from the First Minister. The King addressed the chamber, saying: "Through all the years of her reign, the land of Wales could not have been closer to my mother’s heart. Roedd lle arbennig i Gymru yn ei chalon."
The King also convened multi-faith leaders at Buckingham Palace. He said, "I am determined, as King, to preserve and promote those principles across all communities, and for all beliefs, with all my heart."
'In a move indicative of the respect that King Charles has long shown for those of other faiths, an event at which he met religious leaders was moved an hour earlier to allow Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis to leave before the start of Shabbat.
An excerpt of the King's remarks to the faith representatives this evening reflect the theme of his previously expressed desire to be "defender of faiths".
"I have always thought of Britain as a 'community of communities,'" said the King.
"That has led me to understand that the Sovereign has an additional duty... to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for Faith itself and its practise."
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The Earl of Wessex released a heartfelt statement about his mother. The devastation has been etched on the Wessexes' faces this past week. I'll share Edward's statement with several photos of the couple from Windsor today.
"The Queen's passing has left an unimaginable void in all our lives.
"Sophie and I have taken huge pleasure in seeing our James and Louise enjoying the places and activities that their grandparents loved so much. Given that my mama let us spend so much time with her, I think she also rather enjoyed watching those passions blossom. Those times together, those happy memories, have now become massively precious to each and every one of us.
"May God bless Her Majesty and may her memory be long cherished even as the baton she has carried for these past 70 years now passes to the next generation and to my brother, Charles. Long live the King."
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As I was about to publish this post, the Queen's four children arrived to stand vigil for fifteen minutes at Westminster Hall.
The Queen's children hold vigil for the last time.
King Charles and his three siblings enter Westminster Hall to hold a vigil at the Queen's side.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 16, 2022
Latest: https://t.co/8AFWhoWFRI
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/BkhTupfX5A
There was a large turnout of family members, though to my knowledge, neither the Waleses nor the Sussexes were there.
Members of The Royal Family watch the Vigil of the Princes from Westminster Hall. pic.twitter.com/cd6v22lts8
— Royal Central (@RoyalCentral) September 16, 2022
I noticed Zara and Mike brought Mia and Lena, while Peter Phillips brought his daughters Savannah and Lena.
Getty notes the following members of the family in this photo: "James, Viscount Severn, Lady Louise Windsor, the Countess of Wessex, Jack Brooksbank, the Queen Consort, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Zara Tindall, Mike Tindall, the Duke of Kent, Mia and Lena Tindall, the Duchess of Gloucester, and the Earl and Countess of St Andrews."
I'm leaving you with this poignant image of the Princess.
Tomorrow evening, we'll see the Queen's eight grandchildren stand vigil.
There’s a fantastic picture of Kate today that is also extremely symbolic.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/prince_scarf/status/1570817073332498432?s=46&t=7kGAvL9-1195BZ37vGN42Q
The Princess of Wales looks beautiful, elegant and regal. I am so happy the Royal couple were able to pay a visit to the Army training centre. I hope it's okay to mention, how proud I am to see the Australian Soldiers, I couldn't be any prouder of them than I am right now.
ReplyDeleteAmazing coverage, Charlotte! Can you please explain the 'when' and 'why' for occasions that call for a hat? Kate looks gorgeous, but she seems very dressed up (over-dressed?) for a call on the military. To me, the exact same dress with a smooth ponytail would have been more approachable. Mostly, just curious, in general, on when to wear a hat and when not. Other than attendance at Church, what drives the decision? Gratefully~Ms. Cuppa
ReplyDeleteIt is based on tradition and the rules are breaking down but more slowly in royal circles than in the wider world. The Queen was a stickler for the protocol and upheld the custom as far as possible, however the actual practice did evolve and rules loosen a bit during her reign. . Basically it now depends on how formal the occasion is and invitees will be told what to wear when they receive their invitation to a royal function. Occasionally people ignore the instructions but of course it makes you feel a bit out of place if you are dressed differently from most others. Until fairly recently trousers were definitely out for women on these occasions but even that is now acceptable if they are dressy enough. Royal women are expected to wear hats at church and on formal occasions like garden parties or Ascot or at the Trooping of the Colour or other military events as a mark of respect. (eg at the cenotaph on Remembrance Day.) In earlier days the Queen always wore a hat when doing any public duties during the day and usually wore white gloves as well, replaced by a tiara and long dress in the evening.. However even for her this tradition was slightly breaking down in recent years. On the other hand I can't imagine her ever wearing jeans or bare feet in public. She was brought up to think differently from the younger generation. .
DeleteI was wondering the same thing. Maybe because it was a formal military event?
DeleteMost military events in all nations require the attendees to be dressed up.
DeleteThank you! My confusion is due to the fact that the members of the military were not in dress uniform, so I didn't consider it a 'formal' military event.
DeleteThe Princess is stunning. The work they are all doing in spite of their sorrow is more than amazing; Queen Elizabeth would be proud beyond words of her family.
ReplyDeleteThe Princess of Wales looked so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI know it's not about the fashion at this time (and having spent 10 hours in the queue to get into Westminster Hall I know fashion is well down the list of priorities!) but goodness me, our princess looks absolutely stunning. This outfit is perfection from head to toe.
ReplyDeleteDid you? Was it very moving?
DeleteI agree, she looked stunning
I can’t imagine the grace the RF needs to call upon to continually accept condolences. And I can’t imagine how many cups of tea (or maybe coffee) that Charlotte has had to keep up with these much appreciated posts.
ReplyDeleteThe ceremony seems like it is going to be beautiful. In clothing news, I LOVE the hat and I LOVE the outfit, however, I don't like them together. It almost make Kate look like she has no neck. The pieces are very beautiful apart though. Her hair is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI won’t be surprised if the Wales children attend tomorrow’s vigil. And I am really wondering if some of the children may attend the actual funeral also. We’ll find out.
ReplyDeleteMy thought is yes to both. I assume George and Charlotte will be at the vigil tonight and my guess is the 6 older great grandchildren will be at the funeral as well.
DeleteCharlotte, you are doing an outstanding job this week!
W&K are supposed to walk behind the coffin after the funeral so I don’t think he’s going to put his children in a position he hated as a teen.
DeleteI agree they will definitely be at the funeral, probably the 5 oldest great-grandchildren. Especially since the Wales children were not at today’s vigil after all.
DeleteAnother poignant and emotional posting. I loved the pictures, from the then, Prince Charle’s Investiture, and then hearing him speak Welsh today.
ReplyDeleteThe Prince and Princess of Wales have been so lovely, meeting all the crowds, and interacting with them.
Thank you,
Tedi
Welsh is a very beautiful language. Everything has been quite poignant and moving, from all the current moments to watching montages of the history of this family.
DeleteThat photo with the flag is stunning! Wow! Another lovely engagement. Thanks Charlotte! Sue
ReplyDeleteThe Princess looks absolutely stunning and it was so lovely seeing her have a smile on her face even through the sadness. What a wonderful engagement and truly all that has been unfolding throughout the country try! It is nice to see so many people come out and pay their respects! But again have to say The Princess looks absolutely gorgeous. 🖤
ReplyDelete-FloridaGirl
First, thank you for all your efforts during this trying time. Your blog is posting wonderfully researched pieces!
ReplyDeleteSecond, why does Prince William continue to wear a blue suit? Why isn’t he wearing black like his wife during this event?
Because men do not usually wear black suits except for funerals
Deletehmm The Princess of Wales looks beautiful, elegant and regal and composed i can really imagine their agony in grieve but the nation showing respect to her late majesty the queen giving their strength and energy too go on the royal couple will great fantastic job alongside with king Charles and hi the queen consort
ReplyDeletethis is so hard i dont know how they do this in front of the public eye like this. when my mom died a few months ago i couldnt do this. every day was a struggle. kudos to them. nice to see HM children standing vigil at the coffin and i look forward to seeing the grandkids tomorrow doing the same. Kate looks very tired here and quite thin i know this is all taking a toll on them all ... it is so hard losing someone and then having to continue on so rapidly in the public eye when all you want to do is cry.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Prince of Wales taking it “slowly” with the Welsh language and culture, I’m quite surprised, given he always knew what his destiny was going to be, that this wasn’t a work in progress for his whole life. William is now 40 and his Grandmotger was an elderly woman. Even 20 years ago, that should have been a priority. If I were him, I’d be inclined to prepare for this, alongside his son George so that when the day comes for George, the Welsh have a really immersed Prince. I’m not Welsh but I feel for the Welsh people that William is in catch-up mode - that he didn’t prioritise this preparation. Given the attention to detail in every other matter, this feels very sloppy.
ReplyDeleteWe don’t know his level of Welsh and even the PM said fluency was not a priority.
DeleteI've long felt that William is a reluctant royal. I think that's why he hasn't done what seems like very obvious preparation.
DeleteWe know nothing of his level of Welsh. Have to believe that living in Wales and working in Angelesly he has some knowledge and understanding. We also know nothing about what he has studied. I do not see a reluctant prince, on the contrary I see a man committed to serving.
DeleteUnless you are exposed to a language from a very early age it is difficult to speak it with the correct accent. This applies especially to a language which has some sounds not found in English like the various Celtic tongues. Badly pronounced words can make a very bad impression so some have thought it better to learn a few phrases spoken correctly than risk offending native speakers.
DeleteCould we have a bit more details on what The Princess of Wales had been wearing (clothes and jewellery)? That’s what this blog is so good at! I understand the Royal Family is in mourning but it’s still ok to report on her fashion sense even during this period….
ReplyDeleteHi, Charlotte asked we refrain from comments on clothes and fashion during this time of mourning for the late Queen. People have mentioned the pearls being worn by The Princess of Wales. Simply because pearls are associated with mourning and apart from the late Diana Princess of Wales pearl earrings all the pieces worn would of been gifted to The Duchess of Cambridge by the late Queen. S. ☺
DeleteThe Walses are doing a grand job. They smile when they really don't feel like it. As the Q always said Duty first self second. Kates outfit and hat look fantastic.css
ReplyDeleteWonderful and stunning picture of Catherine, and an excellent post. I found the Queen's four children standing vigil very moving, I knew it would be, but it was even more especially heart-rending than i expected.
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