The royal couple was meeting children staying at a primary school as their parents were frontline workers.
After Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton bunkered down at their Sandringham estate, they are back to work, albeit from home. The couple was the latest among the British royal family to flee London for their Sandringham estate, Anmer Hall. They left the official Kensington Palace home with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as the British prime minister issued stay-at-home orders, reports the Daily Mail.
Since then, it seems like the couple has settled in and is ready for work. They made their first royal engagement through video call recently when they called up school children whose parents were working on the front line. William, 37, and Kate, 38, giggled with the kids who were ready for Easter. The kids wore Easter-themed bunny ears while talking to the royal couple.
"I like your bunny ears," said William, according to Daily Mail. "They look like the real deal."
The curious kids also told the Duke that the "first William was called William the Conquerer" and asked, "What do you want to be called in 1,000 years' time?" The prince laughed and said he didn't think he could answer that.
The children also showed their Easter arts and crafts, including a felt collage they had made, with rainbows and hearts saying "Thank you NHS."
Anita Ghidotti, Chief Executive of the Pendle Education Trust, said the children wanted to know "the best famous person was that they had met." The Duke apparently said that his favorite people weren't really famous.
"I bet they don't get asked very often," said Ghidotti. "The Duchess said that Prince George has been watching lots of David Attenborough's Blue Planet so that would probably be hers."
A nine-year-old boy, Lloyd, also presented the couple with a virtual bouquet of paper flowers, according to Daily Mail. "He had spent three days painstakingly making paper flowers covered with ladybirds for the Duchess," she said, adding, "He spent so much time on it and called himself the origami king. He did a virtual handover of his posey. He was very proud. The flowers had ladybirds on them and the Duchess said her Louis loved ladybirds and had been in out in the garden looking for them."
The kids that the royal couple met also showed them photos of their keyworker parents. For instance, a 10-year-old boy Harris showed the portrait of his mother, who is an NHS administrator for health visitors, and nine-year-old Lloyd's mom worked at a special school.
"What are your names? Very nice to meet you. I'm Catherine and this is William next to me. Are you holding up pictures of your mummies and daddies?" the Duchess said. Harris replied, "This is a picture of my mum and she works for the NHS as an admin for the health visitors and I'm really proud of her." Middleton replied, "Ah, great photo - well done, it's brilliant. I agree you should be very proud of her, they're doing an amazing job all the NHS workers, so well done you.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge called up the staff and children of Casterton Primary Academy in Lancashire under the Pendle Education Trust. This school happens to be special as teachers here are helping care for children of those who are in frontline services including the NHS and social care, as well as supermarkets and delivery drivers. The royal couple wanted to thank the teachers and others for everything they were doing during this time of crisis.
Casterton is caring for children of key workers at the nearby Burnley General Hospital. It also works with a charity, Place2Be, which focusses on emotional and welfare support. Middleton is a patron of the charity, which is currently providing phone "check-ins" for children and parents.
References:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8144541/Coronavirus-lockdown-leaves-Royal-Family-cut-one-another.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8201421/Prince-William-Kate-Middleton-carry-royal-engagement-video-call.html
