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The Prince & Princess of Wales Visit Sandringham

The Prince & Princess of Wales Visit Sandringham

The Prince and Princess of Wales traveled to Sandringham today to view tributes honoring the late Queen Elizabeth II.

They were at the Norwich Gates, the main entrance to the estate.

More from this Lynn News story

Mourners have been leaving flowers, cards and gifts at the Norwich Gates since the much-loved monarch passed away at the age of 96 on Thursday, September 8.

Today, William and Kate joined the thousands who have paused to reflect on her life beneath the towering iron gates, two miles from their country retreat at Anmer Hall.

This gives you a sense of how many flowers have been left at the site. 

The people have been coming since news broke of the Queen’s death. This is a scene from last week.

This is from the weekend.

We return to today’s activities.

More from The Suffolk News

Mourners at the royal estate did not know the Prince and Princess were coming until earlier this morning.

Upon finding out, many stayed and the crowd packed out the barriers from about 9am.

Some may recall that the Wales family’s country home, Anmer Hall, is on the Sandringham estate. It is also where the royal family celebrated Christmas with the Queen and where Prince Philip spent much of his time after retiring. Below, HM after attending church services at St. Mary Magdalene Church in 2014.

Princess Charlotte was christened at St. Mary Magdalene in July 2015, one of many happy occasions The Queen enjoyed at Sandringham.

It is also where HM’s father, King George VI, died. Below, is his coffin as it arrived in London following the trip from Sandringham. The second photo in this montage shows The Queen’s coffin at RAF Northolt.  

BEN STANSALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Returning to today’s events and the Prince and Princess of Wales’s visit to the country property.

The Princess read some of the messages and cards left at the site.

Here is a video from Hello Canada

The couple seemed very touched by the sentiments shared in messages on cards and attached to flowers. 

A closer look by Prince William. 

Another view. 

There are requested guidelines for what people bring to the different tribute sites from the Royal Parks, the agency overseeing the management of the tributes at royal residences.

More from a House Beautiful story. 

‘Any form of floral tribute is acceptable,’ The Royal Parks explain. ‘In the interests of sustainability, we ask visitors to only lay organic or compostable material.’

Please remove wrapping from flowers before your arrival, however, bins will be provided for those unable to do so. Removing the wrapping will aid in the longevity of the flowers

The Royal Parks have requested people stop bringing Paddington Bears and marmalade sandwiches to the residences, as well as other items. This is from the Royal Parks site

We would prefer visitors not to bring non-floral objects/artefacts such as teddy bears or balloons. Cards and labels will, however, be accepted and will be periodically removed by The Royal Parks’ staff and contractors for storage offsite. This process will be carried out with discretion and sensitivity.

Visitors are asked not to leave artefacts in any other areas of the parks.

The duo also spent time speaking with well-wishers.   

People were eager to speak with both royals.

The Daily Mail’s Rebecca English reports, “The Prince of Wales admitted to crowds at Sandringham today that he was haunted by memories of his mother’s funeral as he walked behind The Queen’s coffin.”

From the BBC’s coverage.

Among those he spoke to was receptionist Jane Wells, from Long Sutton in Lincolnshire, who said she had told the prince how proud his mother would have been of him.

“He said how hard it was yesterday because it brought back memories of his mother’s funeral,” she said.

Caroline Barwick-Walters, of Neath in Wales, said she told Prince William “thank you for sharing your grief with the nation”, and that he replied “she was everybody’s grandmother”.

Richard Palmer of The Express reports Prince William told a woman sympathizing with him at Sandringham that the procession yesterday had been “very difficult”….. He told another woman: “Don’t cry now, you’ll start me.”

It is an awful lot to absorb, especially when in public and circumstances are such that you become the repository for others’ grief.  

The Princess and well-wishers.

Another view. 

Roya Nikkhah of The Sunday Times reports, “The Princess of Wales told a well-wisher that Prince George understands the loss of their great-grandmother, but Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis less so.”

More from this People story

Bex Neeve, 44, from the county of Norfolk, waited over two hours to see the couple and shared a few words with them.

“William said he thinks Monday will be hard,” Neeve tells PEOPLE. “Kate said it’s been overwhelming and she and William are very grateful for everyone being here. She was emotional. They seemed like they were here to soak up all the love.”

The Princess found several youngsters and babies in the crowd, including this little girl.

There were moments of levity today. 

The Prince posed for a selfie. 

The Princess was given several bouquets.

Prince William spoke with students from Howard Junior School in King’s Lynn, about six miles from Sandringham.

In this video posted by the school, you can hear the Prince speak with students about his grandmother, Paddington Bear, and Corgis.

The Princess also spoke with students. 

She asked one of the students if she would like to place flowers and a soft Corgi toy up with the other tributes. Eight-year-old Elizabeth Sulkovska said she would like to do that. 

Elizabeth and the Princess.

A video. 

We return to The Suffolk News

School head Gregory Hill said he had been taking parties of pupils to see the flowers at Sandringham.

“We want as many children as possible to experience this,” he said.

“Elizabeth was overwhelmed, she cried with joy at being chosen,” said Mr Hill. “It’s just a wonderful, amazing opportunity.”

Elizabeth with the corgi. 

Elizabeth spoke about the experience. 

NOTE: I am guessing neither the royals nor others knew about the Royal Parks’ request that people not leave stuffed animals at the tribute sites. 

A gentleman who was at Sandringham, Dan Campbell, shared some of the photos he took. 

The Princess carried her Grace Han Love Letter Top-Handled Bag and appeared to have on her Gianvito Rossi 105 black suede pumps. She wore the diamond and pearl earrings that were a gift from the Queen, and the cross pendant we have seen previously. Several of us think she is wearing a new Catherine Walker coat. UPDATE: The dress is an Alexander McQueen design, probably a one-off.  With thanks to UFO No More, it has similar elements to this dress

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The Prince and Princess of Wales were not the only royals out and about today. Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, returned to Scotland, where they visited Glasgow. More from this Times of London story

The Princess Royal comforted those mourning the death of her mother as she was greeted by crowds in Glasgow.

Princess Anne offered words of consolation to individuals who gathered in George Square this morning in the heart of Scotland’s largest city. She viewed floral tributes to the Queen which had been left outside the city chambers, where a book on condolence has been opened.

After entering Glasgow’s civic headquarters the Princess Royal, 72, was entertained by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, who performed the traditional ballad Loch Lomond. She then spent about an hour speaking to representatives from charities about their work and the support they received from her late mother.

Another view. 
Embed from Getty Images

Below, the Princess Royal is greeted by a crowd of well-wishers in a photo shared by The Guardian’s Libby Brooks.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex traveled to Manchester. Their first stop was the Manchester Central Library, where they looked at cards and other tributes to the late Queen.

The couple then visited St. Ann’s Square.

More from The Guardian’s story

In a sunny Manchester, Edward and his wife, Sophie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, charmed the crowds of people who had gathered in St Ann’s Square, many only just finding out that the visit was being made.

Edward laid flowers and thanked volunteers who had been helping events run smoothly. They both chatted to crowds, noticeably taking their time.

A video as Sophie greets some of the well-wishers.

The final stop in the itinerary today was the Manchester Cathedral, where they lit candles for the Queen.

They also read the Cathedral’s books of condolence and viewed photographs of the Queen’s visit to the Cathedral in 2021.

One other brief note: for those keeping track of the length of the line to see HM at Westminster, the Lying-in-State Queue Tracker now shows the line at 4.9 miles.

You can watch the Lying-in-State live from Westminster Hall via this Sky News link, this BBC feed, or this ITV feed. (It looks to me like they are all taking the same feed.) 

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FUNERAL DETAILS

  • At 6:30 am the lying-in-state ends and Westminster is closed to the public. 
  • At 10:44 am, the coffin will be loaded on the gun carriage and taken to the Abbey.
  • As the service wraps up, Last Post will be played, and there will be a two-minute silence in the Abbey and across the country.
  • The final element of that service will be a lament played by the Queen’s piper.
  • The coffin will then be placed back on the gun carriage and taken to Wellington Arch in a procession; the King will lead a procession walking behind the coffin.
  • Around 3 pm the coffin will be moved to the hearse and it will drive up the Long Walk at Windsor and be taken inside St. George’s Chapel. 
  • At 4 pm the committal ceremony gets underway; it will be televised. 
  • At 7:30 there will be a private interment ceremony in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. 
  • More than 2000 guests are expected at Westminster Abbey for the funeral. About 800 will be at St. George’s Chapel. 

VIDEOS

Here is about 5 minutes of coverage from the Sandringham visit. 

You will see roughly 3 minutes of video covering the Wessex walkabout at St. Ann’s Square. 

 This video covers Princess Anne’s visit to Glasgow. 

 

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Jessica

Friday 16th of September 2022

I have been following but not commenting on the recent coverage; anything I had to say seemed pretty vapid in comparison with the grief experienced by the family and by all whom the Queen served as sovereign. I will say that even as an American I was a sincere, lifelong admirer, and I feel her loss.

@Admin, I think you've made absolutely the right call not reporting on fashion during this period of mourning, but I hope that when it's all over we can have something of a retrospective with a few details. It is one of those situations in which fashion is the exact opposite of frivolous, and the choices people make about what to wear is filled with significance; I think we would all welcome your take on that (here and at WMW) at the appropriate time.

ElizaMo

Friday 16th of September 2022

@admin, Very glad to hear this. Fashion is neither irrelevant or irreverent and Kate only makes choices of distinction.

admin

Friday 16th of September 2022

We'll have at least one post, probably two or three, covering fashion. :)

Elizabeth

Friday 16th of September 2022

Her dress is from Mint Velvet :) This is it in blue https://www.mintvelvet.co.uk/products/jersey-pleat-skirt-maxi-dress?variant=42087815610527&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvZCZBhCiARIsAPXbajuI4QIcNupbg8CuXeq6vWJ4MA-vyps4V_uueFdBwGqxi8VRUb8zoPMaAgtWEALw_wcB

Elizabeth

Friday 16th of September 2022

@admin, ah sorry, another site reported it as mintvelvet, sorry for getting it wrong! And yes like you say, great repliKate!

admin

Friday 16th of September 2022

Hi, Elizabeth, and thank you for the tip! It is actually a McQueen piece. The top on Kate's dress is ribbed and there is a tulle overskirt, elements you can see if you zoom in on photos of this dress: https://www.montiboutique.com/en-US/product/27888/alexander_mcqueen/dress/long_dress The Mint Velvet is a great repliKate. :)

Fliss

Friday 16th of September 2022

Can I add my Thanks to you for your coverage which gives a perfect blend of empathy and explanation. As a Brit, this past week has reminded us how important he royal family are as part of our democracy and their role is to give continuity and stability and some leadership. It probably does all appear peculiar to the outside world but the ceremonies associated with he Queen’s passing and the immediate changes in roles for her family has been fascinating and comforting. I’ve learned a lot.

I’m pleased the new Prince and Princess of Wales were announced so quickly and I hope the Wessex’s are promoted soon. Along with Princess Anne and her husband, they have all done a marvellous job of giving the country someone to see and focus on. I think being a royal has its great pleasures but also huge obligations and responsibilities - very few have to stand vigil or follow their parents’ final journeys with the eyes of the world on them yet in doing so, they are showing how important it is to honour and respect each other and some traditions have far reaching intangible value which are being felt through the country. .

It’s fascinating to read the comments from this community and at a time of peace and reflection from the UK, sending love to you all.

Ps. I do love Kate’s handbag - thank you for the reference!

Bonnie

Friday 16th of September 2022

Thank you again, Susan for your wonderful coverage. In the past week I haven't been able to read one of your posts without getting weepy. This shows that you captured the very essence of the events.

WKW readers might like to know, that they can leave a message of condolence on the Royal Family's website. Those of us who are nowhere near London, cannot stand in line to view The Queen's coffin and pay our respects, but we can express our sorrow at:

https://www.royal.uk/send-message-condolence

Margaret

Friday 16th of September 2022

@Bonnie, I too have not read one post without weeping. Thank you for the link.

Aleigh

Friday 16th of September 2022

They’re holding up beautifully and the comment about being a repository for others’ grief is significant. As always, they are putting the needs of their people above themselves, and I’m thankful that some of the visitors are acknowledging it.

The moment with Catherine and Elizabeth is quite touching. Even if they knew the recommendations about not bringing Corgis, it’s clear this one is going to be an exception. I wonder if he’ll get a special home with some of the other tributes after today. Hopefully some of the other stuffed animals can be redistributed in the Queen’s honor to children’s homes and/or hospitals so they can bring love and comfort to children who need a bit extra.

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