The Prince & Princess of Wales Say ‘Thank You’ in Windsor

Hello-Hello, and welcome to an unexpected post about an engagement in Windsor today for the Prince and Princess of Wales.

I was surprised to see news of the event, knowing the official mourning period for the family runs through next Monday.
  Embed from Getty Images

But the Prince and Princess wanted to thank people who worked on Monday’s Committal Service for Her Majesty and helped with the enormous crowds visiting the area.

Below, a video of the couple as they arrived at Windsor’s Guildhall 

The Prince and Princess of Wales have thanked staff and volunteers involved in the Queen’s committal service at Windsor Castle as part of their first public outing since Her Majesty’s funeral. #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/NaOpTIjWqS

— 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) September 22, 2022

The pair spoke with some of the people who played such a significant role behind the scenes in helping with both the procession and the service at St. George’s Chapel.   

Some may recall the Duchess of Cambridge was slated to attend an event with Roger Federer and other Laver Cup players today; her participation was canceled in the wake of the Queen’s death.

Prince William was going to be in New York yesterday for an Earthshot Prize summit; he recorded a message that was played in his absence. From The Daily Mail’s coverage:

Buckingham Palace say a small number of engagements will be undertaken during royal mourning to thank those involved in the delivery of HM Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral and associated ceremonial events, and to recognise the service to King and country of those on deployment overseas. 

Another Royal Family member, Princess Anne, was also at an engagement with those involved with Monday’s events. In her role as Commodore-in-Chief Portsmouth, she met with Royal Navy personnel who took part in the funeral procession.

She spoke with some of the sailors who pulled her Her Majesty’s coffin during Monday’s processions.

Back to the Windsor engagement, we learn more from The Mirror’s piece by Russell Myers. 

The Prince and Princess arranged to meet dozens of those responsible for the major public operation in Berkshire, from the man who arranged the portable toilets to the people moving the flowers and organising the bin collections.

Officials say more than 100,000 people visited Windsor on Monday.

I think we all remember those enormous crowds.

From Yahoo’s story by Maria Puente.  

William and Kate were there to pay tribute to the armies of people behind the scenes who helped make the historic funeral of a beloved and long-reigning queen a moving and magnificent final goodbye.

Among the volunteers on hand were those who helped support the huge crowds that greeted the queen’s funeral cortege as it arrived in Windsor from London 25 miles away, and lined the Long Walk as it passed by on the way to the castle.

Officials said more than 900 stewards and 90 ambassadors were on hand to assist visitors on Monday.

Kate Mansey of The Daily Mail reports, “The Prince of Wales told volunteers and staff who helped with the Windsor committal that the Royal Family had seen five rainbows over Balmoral shortly after his grandmother died. The Princess of Wales added: ‘Her Majesty was looking down on us.'”

From The Daily Mail’s coverage:

Vice Lord Lieutenant Graham Barker and Windsor council’s lead royal funeral planner introduced the Prince and Princess of Wales to staff and volunteers representing different sectors that supported the crowds that turned up to commemorate the Queen. 

This included St John’s Ambulance, transport staff, council workers, stewards, infrastructure organisers and logistics teams, who carried out tasks like putting out barriers and making announcements over a speaker system to the crowds.

Kate spoke about seeing all the infrastructure like barriers going up along the roads ‘coming back and forwards from the school run’.

From The Telegraph’s story: 

The duchess asked if many people in the crowds were locals, to which the ambassadors told her that people in the crowd had turned up from all over the world.

“It’s amazing how many people wanted to come and pay their respects,” she said.

William could be heard asking: “How difficult was Monday? How challenging was it?”

He later said: “It’s been a busy few days but you guys have been doing long hours as well, so thank you so much.”

Here is a brief video from Emily Nash of Hello. 

William and Kate have been at Windsor Guildhall to meet the “unsung heroes” of the day, including those who managed crowds, signage, floral tribute and toilet facilities: pic.twitter.com/QHTyOlncEb

— Emily Nash (@emynash) September 22, 2022

The pair spoke about their gratitude for the efforts made by so many people. 

Rebecca English reports, “William added: ‘Seeing the flowers was really moving. ‘It’s the things you don’t expect that get you. Paddington got me quite choked up.'”

Ten days ago, this young lady brought Paddington and a corgi as she waited to watch the procession of Queen Elizabeth’s coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.

We return to The Mirror’s story. 

He went on to joke that there had become “a bit of competition” between the corgis and Paddington for which were now associated with the Queen, suggesting he would be Team Corgi if pushed to choose.

“The corgis and Paddington were in competition, at loggerheads!” he said. “Paddington is a new addition; the corgis have been there longer.”

William says he was so touched by the public’s tributes but says it was the sight of Paddington among the flowers that left him struggling to keep his composure.

Below, the Prince and Princess at Sandringham on Thursday looking at cards, flowers, and other items the public brought to the property.

And one more portion of The Mirror’s article. 

“Seeing the flowers was really moving,” said William. “We did have a good look. It was the depth of flowers, not just here but at Sandringham too. It was really moving.

“We tried to read as much as we could [of messages with the flowers] but some were like essays, it was incredible. The children’s ones were very special to me.

Kensington Palace posted a video about today’s engagement.

Thank you to all those who have worked so tirelessly to ensure that everyone visiting Windsor over the past two weeks has had a safe & positive experience.

It was a pleasure to meet just a small number of staff & volunteers today. We are hugely grateful for all of your efforts. pic.twitter.com/jrkSSrimg4

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 22, 2022

Also today, there have been memorial services for the Queen in several locales, including Australia’s National Memorial service at Parliament House in Canberra.

Below, the British Ambassador to the US, Karen Pierce, speaking during today’s “Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II” at the National Cathedral in Washington. 

On Monday, there was a National Day of Mourning in Canada with a parade in downtown Ottawa and a commemorative service.

Now for our look at what Kate wore for today’s engagement. 

She brought back the Collarless Long Coat by Dolce and Gabbana. The garment is made from a silk/wool blend and features a round neckline, fitted bodice, pleated waist, and front pocket flaps. 

Most recently we saw the coat in April 2021 for a visit to the RAF Cadets in London. The Princess first wore the coat for Remembrance Sunday 2017. 

As best I could tell, it looks like the Princess wore her Gianvito Rossi 105 black suede pumps.  

Her hair was down, and she appeared to have on her Annoushka Pearl Drops ($480, on sale at Liberty) with Kiki McDonough Hoops.

VIDEO: 

The Royal Family Channel offers about six minutes of coverage in this video.