The Princess Mixes Old & New for Wales Visit

The Prince and Princess of Wales started their two-day trip to Wales with a visit to the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team. 

The team is volunteer-run and has been working to keep the communities of Mid and South Wales safe since 1963.

The royals donned technical gear before trying their hand at abseiling. 

From The Daily Mail’s coverage. 

William, who is patron of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, and Kate had the opportunity to engage in training activities such as abseiling, medical support exercises and a search dog rescue demonstration.

When asked by instructors if he had abseiled before, William said: ‘It’s been a while’ – and before heading over the edge, Kate was heard telling her husband: ‘We’re not racing.’

We return to The Daily Mail article. 

Kate took part in a simulated casualty rescue and when she radioed for a rescue kit it was hastily brought by William, before they both helped put it together so they could evacuate the dummy casualty – who had suffered a leg injury. The royal couple then helped the casualty on a stretcher to safety.

“Evacuating” the wounded hiker.

Here is a quick video from Rebecca English. 

And helping an ‘injured’ walker….. pic.twitter.com/c6kvpULkkg

— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) April 27, 2023

The couple with one of the rescue group’s border collies.

More from this People piece by Simon Perry. 

After their activities alongside the experts, Prince William, 40, who is Patron of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, and Princess Kate met with current volunteers to hear about their roles and experiences in carrying out rescues.

The Prince and Princess also met two former team members, Bob Thomas (left) and Nick Richards (right). The gentlemen were rescue workers during the deadly Aberfan disaster in 1966. 

A group photo. 

After the training exercises, it was time for food!

The royals visited the Little Dragon Pizza Van to pick up dinner for the rescue team members.

The couple then went to the Dowlais Rugby Club, located nearby. It is a favorite spot for members of the team to relax. We learn more from the BBC’s coverage.

They thanked their hosts for the day by treating them to dinner from the Little Dragon Pizza Van. The business, parked in the rugby club car park, cooked them 12 pizzas. The order included three margheritas, three pepperoni, three BBQ chicken and three goat’s cheese, and came to more than £120.

The Prince and Princess spent time with club members and rescue workers.

This photo would make for a fun caption contest.

The Prince with club members. 

Another photo.

The Princess shared a laugh. 

And one more view.

The royals also spent time speaking with well-wishers gathered outside the rugby club.

Prince William posing for a selfie. 

You can see it was a wet and rainy day.

And the Princess posing for a selfie. 

A social media post from Kensington Palace.

And also from KP, a quick video. 

Cheers 🍻
Thank you for having us for a drink and a chat about life in the community here in Dowlais!

Iechyd da 🍻
Diolch am ein croesawu i rannu diod a chael sgwrs am fywyd yn y gymuned yma yn Nowlais! pic.twitter.com/qEKWH7sL1d

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 27, 2023

The BBC reports the royals are spending the night at a local bed and breakfast. 

Now for our look at what Kate wore for the day’s engagements, a mix of old and new pieces.

The Princess wore two new outerwear designs today. One was the Women’s Kongur Jacket (£550, about $685 at today’s exchange rates) by Mountain Equipment, and the other is by Keela, the brand’s Hydron Softshell Jacket (£125, below right). 

The Mountain Equipment Kongur (above left) is made of GORE-TEX and is described as being “designed specifically for the demands of professional rescue team members.” The Keela (above right) has high resistance to wind and water and is made with fabric offering two-way stretch. Thank you to Middleton Maven for this ID. 

The Princess repeated her Holland Cooper Astoria Rollneck Knit Sweater (£149, about $185) first seen during a March engagement with the Irish Guards. She paired the jumper with a new pair of G-STAR RAW trousers, the Dutch brand’s High-G Shape Cargo Skinny Pants ($65, sold out). The trousers are almost identical to the olive green pair we have seen the Princess wear, with a high waist, fly front, and multiple pockets.

The Princess switched to her ‘Edith Jacket’ from the 2020 Barbour x Alexa Chung Collection. It was first noted in a November 2020 Early Years video. 

The garment features an oversized silhouette, a corduroy collar, slightly cropped sleeves that hit just above the wrist bone, flap pockets with snap closure, a covered zipper placket with snaps, an angled front pocket with zipper, and gingham checked lining.

The Princess wore her ASOS Tie Dye Baseball Cap ($16, sold out) that was first noted during a May 2021 visit to St. Andrews. 

We also saw the return of the Berghaus SupaLite II Boots ($137). 

The Princess wore her Accessorize Pearl & Disc Hoop Earrings ($8).

We’ll see you tomorrow for day two of the Wales visit.