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Princess Kate and Prince William listen as they visit the WI in Sunningdale (Image: AP)
Prince William said that he “can’t believe it has been three years” since his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, died as he and his wife marked the third anniversary of her death today. William, who was unexpectedly joined by the Princess of Wales for the visit to the National Federation of Women's Institutes - in tribute to the late Queen's decades-long association with the organisation - and shared memories of family life with their three children.
Just eight miles away, William’s estranged brother, the Duke of Sussex, privately visited the late Queen's resting place in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, to pay his respects and lay flowers.
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Wearing a grey tartan dress by Alessandra Rich, featuring puffed sleeves and a button down front, Kate remarked how "lovely" the weather was as they arrived at the Sunningdale branch of the WI. They were then taken inside to the small Berkshire hall where the members were already seated round several tables with cups of tea and plates of cake.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales are welcomed by WI members during a visit (Image: PA)
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Unable to resist the sweet treats on offer, both took a selection before joining a table to share memories about the late Queen.
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The prince told one group: “It’s three years since my grandmother died, she was a big part of the WI, she used to talk about it a lot. This is the first time I’ve been, and experienced the WI, so this is a huge honour for me.”
He asked for members' memories of the late Queen and later told them "can't believe it's three years - goes quite quick", and they chatted about his grandmother's passion for horses and horse breeding.
Acknowledging his proximity to the Ascot racecourse which hosts Royal Ascot each year, William said: “I think she would have loved a few more wins. She was very upset that she couldn’t win a few more times.
"She used to have an iPad so that she could watch all the foals being born, so wherever she was in the country she could see. She was very dedicated."
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Princess Kate is wearing a structured grey tartan dress with puffed shoulders (Image: AP)
William spent time speaking to Sally Pellow, who showed the royal couple a picture taken in August 1961 of her husband’s grandfather Hedley Pellow, who worked at the docks during the Second World War, meeting Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and Princess Anne, who were aged 12 and nine at the time, at Southampton docks.
The conversation soon turned to William and Kate’s three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10 and Prince Louis, seven as they were asked if the trio had returned to school. “Thankfully, yes,” the prince joked.
Nina Derrick asked: “Is Louis a bit of a handful?” to which William appeared to defend his youngest son, saying that Louis was “a very good boy”.
When it was pointed out that George appeared to be the sensible one whereas Louis was “a bit of a character”, William said that there was “five years between them” and joked that while George knew how to behave in public, “behind closed doors it’s a completely different ball game”.
The princess said that she and the children had been “crafting in every corner of the house” over the summer holidays, and spoke to the women about her bee-keeping, and the importance of “making and crafting” and “community”.
The Prince and Princess of Wales chatted to members of the WI over tea and cake (Image: PA)
During the visit, Kate and William nibbled on the selection of cakes on offer.
The Princess chose a slice of chocolate chip cookie cake while William helped himself to a chocolate brownie and a piece of orange and Campari cake before being introduced to the women who made them.
Kate said: “We should have brought some for you!” and sat down to try hers which she said was “delicious”.
William said the Campari cake had “got a good punch to it, a good kick” and there was high praise for the brownie, saying: "And I know my brownies.” Kate said: "William is very fussy about it."
He declared it to be a good recipe because it didn’t contain nuts. “Never put nuts in a brownie,” he added emphatically, which prompted Kate to joke: “I had to learn the hard way.”
The Princess of Wales was asked if she was a member of the WI and replied: “No, but I should be!”
William asked if the organisation might consider him to join as an honorary male member but was told by Hilary Fraser “No, not unless you can put on a skirt.” Without hesitating, the prince replied: “Well, for a chocolate brownie, Hilary, you never know what I’ll do.”
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William and Kate heard how the group provided an opportunity for women across Berkshire to get together, learn new skills and engage in community projects.
The WI is the largest women’s organisation in the UK and was supported by the late Queen Elizabeth II who joined the organisation in 1943 and serving as President of the Sandringham branch from 2003 until her death in 2022.
As an active member, her late majesty regularly attended their New Year meetings in January and hosted a reception at Sandringham House in 2022 for volunteer groups, pensioners and fellow members to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
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