Prince Harry‘s return to the UK on the same day as Kate Middleton‘s appearance was the real surprise. On the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, the Prince and Princess of Wales honored her legacy with a symbolic gesture: a visit to the National Federation of Women’s Institutes in Sunningdale, the country’s largest women’s organization, with which the Queen was involved for eight decades. This unexpected move in their schedule happened at the same time Prince Harry landed in the UK and headed to Windsor, where the Wales family lives, to pay tribute to his grandmother.
© WPA PoolPrince William, in deep mourning for the Duchess of Kent, and Kate Middleton, also dressed in black and who had been seen on Saturday at a rugby match, arrived at the Women’s Institute, an hour from London but very close to Windsor, to highlight the royal family’s long-standing connection with it.
Elizabeth II joined the organization in 1943 at the age of 17 and later became president of the Sandringham Women’s Institute in 2003, a role she held until her death three years ago. The engagement was not just another patronage: the Queen was an active member, regularly attending the New Year’s meeting and cherishing a space where women gather and work to drive positive change in their local communities and, in some cases, nationally or globally.
© ALASTAIR GRANT
© ALASTAIR GRANTThis appearance, which British media reported on Sunday night as an event Prince William would attend alone, coincides with the same day Prince Harry returned to London to attend the WellChild Awards gala, an event that supports seriously ill children and their families, a cause he has been committed to for 17 years. What had not been made public is that Prince Harry’s first stop, as reported by British outlets, was Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth II is buried and where William and Kate have their official residence. Without commenting on Harry’s return, William and Kate made sure to keep a visible schedule far from where Harry would be.
© ALASTAIR GRANT
© WPA PoolThis afternoon, Prince Harry is set to present the ‘Inspiring Child’ award in the 4 to 6 years category and deliver a speech to the attendees. He will also take part in a private reception with the winners and their families, reinforcing his public image and reminding people that, even though he lives in the United States, he continues to support the causes he championed in the UK. In the past few hours, it has also been confirmed that the Duke of Sussex will travel to Nottingham to announce a donation to Children in Need and visit the Community Recording Studio, an initiative that uses music and film as tools for social inclusion for vulnerable young people. In a way, this trip is a walk through Harry’s former life, the one he led as an active British prince.
Read the full article here
