The Prince and Princess of Wales will be making a special visit to a place that holds plenty of cherished memories for them after enjoying a half-term break.
Prince William and Kate have always been determined to balance their royal duties with family life and as part of this, they tend to clear their schedules as much as possible during school holidays. Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’s February half-term break began on Valentine’s Day and it’s been suggested that the Wales family have swapped grey winter at Adelaide Cottage for the sunshine of Mustique for the week. When they return, they’ll be undertaking their first joint trip to Wales - a place that is "immensely special" to them - in 2025.
The Princess of Wales undertook an engagement at Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice in January, but their last visit as a couple was back in October 2023. On Wednesday 26th February, ahead of St David’s Day, Kate and Prince William will carry out several engagements in Pontypridd.
They will meet local communities who have been affected by the severe flooding caused by both Storm Bert and Storm Darragh in November and December last year. The future King and Queen will also head to Pontypridd Market to tour the food hall and help to cook a batch of traditional Welsh cakes. In the past, Prince William has been incredibly candid about his own attempts in the kitchen so fans will likely be interested to see how he gets on with a spot of baking.
During their time in the Welsh town the couple will also visit The Welsh Cake Shop, which was established 25 years ago, and are set to chat with business owners about the flooding at the market’s Fountain Café, as per Wales Online. The devastating impact of the storms will continue to be a significant focus of Prince William and Kate’s visit as they will hear about how volunteers helped to restore the Meadow Street Community Garden and Woodland in their wake.
Although many of these engagements are very poignant, the return to Wales will likely also bring back happier, special memories for the Prince and Princess. They lived on Anglesey, from 2011-2013 until Prince George was a few weeks' old and Prince William described how much their time in Wales would always mean to them in a speech.
"I know that I speak for Catherine when I say that I have never in my life known somewhere as beautiful and as welcoming as Anglesey," he declared. "I know that both of us will miss it terribly when my search and rescue tour of duty comes to an end next month and we have to move elsewhere."
Prince William continued, "This island has been our first home together, and will always be an immensely special place for us both. Catherine and I look forward to returning again and again over the coming years with our family."
The couple visited Cardiff Castle with Prince George and Princess Charlotte during the Platinum Jubilee weekend and it’s clear that their love for Wales has gone nowhere since they left Anglesey. As reported by Sky News, Kensington Palace explained in 2022 that Prince William’s first conversation with former First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, since taking on his new title made reference to his and Kate’s "deep affection for Wales".
"They want to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them," the statement continued.
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