The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge carried out a handful of engagements in Coventry today, including visits to the local cathedral, university and a youth organization. As with the couple’s recent day in Birmingham and their attendance at the media summit in Manchester, it represents a renewed focus on ensuring the two are a presence throughout Britain.
The first stop of the day was to Coventry Cathedral, of which the city has had three. The most famous is the second, St. Michael’s Church, which was bombed during World War II and left in ruins. The remains of the original structure have been left up as a memorial and remain a tourist attraction for visitors in the region. It’s not difficult to see why given the beautiful photos of it captured today.
Also on the docket was a trip to the university’s science and health building, today featuring a program focused on teaching student doctors how to care for patients through every phase of their recovery and meeting with the Positive Youth Foundation, an organization for at-risk children and adolescents.
Reporter Victoria Murphy captured a snippet of a roundtable discussion in which Kate participated focused on mental health:
Kate joins in a discussion about mental health and well-being at the @positiveyouth96 pic.twitter.com/dku3mZCxas
— Victoria Murphy (@byQueenVic) January 16, 2018
And this one, in which Kate thanks one of their hosts:
Kate chatting to the line-up in Coventry today, saying thank you to the woman who helped put together their programme pic.twitter.com/AJdTlKuhSu
— Victoria Murphy (@byQueenVic) January 16, 2018
Thanks to a number of planned and impromptu walkabouts throughout the day, there were several occasions for William and Kate to meet with crowds, which is always fun since those usually give us our best candid moments. Today Kate is receiving parenting props for identifying a young boy in the crowd who was feeling under the weather. Per the Daily Mail:
The Duchess also came to the rescue of a 10-year-old boy who felt unwell after waiting three hours in the cold to see her. When she spotted that he was not well, she turned to one of her police protection officers for a sickbag. ‘Princess Kate came over and give him a sickbag, our little Craig,’ said Carole Flynn, a learning mentor at the school. ‘I think he was a little bit overcome.’ […]
Ms Flynn said: ‘He went quite pale. She came over to speak to him, and noticed he was not very well. She asked if he was OK. She bent down, and was concerned.’ The duchess then went over to talk to one of her police bodyguards, and came back with a brown paper bag of the type used by cafes for takeaway coffee and sandwiches. ‘It was lovely of her,’ said Ms Flynn. ‘She really took time with him. You can tell she is a mum, and has got that caring side.’
She also won accolades from local schoolchildren who came out to greet the couple:
A group of schoolchildren from the local Sacred Heart School noisily welcomed the couple. Among them, was Darcy Hayes, 9, who gave her some bright orange flowers.
‘She said her son George will love the flowers because he loves orange and police colours. I told them I had an American girl doll for Christmas and William said Charlotte loves dolls. They were nice and cheerful.’
Fellow pupil Mia Ramin, nine, added: ‘They didn’t seem like people who are too busy for other people. She seemed really nice.’
Kate chose a bright pink coat from Mulberry today, which she paired with her black Tod’s heels and a Mulberry clutch.
This is the third time Kate has worn the coat in the public. It made its debut in December 2014 when the Duchess was in New York, and she wore it again further along in her pregnancy with Princess Charlotte in the winter of 2015. I actually had an inkling this would make an appearance today and God knows I love being proven right, but mainly it was because its color is perfect for being spotted out and about on a day like today and Kate has shown a preference for recycling ensembles debuted during her second pregnancy.
We are not done with HRH for the week, though. Tomorrow we’ll see her for another two engagements, which we’ll certainly cover here. And if you missed it, over the weekend Kensington Palace publicized an itinerary for the couple’s trip to Sweden and Norway, which I’ve broken down here.