A video call to the children of frontliners was the first royal engagement of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
William, 37, and Kate, 38, certainly had a wonderful time chatting with the schoolchildren who were wearing Easter-themed bunny ears. The kids then presented the royal couple with a “virtual bouquet” in appreciation.
The couple, who were calling from their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall, talked to the staff and students of Casterton Primary Academy in Lancashire. The teachers in the institution were looking after the children of key frontliners such as those from NHS, social care, supermarkets, and delivery drivers.
The royal couple made sure to thank the staff for the work they were doing as the coronavirus pandemic is raging.
But it was also a lot of fun with pupils showing off their artistic talents that included a felt collage with rainbows and hearts saying “Thank you NHS.”
“I like your bunny ears,” said William. “They look like the real deal.”
One of the children told the duke that the “first William was called William the Conquerer.”
They then asked: “What do you want to be called in 1,000 years’ time?”
But a laughing Prince William said he was at a loss how to answer that.
The children had also asked the royal couple who “the best famous person was that they had met,” according to Anita Ghidotti, the Chief Executive of the Pendle Education Trust.
“I bet they don’t get asked very often,” she laughed. “The Duchess said that Prince George has been watching lots of David Attenborough’s Blue Planet so that would probably be hers. The Duke said his favorite people weren’t actually famous.”
A pupil named Lloyd, 9 gave Kate a virtual bouquet of flowers.
“He had spent three days painstakingly making paper flowers covered with ladybirds for the Duchess,” Anita said, adding: “He spent so much time on it and called himself the origami king. He did a virtual handover of his posey. He was very proud.
“The flowers had ladybirds on them and the Duchess said her Louis loved ladybirds and had been in out in the garden looking for them.”
Aside from asking about the parents of the students, the couple also talked to the school staff, including Leala Porter, Place2 Be Project Manager at Pendle Primary Academy, and discussed the difficulties being faced by schools, teachers, and children alike because of the pandemic.
The Duchess said: “To you and everyone who is in during this time, it must be such a relief for all the parents who are key workers to know that their children have the normality and structure and they’ve got a safe place for them to be.
“So really, really well done and for all of you I know it’s not easy circumstances, but it’s fantastic.”
William chipped in: “Good northern volunteering spirit going on up there, very good of you!”
As the staff wished them a lovely Easter, William replied: “There’ll be a lot of chocolate being eaten here that’s for sure.”
“You keep eating it!” quipped Kate.
Anita said the online call meant a lot for the school and the children.
“They just couldn’t believe it. It was just absolutely fantastic. They couldn’t believe their eyes,” she said.
“The children brought in lots of things to show them. Last week we were still doing things like maths and other schoolwork. But this week we have been making a real effort to do some fun things.
“We have been trying to find the positive in all of this and actually these children are really loving being here. They are making new friends or seeing kids they don’t normally see very often.”
She added: “I can’t tell you the difference things like this make. We are in such difficult circumstances. I can’t believe they chose us, out of everyone in the country, everyone feels very special. It’s been a real boost. It’s been wonderful.”
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