The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined veterans in Arromanches on Friday to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. William, 31, and Kate, 32, attended a service at Gold Beach, where they met around 100 old soldiers who marched past in what is expected to be the last large-scale remembrance of the operation.
In a speech, Prince William described June 6, 1944, as 'that great and terrible day', adding: 'Great, because it signalled the beginning of the end for the tyranny of Nazism. Terrible, because so great a number of young men and Frenchmen, women and children, here and elsewhere in Normandy, lost their lives.' He urged younger generations to never forget the sacrifice.
During a tea party with veterans, Kate was given a kiss on the cheek by 88-year-old Arthur Jones, a Desert Rat from the 7th Armoured Division. Jones asked the duchess, 'Is it OK to kiss a princess?' to which she replied, 'Of course it is.' Prince William later teased his wife, asking Jones, 'Were you chatting up my wife?'
Kate also spoke with Grenadier Guard Eric Presland, 94, who asked about Prince George. She said the 10-month-old was 'into everything, and really starting to walk.' The duchess wore a blue Alexander McQueen coat, the same she wore during the royal tour of New Zealand.
