The Princess of Wales has said she has “missed” her son Prince George, who is boarding at Eton College, and is looking forward to having him home for half term.
Kate was speaking during a visit to a charity shop run by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (Each), which she supports as patron. She told shoppers: “You never know what you’re going to find – that’s what’s so nice. It feels a bit more like a treasure hunt.”
Visit to Each charity shop
Earlier, the princess donned a hard hat and high visibility jacket to tour a construction site at The Treehouse hospice in Ipswich, learning about plans for a new hydrotherapy pool, wellbeing and therapies suite at the Each centre.
Friends Denise Ashton, 68, and Essie Landsborough, 75, were sitting in the charity shop’s cafe area, a unique venture for Each, when Kate came over for a chat. Ms Ashton said afterwards: “She said she’s looking forward to George coming home – she’s missed him.”
The young prince started at the school last month with the reassuring presence of his parents by his side. On Friday, Eton’s “long leave” begins, lasting for just over a week. Ms Ashton added: “They may be going somewhere (during the break).”
Half-term plans and charity shop chat
Kate mentioned the approaching half-term a number of times as she walked around the shop and cafe in Hoveton, near Norwich, meeting local residents. She also spoke to Ms Landsborough, 75, and when asked “Do you go to charity shops?”, the princess replied: “Yes I do. I love going round a charity shop. When I was up at university in St Andrews there were a lot of charity shops.”
Kate could not resist looking at the bargain Ms Landsborough had bought from the charity shop: four port sippers, tasting glasses shaped like tobacco pipes.
Each has 58 shops across East Anglia and some neighbouring counties, with the organisation’s retail arm expected to provide £3 million for the charity this year.
Volunteering at the shop
Kate met helpers in an upstairs sorting area where clothes were examined and graded. When one volunteer told her that with the “cost-of-living” crisis shoppers bought “party wear”, the princess replied: “So much just goes to waste – should be given another life.”
She was given the task of helping volunteer Christine Rich sort through some items, and when she discovered an expensive-looking coat had been attacked by moths, she said “that’s a shame” and was told to put it in the “imperfect” pile.
Kate asked about the background of helpers and was told young people, as well as the retired, donated their time. She said: “I sometimes think people want to volunteer but they don’t know how…(we) need to make it a bit easier if they want to volunteer.”
