2020 — Prince William and Kate Middleton bring smiles and laughter to residents at the Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff. Their visit made a great impact, bringing joy and appreciation to the residents’ faces. The royal couple visited enthusiastically with residents, each demonstrating the other’s affable nature and attractive demeanor. The afternoon visit got even more congenial when one of the residents, Joan Drew-Smith, jokingly confused Kate Middleton for Prince William’s aide.
As the couple continued talking to residents, Joan looked over at Kate and said, “Are you his assistant? With a grin, Kate replied, “Surprise! I’m your assistant. All those years you didn’t know it—surprise! The good-natured banter led to uproarious applause and laughter from all in attendance. It highlighted the pair’s extraordinary ability to relate to everyone in the crowd on an individual basis.
Prince William’s shy response to Joan’s question was to put a loving hand on Kate’s arm. As a joke, playfully as always, Kate responded by putting her hand on his shoulder, evidence of the terrific friendship they shared. With both of them in face masks for health safety, communication was a little complicated. Even with this difficulty, they maintained a positive, energizing vibe during the course of their visit.
During their visit to the care home, Prince William was quite taken with Joan, telling her, “I love Joan, she’s amazing. This emotion seemed to really find a home both with our staff as well as with residents. Joan is known for her no-holds-barred takes on royal bingo proficiency. She was no stranger to grabbing everyone’s attention when she very openly critiqued the couple’s performance at a previous bingo night. Upon being reintroduced to her, Prince William humorously recalled their earlier encounter: “Hello Joan, do you remember we did the bingo with you? You said we weren’t very good!”
Joan responded matter of factly, “Yup. You f*cked up.” This exchange only served to further highlight the warmth and familiarity that seems to exist between these residents and their royal family.
During the course of their visit, the couple captivated Richmond residents and bystanders at every turn. And they lingered to shake hands with members of the public who came out to witness this historic moment. One enthusiastic fan went so far as to shout directly to the Princess of Whales herself, declaring, “You’re gorgeous!”
As the royal couple continues to undertake engagements across the UK, they consistently demonstrate their commitment to connecting with communities. Their visit to Cardiff was not only visually stunning, but it underlined their commitment to activism on behalf of people in care.
