Kate Middleton’s special hobby was showcased as she and Prince William marked Windrush Day with a series of significant engagements.
Kate Middleton has joined Prince William for their first royal engagement since his milestone 40th birthday which saw the Queen share a baby photo alongside many other throwback snaps to mark the occasion. Stepping out at London’s Waterloo Station, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were accompanied by Baroness Floella Benjamin and members of the Windrush generation as they unveiled the powerful new National Windrush Monument.
As announced by the government, the monument is a symbol of the “courage, commitment and resilience of the thousands of men, women and children who travelled to the UK to start new lives from 1948 to 1971”. The unveiling took place on Windrush Day, held every year on June 22nd as the anniversary of the day HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks in 1948.
(Image credit: Photo by John Sibley – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Earlier on this deeply poignant day, William and Kate also went to Brixton House where they met young people from the British-Caribbean community involved in the Elevate (opens in new tab) initiative, which aims to help open up the creative and cultural sector to everyone in the borough of Lambeth. Some were taking part in a photography and film workshop and it wasn’t long before the Duchess gave it a go herself.
During the significant engagement, Kate was pictured holding a sophisticated-looking video camera over her shoulders. The Duchess has long been known for her love of photography as a hobby and her birthday portraits of her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are looked forward to by fans.
According to Hello! (opens in new tab), illustrator and visual artist Davinia Clarke revealed that the future Queen Consort “was up for” learning some more skills.
(Image credit: Photo by Eddie Mulholland – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“She wanted to understand how to put it on and move it around,” she said. “I thought, ‘Let’s try and put it on her.’ She was up for it! She did better than me. At one moment it literally just dropped off my arm. I was like, ‘Oh gosh’ She said it was really heavy, and you need a lot of upper body strength.”
Following their time at Brixton House, Kate and William then attended the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument. This depicts a smartly-dressed man, woman and child standing on top of suitcases and was designed by Basil Watson.
“We know without question that the Windrush generation have made our culture richer, our services stronger, and our fellow countrymen safer,” William stated in a speech during the unveiling. “Without you all, Britain would simply not be what it is today.”
I want to say a profound thank you to every member of that generation, and the generations that have followed. And I want you to know that you can count on mine and Catherine’s continued support in helping us achieve a future they would be proud of. pic.twitter.com/QdBrH19aRRJune 22, 2022
The Duke, who is second in the royal line of succession, also remarked upon his and Kate’s commitment to achieving a positive future.
“I want to say a profound thank you to every member of that generation, and the generations that have followed. And I want you to know that you can count on mine and Catherine’s continued support in helping us achieve a future they would be proud of,” he declared powerfully.
