Prince William and Kate closed the first day of their royal tour with a fabulous garden party held in Warsaw in honour of William's grandmother, the Queen. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who attended without their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, made a beautiful couple, with Kate wowing in an ivory cocktail dress by local designer Gosia Baczynska.
© Photo: RexKate and William were the guests of honour at the garden party
The royals, both 35, were guests of honour at the evening do hosted by the British ambassador to Poland, Jonathan Knott, and his wife Angela. The party was held at the picturesque Orangery in Lazienki Park, the largest park in the city which also houses Belweder Palace, where the royals are staying. While William and Kate enjoyed a couple of hours at the party, their children George and Charlotte were back at the palace with their nanny, Maria Borrallo.
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William gave a speech in front of the 600 invited guests, in which he thanked the ambassador and locals for welcoming his family so warmly to Poland. He also spoke about Poland's history and read a message on behalf of the Queen and Prince Philip. The future King noted the close ties between the two countries, saying: "We in the United Kingdom value our links with Poland enormously. We admire Poland as a remarkable example of courage, fortitude and resilience. You have survived centuries of assaults on your land, including partitions that were designed to wipe you off the map of Europe."
© Photo: RexPrince William gave a speech in front of the 600 guests
He later added: "Catherine and I are delighted to be embarking on our first visit to Poland, and we hope to return many times in the years to come. Mr. President and Mrs. Duda, thank you for your hospitality, and thank you to everyone for the warm welcome you have given us, which underlines the strength of the relationship between our two peoples." Guests were served English white wine and smoked salmon sandwiches served with mini union flags stuck into them. They were also treated to a performance from the String Quartet of the National Polish Radio Sympathy Orchestra, led by UK raised Polish national Rafal Zambrzycki-Payne, a former BBC young musician of the year.
Earlier on Monday, William and Kate visited the Warsaw Rising Museum, which is dedicated to the uprising of 1944 which saw the Polish army attempt to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. The couple also met local entrepreneurs at a reception held in the Warsaw Spire building.
William and Kate touched down in Warsaw with their children George and Charlotte at Monday lunchtime. They travelled via private jet, and were given quite the welcome with a red carpet rolled out on the runway. The family were taken to the palace where they were greeted by President Duda and his wife, First Lady Agata. On Tuesday, William and Kate will spend the day in Gdansk, before moving on to Germany for the second leg of their tour.
