They may officially be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but it seems the royal couple approve of being called Will and Kate by members of the public. During their visit to Blackpool on Wednesday, the royals took part in a walkabout where they spent time talking to well-wishers who had waited to catch a glimpse of them in the rain. One mother, who takes her daughter to Better Start Blackpool, revealed that she accidentally referred to Prince William as Will. "I called Will 'Will' and I was like 'ahhhh sorry' and he said, 'Don't worry, that's my name,'" shared Ellie Mae-Coleman.
Moments later, mum-of-three Kate looked delighted to be handed a lovely gift with her name on it. A young boy handed the Duchess, who normally goes by the Catherine, a wooden decoration with the word Kate emblazoned across it. The royal couple, who share three children together, appeared to be in great spirits as they mingled with fans. At one point, Kate was offered an umbrella by one of her protection officers. However, the 37-year-old politely declined the offer so the crowd could see her better, according to royal correspondent Emily Andrews.
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Kate told royal fans outside Blackpool Tower that she hoped to bring her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to visit Blackpool next time. She joked: "Is the weather always like this?" The Duchess then expressed her disappointment at not going up the Tower. "No, we didn't. Next time, I think. There's so much here the children would love as well. Hopefully next time we'll bring them back," she said.
Both William and Kate started with a visit to the town's iconic Tower, where they joined a roundtable briefing about Blackpool's recent history, the challenges, and the investment and regeneration efforts that are currently underway. They then took part in a walkabout on the promenade, greeting well-wishers, before heading to Blackpool Central Library. While Kate continued her work on early childhood and joined people involved in Blackpool's 'A Better Start' programme, William met those affected by problems around mental health, including issues such as homelessness and addiction.
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