Prince William stunned fans of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, when he turned up at their annual vigil which was taking place outside Kensington Palace on Monday. Fans were marking what would have been Diana's 58th birthday.
The father-of-three emerged just before 7pm and, in pictures obtained by the Daily Mail, he was seen greeting the small crowd and talking to them. Kate Middleton's husband was dressed casually in navy blue chinos and a blue shirt and was surrounded by a small security entourage.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince William and Harry pictured in 2017
The royal, who lives in Apartment 1A inside Kensington Palace, shook hands with well-wishers and also gave them an update on the statue Ian Rank-Broadley is sculpting and which will "celebrate her life and legacy".
MORE: Prince William's poignant birthday gift revealed
Well-wisher John Loughrey told the Daily Mail: "William told me he knew we'd been coming here for years and thanked us for what we were doing for his mother.
"I'm still shaking now. I feel very emotional," he added.
© Photo: Getty ImagesSpeaking of the statue, which will mark the 20 year anniversary of Diana's tragic death and is still to be revealed, Prince William reportedly told the small crowd: "Soon, very soon. We just want to make sure it is right. It's important to get it right."
Prince William had no engagements on Monday, but his wife Kate made an announced outing to the Hampton Court Flower Show, where she hosted a very special picnic. Kate invited children helped by her patronages to visit her RHS Back to Nature before it opens to the public at the annual horticultural event on Tuesday. The youngsters, from the Anna Freud Centre, Evelina Children's Hospital, Action for Children and Place2Be are taking part in a treasure hunt and a bug spotting exercise as part of the fun royal outing, as well as exploring with their family members, carers and teachers to demonstrate their important role in raising children.
Inspired by the garden explored by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at RHS Chelsea last month, it is double the size and has several, playful new features.
They include a pond to paddle in, a hidden burrow inspired by a Badger’s Sett, and a rolling hill planted with a bee-friendly wildflower meadow, featuring buttercup, ox-eye daisy, red clover and common spotted orchids.
As well as the waterfall, rustic dens and the hollow log from the original garden, much of the original garden has been transferred – including branches and moss collected by the Cambridge children.
