© Photo: PAThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge carried out a day of engagements in South Wales on Tuesday, following their glamorous appearance at the BAFTA Awards 2020 on Sunday night. Prince William and Kate's first stop was to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Mumbles Lifeboat station, where they spoke to crew members about day-to-day life as part of a team which provides 24-hour rescue services.
The couple then travelled to Port Talbot to visit Tata Steel, the UK's largest steel plant, to meet with employees and their families. William and Kate's final engagement of the day was to the Bulldogs Development Centre, a partnership between Bulldogs Boxing & Community Activities and Port Talbot Amateur Boxing, which helps to support young people in the community who may have been affected by adverse childhood experiences and mental health issues, and gives them a sense of belonging through fitness and boxing.
Wales holds special memories for the Duke and Duchess, who lived on Anglesey in North Wales from 2010 to 2013, when William worked as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot.
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© Photo: PAThere was a cute moment between the couple as they arrived at The Mumbles, with Kate reaching out to touch her husband's shoulder. The couple were greeted by large crowds upon arrival.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple paid tribute to Wales' flag by donning red (for the dragon) and green. Kate wrapped up in a navy coat from Hobbs, a midi-length red Zara dress with boots. The Duchess accessorised with a heart-printed Beulah London scarf and a matching Mulberry bag.
Her husband William looked smart in a navy blazer and a bottle green jumper.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesA closer look at Kate's gorgeous heart-printed scarf and her Asprey oak leaf hoop earrings. The Duchess wore her brunette locks into a half-up half-down style.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Duke and Duchess will boarded the lifeboat and chatted with the crew members about life at sea. Lifeboat operations in The Mumbles have been looked after by the RNLI since 1863 and the service frequently helps the greatest number of people for a single station in Wales.
William and Kate met volunteers before watching the Mumbles Lifeboat launch as part of a training exercise.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple took the time to chat to locals who had gathered at the pier to meet them.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate stopped to chat to a number of school children, who looked very excited to meet royalty!
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate was particularly taken with one little girl, who was holding a cuddly toy.
© Photo: PAWilliam and Kate popped into Joe's Ice Cream parlour to speak to parents and carers about life in the Mumbles. The royal couple couldn't resist trying Joe's speciality vanilla, despite the winter chill outside. The Duke, who opted for a vanilla cone with chocolate sprinkles, revealed he has a sweet tooth to shop owners Dominic and Adrian Hughes.
"I am a chocolate man," William said, "I bet it’s packed in here in the summer. So what’s so special about Joe’s ice-cream? Magic ingredients."
Kate had a vanilla ice cream in a cup with a wafer, the same served to five nursery children she and William met in the shop. She pointed to her ice cream and said "snap" to the children before confessing that she did not think she would be able to finish all of her larger portion.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDuring the visit to the ice cream parlour, Kate and William met a group of local parents and carers to hear about life in the Mumbles and to talk about the Duchess' early childhood survey '5 Big Questions on the Under Fives.' The online survey was launched on 21 January and aims to spark a nation-wide conversation on raising the next generation.
© Photo: Getty ImagesWilliam spotted a child reading Julia Donaldson's Room On The Broom and said: "I read this to our children all the time." He said he had met the author when she received her CBE for services to literature. William added: "I said [to her] 'do you realise how many parents you have saved at bedtime?'"
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Duchess got a surprise when she bumped into her former teachers from St Andrew's prep school in Pangbourne, Berkshire, outside the ice cream parlour. Mrs Denise Evans-Alford was her netball coach while Mr Kevin Alford taught French and German. Kate, who had not seen her tutors for 20 years, told them: "I want to instil in my children what I learned at St Andrews."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Duke and Duchess then travelled to Tata Steel in Port Talbot to meet with employees and their families at the UK’s largest steel plant, which has been operating on the site for over one hundred years. The plant is a vital employer in the area, providing over 4,000 jobs to members of the local community.
The couple, wearing protective clothing and helmets, joined a discussion with company directors and trade unions before spending time with workers in the plant's Hot Strip Mill, and in its Training Academy.
After their visit to Tata Steel, William and Kate were given toy dragons for their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Welsh flag features a red dragon.
