The Duchess of Cambridge made a dream come true for one little girl who was "excited to meet a real life princess" during her royal engagement on Tuesday. Kate and her husband Prince William were on a visit to the Mumbles near Swansea on Tuesday when she met three-year-old Annabel and her mum Rhian Costello. Speaking shortly after their royal encounter, local family doctor Rhian revealed: "I said to her that Annabel was really excited to meet a real princess. And she said, 'I'm sorry I'm not wearing a pretty dress today.' Annabel then said that she thought she'd look like Cinderella."
Rhian, who has 18-month-old twins at home, continued: "She was very, very natural and lovely and sweet with the children. She was so lovely talking to as many people and children as possible. She said that Annabel looked cold and asked how long we'd been waiting. I thanked them for coming to Wales and that it's so lovely they come and bring their publicity. She said they would like to try to come more as they always enjoy coming down to visit."
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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. Their first stop was at 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.
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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.