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William and Kate at garden party© Getty

Prince William keeps touching promise from Buckingham Palace garden party

The Prince of Wales visited Manchester

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
Updated: November 17, 2023
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The Prince of Wales kept his word at his latest royal engagement in Manchester on Thursday.

At a Buckingham Palace garden party back in May, Prince William, 41, was invited by Wendy Simms, a member of the local Rastafarian community to visit the Moss Side Millennium Powerhouse.

Wendy was a guest at the summer event in recognition of her work founding and running a local food bank Keeping It Real 24/7 in Moss Side.

The Prince approached her in the crowd and Wendy suggested that he visit the community hub, which has sports facilities and a library.

Wendy told the Manchester Evening News at the time: "Everybody loved it. Is he going to come to Moss Side, that's the question people want to know.

"I said 'of course he is'. I know he is going to come to Moss Side."

And true to his promise, William was reunited with Wendy as he highlighted vital work being carried out in the area to support communities and improve outcomes for young people.

"It's been a while Wendy, I told you I'd come and see you,” William told Wendy as she greeted him at the start of the visit.

The Prince brought with him his own donation to the food bank, a basket of food of cultural importance to Jamaicans, but sometimes hard to buy in the UK, including okra, yams and dragon fruit.

The centre also serves as a multi-service youth hub which works with a wide range of local organisations, including The Hideaway Youth Project, to provide a weekly programme of activities and clubs designed to support young people to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

Prince William preparing food with two people© Getty
The royal got stuck in at the kitchen

During his visit, William donned an apron and rolled up his sleeves to help out in the community kitchen.

The father-of-three sliced okra, onion and sweet pepper to go with a fish stew, being cooked alongside a Jamaican speciality known as Saturday Soup.

Cooks Morris Hall, originally from Portland, Jamaica, and Donovan Beach, originally from St Andrew, Jamaica, worked with the royal as they prepared the dishes.

Mr Hall said: "He’s a nice boy to come here. I’m from Jamaica and I never thought I’d ever live to see any member of the royal family this close."

Prince William playing pool© Anthony Devlin
William playing pool at the Hideaway Youth Project

The Prince of Wales has joined forces with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to support a project tackling youth violence with £100,000 of funding.

William was joined by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham during his outing after the prince’s Royal Foundation and the politician’s office donated £50,000 each to bolster the work of the Manchester Peace Together Alliance.

During one lighthearted moment, William was put on the spot when one cheeky youngster asked how much was in his bank account.

Prince William and Andy Burnham in front of a pool table© Getty
William made the trip with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham

As he met young people and volunteers at the Hideaway Youth Project, a lead partner of the Manchester Peace Together Alliance, he sat down with some schoolchildren working on a collage.

Amir Hassan, 11, made William laugh when he asked him "How much do you have in your bank account?" and the schoolboy said afterwards the future king had quipped he "didn’t know".

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