Kate takes time out to greet young fan on factory visit
In a highly unusual move the Princess of Wales pulled over her convoy to stop and speak to a young child as she left an engagement in South Wales.
Kate visited the Welsh knitwear and sock manufacturer Corgi in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire to shine a light on British industry on Thursday afternoon.
Shortly after setting off, she stopped her car to speak to a young child who had called out to her.
The move is highly unusual, with royal convoys rarely stopping after they have left an engagement, and Kate must have felt a royal imperative to ask the driver to let her get out.
The young girl, named Lily-Rose Logan, aged three, had been calling out 'hello princess' as the royal left the Corgi factory.
As the royal approached, the young girl handed Kate a yellow toy banana.
Addressing Lily-Rose, Kate said: 'I heard you say 'hello' from all the way back there and I wanted to come and see you.'
Speaking to the PA news agency, Stacey Chorley, 39, Lily-Rose's mum, said: 'It was so exciting, we had no idea that was going to happen.
'I hope this is one of the things Lily-Rose will remember.
'Kate was so lovely, she's very natural and down to earth.'
As Kate handed Lily-Rose back her banana the young girl threw it on the floor and the Princess of Wales had to bend down to retrieve it.
On her visit to the factory, Kate spent over an hour touring the factory and speaking with staff who gave her demonstrations of their work.
She was given the chance to try her hand at 'linking', the process of finishing the sock, before joking: 'I'm sorry I was so terrible.'
But Huw Jones, the former owner of Corgi, which is now owned by children, said she had passed the test and 'can start on Monday'.
Shauna Kinsey, 24, who showed Kate how to link the sock, described the royal as 'lovely'.
'She tried to do a whole sock and said it's fascinating how it's all made.'
Corgi was founded in 1892 by the current co-owner's great-great grandfather, who started by making socks for miners, and now sells products in 34 countries.
Speaking to PA, Chris Jones, 56, who owns the business with his sister Lisa Wood, said: 'The visit has been fabulous.
'The princess said she wants to shine a light on manufacturing in the UK, so it's really nice to get their support.
'And it's lovely for the staff, the skills they have got, they don't always get the recognition, so it's really nice.
'We spoke about the industry, the challenges, but really she wanted to know how we made the products, and the skills involved.'
The firm, which has the Royal Warrant has made numerous items for the family, including for the King, with Mr Jones, saying Charles favoured a specially made longer sock.
As Kate left she was given a cream cashmere zip-up cardigan, and a navy cashmere wrap for her mother, whose birthday is on Friday.
She was handed the gifts by Cari Jones, 12, Mr Jones's daughter.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
American tourist who'd never left the US comes to UK and is instantly let down
Sean Miller, a comedian from New York, is one of the participants of the new Travel Virgin Show, which takes people abroad for the first time. He touched down in London this week A 'travel virgin' who had never been out of his country before has been shocked and delighted in equal measure by the UK. Sean Millea is a 28-year-old living in New York City who had never been out of the US until earlier this week. He is in good company. By some estimates, around 23% of Americans have not traveled internationally, while a quarter of Britons have never boarded a plane or ferry to go on holiday abroad. Whether it's the cost and hassle of sorting out a passport (close to 50% of Americans don't have one currently, according to the Apollo Academy) that is putting people off, or the fact that they're quite happy at home, clearly travel is not for everyone. Stand-up comedian Sean had been content exploring the US, until he was given the chance to hop across an international border for the first time by Jetpac. The travel eSim brand has chosen several 'travel virgins' to star in its docu-series, hosted by Love is Blind's Benaiah. When it airs, it will see newbie travelers swept away on an all-expenses-paid journey to an exotic destination. The Mirror spoke to Sean the day after his arrival in the UK. He was standing amidst the hustle and bustle of Borough Market, digesting a laden pudding from the viral Humble Crumble and reflecting on a deeply disappointing first brush with British pastry. "The pork pie. My friend Marshall told me to get it. I didn't love that. It was sort of tasteless and hard to eat, you really need to put in muscle to get it open. It looked like a little castle. I did, however, like the Humble Crumble," Sean explained. "I also don't like the candy here. American candy is full of chemicals, which is why it tastes delicious." Sean was not opposed to the idea of travelling abroad, but given the demanding nature of his comedy career, he had never found the right time to do so. "I don't ever have money like that. I have been to Florida, California and Chicago, but I'm uncultured to anywhere outside of the US," Sean said. While he may have found the pork pies a little underwhelming, the American in London was excited to throw himself into the culture, having grown up on a string of British classics such as the Beatles, David Bowie and Shakespeare. Visits to the Globe and Abbey Road were ticked off on his first evening. In terms of vibe, "London feels like New York if you're not paying attention." When it comes to the actual travelling process, Sean found it to be a mixed bag. "I got a passport, a few months ago on a whim, and there was some visa thing I had to get. I ended up just tapping myself out of the airport, no questions asked. It was pretty smooth," he explained. "I did get scammed at a currency exchange. I got half my money back." The first episode of The Travel Virgin Show will go live on June 30. The company argues now is the right time for it, given the steady rise in travel since the coronavirus lockdowns, when people were pent up, unable to get away and desperate to get back out on the road. According to one recent poll, 76% of Gen Z and 72% of Millennials say they're more interested in travel than they used to be. And passport applications have surged by up to 38% in key markets like the UK, suggesting the appetite for exploration is stronger than ever. Aditya Goyal, CEO at Jetpac. "There's a huge group of people who are only now taking their first step abroad—and we think they deserve the same tools as anyone else. Jetpac is here to make that first time seamless, empowering, and unforgettable."
South Wales Argus
3 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Tributes paid to Britons feared killed in Air India plane crash
Air India confirmed 241 of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were killed on Thursday, in one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British nationals killed. Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who run a spiritual wellness centre, were said to be among the dead. The pair laughed and joked as they filmed a video of themselves at the airport before taking off. (PA Graphics) In an earlier Instagram post they told of their 'mind-blowing' trip to India and their intention to make a vlog about it. Mr Greenlaw is said to have appeared on ITV's This Morning earlier this year to talk about wellness. Former editor of the show Martin Frizell praised his 'vibrancy' and 'enthusiasm'. 'So so sad to hear that Fiongal Greenlaw Meek and his partner are reported to be among the passengers and crew killed today on board the Air India flight bound for Gatwick,' he said in an Instagram post. 'I remember his visit to the studio in January, he was passionate about auras and although I'm a sceptical sort his vibrancy and sheer enthusiasm won folk over. 'And I know for a fact that he hoped to use his appearance on This Morning to build his wellness brand, he had a great future ahead of him. 'Thoughts are with his family and friends and those of his partner Jamie.' The Greenlaw-Meeks were running the Wellness Foundry in London, which offers psychic readings, tarot, reiki and yoga. The firm is included in Time Out's top places in the capital for tarot readings. The Wellness Foundry also has a podcast called Spirit Level, which the website says is a 'guiding light on the journey to holistic well-being and spiritual enlightenment'. The Gloucester Muslim Community group offered 'sincere and deepest condolences' after Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa and their daughter Sara were reported to be among the victims. 'During this moment of overwhelming sorrow, our hearts go out to all those left behind,' a statement said. 'No words can truly ease the pain of such a profound loss, but we pray that the family may find solace in the tremendous outpouring of compassion and solidarity from communities across the world.' Raj Mishra, the mayor of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, called for people to come together as he announced the deaths of three people from his community. 'Among those lost were Raxa Modha, infant Rudra Modha, and Ms K Mistri, all from our Wellingborough community,' he said. 'I extend my deepest condolences to their families, friends and all those affected by this heartbreaking event. 'May their memories be a blessing, and may we come together to support one another in this time of grief.' Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is believed to be the only survivor of the crash. Speaking outside the family home in Leicester, his brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, said: 'We were just shocked as soon as we heard it. 'I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We're devastated, just devastated. 'He said, 'I have no idea how I exited the plane'.' Mr Ramesh's older brother Ajay was also aboard the flight. Another of Mr Ramesh's relatives, Jay, said the survivor spoke to his father after the crash and asked after his brother. Jay told PA: 'After the crash he spoke to his dad worrying about his brother saying, 'Where's Ajay'?'
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Tributes paid to Britons feared killed in Air India plane crash
Air India confirmed 241 of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were killed on Thursday, in one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British nationals killed. Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who run a spiritual wellness centre, were said to be among the dead. The pair laughed and joked as they filmed a video of themselves at the airport before taking off. (PA Graphics) In an earlier Instagram post they told of their 'mind-blowing' trip to India and their intention to make a vlog about it. Mr Greenlaw is said to have appeared on ITV's This Morning earlier this year to talk about wellness. Former editor of the show Martin Frizell praised his 'vibrancy' and 'enthusiasm'. 'So so sad to hear that Fiongal Greenlaw Meek and his partner are reported to be among the passengers and crew killed today on board the Air India flight bound for Gatwick,' he said in an Instagram post. 'I remember his visit to the studio in January, he was passionate about auras and although I'm a sceptical sort his vibrancy and sheer enthusiasm won folk over. 'And I know for a fact that he hoped to use his appearance on This Morning to build his wellness brand, he had a great future ahead of him. 'Thoughts are with his family and friends and those of his partner Jamie.' The Greenlaw-Meeks were running the Wellness Foundry in London, which offers psychic readings, tarot, reiki and yoga. The firm is included in Time Out's top places in the capital for tarot readings. The Wellness Foundry also has a podcast called Spirit Level, which the website says is a 'guiding light on the journey to holistic well-being and spiritual enlightenment'. The Gloucester Muslim Community group offered 'sincere and deepest condolences' after Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa and their daughter Sara were reported to be among the victims. 'During this moment of overwhelming sorrow, our hearts go out to all those left behind,' a statement said. 'No words can truly ease the pain of such a profound loss, but we pray that the family may find solace in the tremendous outpouring of compassion and solidarity from communities across the world.' Raj Mishra, the mayor of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, called for people to come together as he announced the deaths of three people from his community. 'Among those lost were Raxa Modha, infant Rudra Modha, and Ms K Mistri, all from our Wellingborough community,' he said. 'I extend my deepest condolences to their families, friends and all those affected by this heartbreaking event. 'May their memories be a blessing, and may we come together to support one another in this time of grief.' Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is believed to be the only survivor of the crash. Speaking outside the family home in Leicester, his brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, said: 'We were just shocked as soon as we heard it. 'I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We're devastated, just devastated. 'He said, 'I have no idea how I exited the plane'.' Mr Ramesh's older brother Ajay was also aboard the flight. Another of Mr Ramesh's relatives, Jay, said the survivor spoke to his father after the crash and asked after his brother. Jay told PA: 'After the crash he spoke to his dad worrying about his brother saying, 'Where's Ajay'?'
