The Royals News

To support initiatives being carried out in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic,  Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden (The Duke and Duchess of Värmland) visited Karlstad city in Värmland county. The Prince and Princess first visited the Central Hospital in Karlstad. Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality and the capital of Värmland county.

The final stop of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Royal Train tour was Windsor Castle for a family reunion at The Queen's current residence.  Together, they joined The Queen, Prince Charles, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Princess Anne to welcome essential workers.  The royal family met local volunteers and key workers from organisations and charities in Berkshire, who will be volunteering or working to help others over the Christmas period.

  The event was held to thank key workers and their families for their phenomenal efforts this year.  During the interval of tonight's special performance, The Duke and Duchess met a small number of key worker families to hear more about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Following the show, the Royal Couple joined the cast on stage for a meet and greet.

  The Duke and Duchess travelled further south to visit the  historic market and mill town of  Batley in  West Yorkshire and the  final stop of the day was in Manchester where they paid tribute to volunteers at  FairShare .  The organisation is the UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, with the aim of fighting hunger and food waste by redistributing good quality in-date surplus food to frontline charities across the UK.  Following the warehouse tour, The Duke and Duchess watched a special performance by Wayne Ellington and Manchester Inspirational Voices, presented by Band on the Wall, a local independent music venue which has been supported during COVID-19 by the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

The Duke and  Duchess of Cambridge  set off on their three day tour of Britain on the royal train. They asked 80s pop star Shakin' Stevens to perform his festive hit  Merry Christmas Everyone  for transport workers at London's Euston Station as they thanked them for keeping trains running during the coronavirus pandemic. The royal couple also chatted to Transport for London employees and rail staff before boarding the Queen's train to begin their 1,250-mile journey. They were making the cross-country tour to thank those who have made sacrifices to support others and keep the country going this year.   Travelling on the royal train for the first time, the Duke and Duchess will visit England, Scotland and Wales.

T he Duke and Duchess arrive at Edinburgh Waverly Station.  They are welcomed by music, and also,  greeted by Deputy Lord Lieutenant Sandra Cumming.  Their first stop is at  Scottish Ambulance Service  that  receives funding from NHS Charities Together, which has been spent on indoor and outdoor wellbeing spaces for staff and well-being packs with information booklets and reusable water bottles.  The visit comes on a tough day for the service as members were thinking of a colleague whose funeral was today; 63-year-old Rod Moore died after getting the coronavirus.  The next stop, it is in England, at Berwick-upon-Tweed, where the royals visited Holy Trinity Church of England First School.  The couple wants to recognize the work of teachers this past year, especially their efforts to keep schools open for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. 

  The Duke and The Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Cardiff Castle for their first port of call on Tuesday, where they met local university  students and heard about some of the challenges they have experienced during the pandemic, with a particular focus on mental health. The couple are spreading festive cheer throughout the UK, meeting frontline workers, carers, teachers and young people, as they thank the public for their work during the coronavirus pandemic. The visit coincided with Christmas at the Castle – a festival of Christmas activities staged at the tourist attraction throughout December.