Reunited and it feels so good!
Prince William and Kate Middleton teamed up for a working day of royal duties on Tuesday. The couple, who went their separate ways in different outings last week, headed to the English city of Coventry, about 110 miles northwest of London.
On the itinerary: visiting the ruins of the city’s original 15th-century cathedral, which was destroyed by German bombers during WWII in 1940, along with a trip to the modern cathedral that was rebuilt by 1962. There, they will take part in a “Litany of Reconciliation” prayer service aimed “at healing the wounds of history and building a culture of peace,” the couple’s office said.
The couple arrived to cheers from hundreds of flag-waving schoolchildren from the local Sacred Heart School. Among them, was Darcy Hayes, 9, who gave Kate some bright orange flowers.
“She said her son George will love the flowers because he loves orange — and police colors. I told them I had an American girl doll for Christmas and William said Charlotte loves dolls,” said Hayes. “They were nice and cheerful.”
Fellow pupil Mia Ramin, 9, said, “They didn’t seem like people who are too busy for other people. She seemed really nice.”
When William and Kate were last in the English Midlands, they visited a famous whistle factory in Birmingham. There, they were given whistles.
Seeing them again, Connie Hudson — wife of the High Sheriff of the West Midlands, who was in the welcoming committee at the cathedral — said she asked William, “Did you actually give the whistles to the children or did you chicken out?” Continued Hudson, “And he said ‘We did give them but they soon found their way into a cupboard because of the noise!’ “
“I said to the duchess that she’s ‘blossoming’ because she was just getting over the awful sickness when we last saw her,” said Hudson. “She’s doing well now and it’s an exciting year to look forward to with the baby and the wedding. What’s not to like?”
Later, in the Rising Café — a social enterprise that provides work opportunities for people coping with drug and alcohol addictions — William, 35, and Kate, 36, are to share a cup of tea with staff and volunteers.
RELATED VIDEO: See Kate Middleton Pregnant with Charlotte and Baby No. 3 at Same Second-Trimester Point
They are then scheduled to open the new Science and Health Building at Coventry University, where nurses, midwives, paramedics and other healthcare workers are trained. William, who is a former air ambulance helicopter pilot, has said that he wants to continue championing the sector in his public life.
Their final appointment is set for the Positive Youth Foundation, which works with young people who find themselves living in challenging situations. The foundation, which helps excluded young people and those at risk from a range of social issues, aligns with the couple’s ongoing work elsewhere. Both William, who is a fervent campaigner on behalf of the homeless, and Kate are focused on mental health support for young people.
The couple will wrap the month with a four-day visit to Sweden and Norway — their last official foreign trip before the birth of their third child, expected in April.