The Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived at Army Training Centre Pirbright in Surrey to greet Commonwealth troops participating in the state burial for the Queen.
William and Kate are using their visit to address soldiers from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand who will be participating in Monday’s historic event.
The rehearsals for the ceremony began earlier in the day and continued after the royals had arrived.
This is Kate’s second visit to the centre in less than a year, after she posed in an army tank and wore a helmet for Armed Forces Day photos.
Pirbright serves as a staging area for service personnel situated outside of London, where troops can train, eat, and sleep before traveling into the city to provide “ceremonial assistance” for the burial.
The centre shelters 750 service personnel from the Defence and Commonwealth Realm Defence Forces. It was previously used to lodge soldiers who participated in The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral and Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.
It comes as the couple yesterday conversed with throngs at the late monarch’s house in Sandringham, Norfolk, and viewed the ocean of tributes left in her memory.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived at Army Training Centre Pirbright in Surrey to meet Commonwealth troops who will participate in the state burial of Queen Elizabeth II.
William and Kate are using the visit to address soldiers from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand who will be participating in Monday’s historic event.
Princess Diana greets Commonwealth soldiers at the Army Training Centre in Pirbright.
William and Kate, both 40 years old, began their tour by exiting a dark Range Rover near the estate’s medieval Norwich Gates, where they were greeted by large crowds who had gathered behind metal barriers to see them.
One well-wisher, Gemma Schultz, talked to Prince William after he observed her infant wearing a Paddington top and commented on the popularity of the bear following the Queen’s performance with the marmalade sandwich-loving mascot during her Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in June.
The Prince laughed, “I was just remarking that I believe Paddington has now surpassed the Corgi in popularity. The Corgis will not react well to that.
Following the conversation, Gemma told BBC News that William and Kate were ‘kind and real individuals,’ adding: ‘We chatted to William and Kate, and they both remarked on how wonderful his tiny costumes were… All of the good deeds that they perform for others are very admirable.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who spent nearly an hour conversing with young and elderly royal admirers, appeared to be in deep thought as they read the sentiments written on the sea of floral tributes placed at the gates of the royal palace.
William told a woman waiting in the crowds that yesterday’s procession was’very difficult’ and ‘brought back a few memories’ of marching behind his mother Diana’s coffin, before pleading with her, ‘Don’t cry now, you’ll set me off’.
William was reportedly overheard telling a mourner that the Queen was “everyone’s grandma” and that Prince George, age nine, understood that the Queen had passed away, although Princess Charlotte, age seven, and Prince Louis, age four, were not as cognizant.
In the meantime, Kate told a woman that she would cry if she read too many sympathy notes.
The Princess of Wales visited Pirbright barely a year ago and smiled in a helmet while posing in an army tank for Armed Forces Day, emulating Princess Diana.
The forty-year-old uploaded images of herself volunteering in an armored vehicle during a November visit to the academy, where she met fresh recruits.
The photographs brought back memories of the late Princess since they had an eerie resemblance to a 1998 photograph of her driving a tank when visiting the Royal Hampshire Regiment at Tidworth.
Kate posted a personal message on the Instagram account she shares with Prince William to commemorate the occasion.
She wrote: “Today, on Armed Forces Day, William and I would like to pay tribute to the courageous men and women, past and present, serving in all of our armed forces, at sea, on land, and in the air, here in the United Kingdom and throughout the world.
Thank you for all the sacrifices you and your families have made to keep us safe.
She wrote, “Last year, I had the privilege of spending time with the @BritishArmy to observe how they teach active-duty people and new recruits.
It was a pleasure to witness firsthand the numerous and various responsibilities the military does every day to ensure our safety, and I look forward to learning more about the @RoyalNavy and @RoyalAirForceUK in the future.
To indicate that she had posted the message herself, she signed off with a capital “C.”