Prince William and Princess Kate have just sent an important message | Royal | News

Londoners couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the Prince and Princess of Wales quietly stroll through Borough Market and Bermondsey Beer Mile on Thursday. The couple visited the fresh food market and the line of dozens of craft beer breweries and taprooms as part of a series of engagements highlighting how the River Thames remains the heart of London’s life.

They visited some of the most iconic stalls at Borough Market, including Humble Crumble, the London dessert business that has grown exponentially. A throng of excited people formed a ring around the couple as they walked through the market, recording every second of the interaction on their phones.

And if city workers, tourists or locals missed William and Catherine at London’s oldest food market, they had a chance to stumble across them at Southwark Brewing Company or Fabal Beerhall, or even on a boat as they travelled upstream to the RNL’s Tower Lifeboat Station.

The two engagements in the heart of the city weren’t pre-announced by Kensington Palace, and weren’t even released to royal reporters in the usual way. This is because the team were concerned about security and crowd control if the visit became widely known. There were no security barriers in place at Borough Market, and William and Catherine were unphased by the dozens of people crowding around them as they stopped to say hello and pose for selfies. It’s a reminder of the future king and queen’s enduring appeal to the public and their new down-to-earth approach to royal engagements.

The couple are keen to project an air of normalcy and relatability that other older, more traditional royals cannot tap into. Catherine readily got to work on a coffee machine, keen to understand the steps to making a cappuccino. Then shortly afterwards, they were both happy to serve unsuspecting customers some crumble and custard.

It’s visits such as these that will help repair the monarchy in its time of need, and project an image of stability, consequence and above all fun, just when they need it the most.

While the King and wider Royal Family sought to celebrate the Commonwealth on Monday, the dark shadow of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor continued to fall on the Firm.

They arrived at Westminster Abbey against a backdrop of noisy anti-monarchy protestors chanting across the street. The group of flag-waving Republicans demanded: “What did you know?” as they wielded banners with photos of the King’s disgraced brother. The heckling was largely drowned out by the Abbey bells and musicians, but there was no escaping the bright yellow banners and flags just yards away.

Seeing the senior royals drive past the anti-monarchists, who were asking questions about the Andrew scandal, was a stark reminder of the crisis afflicting the crown.

While the King has sought to distance himself from his brother by stripping him of his titles, banishing him to the private Sandringham Estate and releasing carefully worded statements, the police investigation is ongoing.

But the King sought to keep the focus firmly on celebrating the family of nations today, rather than the problems his own family faces. It marked an important moment for the Firm, as the King, Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales united in public since Andrew’s arrest last month.

There is no doubt the show of unity came at a crucial point, but the prevalence of the protestors proves that the questions surrounding the former Duke of York are not going away anytime soon.

The Queen delivered an especially powerful speech sending a message of support for survivors of sexual violence last week. She told them: “We stand with you and alongside you, today and every day, in solidarity, sorrow and sympathy.”

Camilla has been itching to make a public statement such as this for some time, following the release of the Epstein files in January. And it’s understood that her speech marking International Women’s Day was viewed as the perfect time to make them, as it came after the initial uproar and when the heat on the Palace had sufficiently died down.

Let’s not forget that Her Majesty has been a longstanding campaigner on the issue of violence against women and girls, visiting women’s refuges and challenging taboos about talking about domestic violence. So this topic, and her words, are not out of place. She made no direct reference to the late convicted sex offender or to her brother-in-law, but there is no escaping the true meaning behind her speech.

Racegoers headed in their droves to Gloucestershire last week to enjoy all that the Cheltenham Festival has to offer. And members of the Royal Family enjoyed a taste of the action too, including Zara and Mike Tindall, the Princess Royal and the Queen.

But it was Carole Middleton, mother of the Princess of Wales, who was very much welcomed into the fold. Wearing her daughter’s feather fedora, she was pictured walking arm in arm with Zara, and laughing as she watched the racing from the royal box. It proves that Carole is firmly part of the royal inner circle and was clearly at ease in the company of the Firm.

Today is an extra special Sunday as it’s Mothering Sunday. I hope everyone is able to spend some quality time with their mothers today, whether that’s over a roast, a cup of tea or a phone call. But today isn’t always a day of celebration; it can be a difficult day for some. So if you know someone who will find it hard to navigate today, don’t forget to reach out to them. It will mean more than you know.