ROYAL NEWS
Kate Middleton just had an emotional reunion that took 20 years to happen
The Duchess of Cambridge traveled to Wales for royal engagements with Prince William
Kate Middleton took a stroll down memory lane during her visit to Wales on Tuesday, February 4. While carrying out royal engagements in Mumbles, the Duchess of Cambridge had a reunion with two of her primary school teachers. The mom of three reportedly hugged her old teachers, Denise Evans-Alford and Kevin Alford, who taught her and her siblings at St Andrew’s School in Pangbourne, Berkshire. Per HOLA! USA’s sister brand HELLO!, Denise was the royal’s netball coach, while her husband taught the Duchess French and German. Kate, who had not seen her teacher in 20 years, told them: "I want to instill in my children what I learned at St Andrew’s."
Following the sweet reunion, Denise said: “Kate hasn’t changed at all, you can tell, Pippa and James [Middleton] are wonderful too. I’ve been waiting 20 years for this." Kevin added, "We saw her once when she came back to school, when she was 14, and we haven't seen her since. Obviously, we've been following her career. She was in such a wonderful class of girls and they got on so well together."
The reunion took place outside of Joe's Ice Cream Parlour in Mumbles, where Prince William and Kate met with local parents to discuss the Duchess’ “5 Big Questions on the Under Fives” survey. Inside the parlour, the Duke sampled different ice cream cones. During the outing, the royal couple also visited the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Mumbles Lifeboat station, where they met with volunteers, many of whom are available 24/7 to help saves lives at sea.
At Mumbles Pier, Princess Charlotte’s mom met a three-year-old girl named Annabel, who was looking forward to meeting a real-life Princess. Annabel’s mom Rhian Costello told PEOPLE, “I said to [Kate] that Annabel was really excited to meet a real princess,” adding, “And she said, ‘I’m sorry I’m not wearing a pretty dress today.’ Annabel then said that she thought she’d look like Cinderella.”
Kate looked Valentine’s Day ready for the trip. The Duchess stepped out wearing a heart print Beulah London scarf and red Zara dress, which she wore beneath a Hobbs double breasted maxi coat. The ever-stylish royal accessorized her look with her Asprey London oak leaf earrings and a Mulberry bag, while styling her glossy locks half-up, half-down. The royal couple traveled to Wales to celebrate businesses and local communities.
