29 August 2023 , 13:43
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As Prince and Princess of Wales, it is their job to travel the length and breadth of the UK and meet new people.
And it seems some of them leave more of an impression on William and Kate than others - especially one woman who the prince says "propositioned" him on a visit to Scotland. Back in June 2021, William headed north of the border where he paid a solo visit to the Queens Bay Lodge Care Home in Edinburgh.
There he met 96-year-old Betty Magee, who was clearly a fan of the heir to the throne and wanted to share her appreciation. William later recalled the encounter to wife Kate as well as actresses Emma Stone and Emma Thompson during a video call.
Prince William with wife Kate (PA)He said: "I got propositioned by a 96-year-old lady called Betty yesterday who wanted to kiss me. She's in a care home with her daughter and I said 'Betty, if I do that I'm going to get slapped on the back of the head for inappropriate social distancing.' She said 'I'll have you afterwards then!'... She was a right character!"
And it prompted an unexpected reaction from Kate, who laughed before replying: "This is what happens when I'm not around!"
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William and Kate have been in Scotland again this week, where they joined King Charles, Queen Camilla and a whole host of other royals at Balmoral. They were all spotted making their way to church at Crathie Kirk on Sunday morning with Kate wearing a striking feather in her hat.
William with Betty and her granddaughter Kimberley (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Their visit comes after sources have revealed King Charles will hold a royal summit to lay out the future direction of the monarchy. He will tell the Prince and Princess of Wales of his intention to carve out precise roles for them as well as himself and Queen Camilla. Central to his plans will be to use William and Kate’s “star quality” to help bind the Commonwealth together.
A source close to the King, who arrives at Balmoral on Monday, where the summit will be held, said: "His Majesty is very clear. The Commonwealth must be at the very heart of his reign. He sees it as his utmost duty to fulfil the sincere wish of his late mother, that one of his central roles must be to ensure not only the survival but the robustness (of the organisation)."
Charles will deliver objectives for at least the next year, including foreign travel, engagements and key aims. The source said the King sees the roles of William and Kate "being at the heart of cementing their own future and that of the monarchy at large". Insiders suggest the King is very keen to capitalise on their increasing popularity with "The Princess’s undoubted star quality", as one official described.
As one senior civil servant said of Charles "(he) hopes to use the symbolism tied into his mother’s legacy to offer a hand of friendship, which might get harder as the years go by". Charles is also understood to have made plans to visit Canada and Australia next year, in line with requests from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.