The Princess of Wales revealed she has “missed” her son Prince George, who is boarding at Eton College, but is looking forward to having him home for half term.
Kate was quizzed about her children when she visited a charity shop run by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (Each) which she supports as patron, and declared to shoppers “you never know what you’re going to find – that’s what’s so nice.
“If feels a bit more like a treasure hunt.”
Earlier the princess donned a hard hat and high visibility jacket to tour a construction site at The Treehouse hospice in Ipswich to learn about plans for a new hydrotherapy pool, wellbeing and therapies suite at the Each centre.
Friends Denise Ashton, 68, and Essie Landsborough, 75, were sat in the charity shop’s cafe area, a unique venture for Each, when Kate came over for a chat.
Ms Ashton said afterwards: “She said she’s looking forward to George coming home – she’s missed him.”
The young prince started at the school last month with the reassuring presence of his parents by his side and on Friday Eton’s “long leave” begins, lasting for just over a week.
Ms Ashton added: “They may be going somewhere (during the break).”
Kate mentioned the approaching half-term a number of times when she walked around the shop and cafe, in Hoveton, near Norwich, meeting local residents.
She also spoke to Ms Landsborough, 75, and when she asked “Do you go to charity shops?”, the princess replied: “Yes I do.
“I love going round a charity shop.
“When I was up at university in St Andrews there were a lot of charity shops.”
Kate could not resist looking at the bargain the 75-year-old had bought from the charity shop, four port sippers, tasting glasses shaped like tobacco pipes.
Each has 58 shops across East Anglia and some neighbouring counties with the organisation’s retail arm expected to provide £3 million for the charity this year.
Kate met helpers in an upstairs sorting area where clothes were examined and graded, and when one volunteer told her with the “cost-of-living” crisis shoppers bought “party wear” the princess replied “So much just goes to waste – should be given another life.”
She was given the task of helping volunteer Christine Rich sort through some items and when she discovered an expensive looking coat had been attacked by moths said “that’s a shame” and was told to put it in the “imperfect” pile.
Kate asked about the background of helpers and was told young people, as well as the retired, donated their time.
She said: “I sometimes think people want to volunteer but they don’t know how…(we) need to make it a bit easier if they want to volunteer.”
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