Princess Kate gets out of car to speak with little girl after spotting her shouting in crowd

Kate was leaving a knitwear and sock-making factory in Carmarthenshire
Ella Clarke

In a heartwarming moment, Princess Kate stopped her royal convoy to speak with a little girl, much to the delight of the child and her family, on Thursday.

While leaving a knitwear and sock-making factory in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Kate noticed three-year-old Lily-Rose calling out “hello princess” from the crowd.

Princess Kate visits Ty Hafan, a children's hospice
Kate went out of her way to meet a young fan (Credit: Photo by Richard Pohle/WPA Pool/Shutterstock)

Princess Kate shares heartwarming moment with child on visit

In an unexpected move, the Princess of Wales, 43, had her convoy pull over, stepped out of the car and jogged over to meet Lily-Rose.

Her family sounded stunned as Kate’s car stopped and the princess got out.

“I heard you say ‘hello’ from all the way back there and I wanted to come and see you,” Princess Kate told the excited little girl, who eagerly handed her a toy banana.

Lily-Rose’s mother, Stacey Chorley, expressed her amazement at the unexpected interaction.

I heard you say ‘hello’ from all the way back there and I wanted to come and see you.

“It was so exciting, we had no idea that was going to happen.” She gushed, according to BBC. “Kate was so lovely, she’s very natural and down to earth.”

The moment was particularly unexpected because royal convoys rarely stop after engagements. This makes this spontaneous interaction all the more special for Lily-Rose and her family.

“I hope this is one of the things Lily-Rose will remember,” Stacey continued.

As Princess Kate handed the toy banana back to Lily-Rose, the young girl playfully tossed it to the floor, prompting Kate to bend down and retrieve it with a smile.

Princess Kate smiling as she visits a children's hospice
Princess Kate visited a children’s hospice earlier that day (Credit: Photo by Richard Pohle/WPA Pool/Shutterstock)

Kate follows in Princess Diana’s footsteps to become patron of children’s hospice

Earlier that same day, Princess Kate had another significant visit – this time at Tŷ Hafan children’s hospice in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan.

There, she met with children living with life-shortening conditions and their families.

This visit was a particularly special one as Kate has taken on the role of patron of the hospice, following in the footsteps of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

Tŷ Hafan, which provides essential care and support to children and their families, welcomed Kate as their new patron.

Irfon Rees, the chief executive of the charity, expressed his honour in having the princess visit.

“We are deeply honoured that Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales has become patron of Tŷ Hafan,” he said. “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Her Royal Highness to our hospice for the first time today.”

The Princess of Wales has ‘special’ interaction with family

Kate’s visit to Tŷ Hafan was especially meaningful for the Taylor family, who have been supported by the hospice.

Emily and James Taylor spent two weeks at Tŷ Hafan with their daughter Violet before she died.

Emily shared the profound impact the hospice had on their family, calling it a “safety net” and saying: “They are amazing. I know they are going to be there for us for life.”

Who is Kate, Princess of Wales?

Kate, Princess of Wales, is married to the current heir to the throne Prince William - King Charles III's eldest son.

Kate was born on January 9, 1982, making her 43 years old. She was born to Michael and Carole Middleton in Berkshire.

Kate married into the royal family in April 2011.

What did Kate, Princess of Wales do before marrying Prince William?

Before their 2011 wedding, Kate and William had dated for many years after meeting at St Andrews University in Scotland.

After graduating, Kate worked in retail and for her family's business, Party Pieces.

Tying the knot with Prince William

On April 29, 2011, William and Kate married at Westminster Abbey. It was branded the "wedding of the century" with millions watching the nuptials worldwide.

Kate then became a respected and favourite member within the monarchy as she began performing duties alongside her husband.

The couple have three children - Prince George, born in July 2013, Princess Charlotte, born in May 2015, and Prince Louis, who they welcomed in April 2018.

The family currently live at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Home Park just east of Windsor Castle. Their eldest, son George, is currently second in line to the throne behind his grandfather King Charles and dad Prince William.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales - a title previously held by William's late mother Princess Diana.

When William becomes monarch one day, Kate will become Queen Consort.

Kate's cancer diagnosis

Kate faced one of her most challenging years in 2024 after her cancer diagnosis. She announced the news publicly in March of that year. She underwent treatment and announced the end of that in September 2024.

Then, in January 2025, the Princess of Wales announced she was in remission with her cancer and would slowly return to her royal duties.

Emily also expressed the significance of meeting Princess Kate, calling the interaction “so special”.

“We are just one of the hundreds of families that Tŷ Hafan has supported, so to have someone like the Princess of Wales come here and be able to talk to her about our daughter it feels very profound,” she expressed, according to the BBC. “I think it’s a day we are going to remember forever.”

Read more: Princess Kate follows in Diana’s footsteps as she becomes patron of children’s hospice

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