Kate Middleton's telling move with Prince William during surprise hospital visit
Kate surprised royal fans this weekKate Middleton gave fans a glimpse at what the monarchy will be like when Prince William becomes king during a royal engagement on Thursday, January 8.
The surprise moment happened when the royal, who turns 44 today (Friday, January 9), met a fan in London.
Kate Middleton and Prince William’s hospital visit
Thursday saw Prince William and Kate make their first appearance together since Christmas Day, by visiting a hospital in London.
The royal couple visited Charing Cross Hospital in a surprise outing.
William was originally meant to visit the hospital on his own. However, Kate opted to join him so she could “show her support for the NHS and to thank the teams at Charing Cross for their efforts” over a difficult winter period.
The royal couple surprised healthcare workers on their tea break, and also joined a roundtable with NHS charity chief executives, trustees, policymakers, and philanthropists. During the roundtable, they discussed the role of philanthropy in the NHS.
In a conversation with volunteers, Kate spoke about how their work can go unnoticed: “Sometimes the skills, the soft skills, the empathy and compassion, the kindness, goes beyond any job description. And it makes such a difference to patients, and it often goes unrecognised.”
Kate introduces William with royal title
It was during this engagement that Kate surprised royal fans by the way she introduced her husband.
During their tour of the hospital, Kate and William met with some of the patients.
Turning to one patient, Kate introduced her husband, saying: “This is William.”
Kate casually referring to her husband by just his first name could be seen as a clear indication of which way the couple will be taking the monarchy when William finally ascends to the throne.
It’s expected that William will look to modernise the monarchy when he becomes king. So was Kate’s move actually a sign of things to come?
William’s plans to ‘modernise’ the monarchy
One key step William is taking to “modernise” the monarchy is reportedly not making Buckingham Palace his permanent home.
The Prince of Wales, his wife, and their children moved into the Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom mansion in Windsor Great Park, which is being touted as their “forever home”.
“It’s all in keeping with William not wanting to be a drain on the public purse and living as ordinary a life as he can, even when he is king,” a source told Vanity Fair last year.
However, Prince William should be careful about what he wishes for, according to royal writer Robert Jobson.
He said: “People do turn out when they see, particularly people like Sophie Wessex and the new Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward. They turn out in droves. They like that connection. And if you lose that connection, the monarchy actually loses something that it’s about.”
He then warned that Waleses stay tucked away in Windsor, they could “become less connected to the people”.
Read more: Kate Middleton left ‘crushed’ after being ‘forced to accept’ Prince William decision
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