Prince William jokes 'who's pinching my bottom' as he and Princess Kate visit Cardiff to celebrate Black History Month – best photos

The Prince and Princess of Wales visited a school and met members of the Windrush generation


William and Kate visit Fitzalan High School
Updated: 3 October 2023

The Prince and Princess of Wales travelled to Cardiff on Tuesday to celebrate the start of Black History Month and to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush to the UK.

William and Kate were given a warm welcome in the Welsh capital as they arrived for their first engagement – a visit to the Grange Pavilion, where the future King got a big laugh as he joked, 'Who's pinching my bottom?' to a group of elderly men and women.

Princess Kate gives out high-fives and fist bumps on visit to Cardiff

See the best photos from the royals' day out...

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The couple were greeted by scores of school children waving Welsh flags who were clearly excited to see the Prince and Princess in person.

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A natural with children, the mother-of-three charmed the youngsters as she walked along and greeted them.

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Kate looked immaculate as usual and opted for another power suit, this time by Holland Cooper. It is fast becoming her signature style.

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She wore her brunette hair in loose waves with a middle parting.

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The royals waved to schoolchildren as they completed their welcome walkabout.

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The royals were introduced to members from the Windrush Cymru Elders, Black History Cymru 365, and the Ethnic Minority Youth Forum for Wales, who regularly meet up at the Grange Pavilion, a community centre that was a previously vacant bowls pavilion.

The space offers a community café, employment and training opportunities for members.

 
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William and Kate chatted to members of the Windrush Cymru Elders, a group that was established in 2017 that aims to promote the understanding of ethnic minority elders' concerns and needs whilst also celebrating the contributions of the Windrush generation.

The couple heard about the lived experiences of the elders and how the Windrush Generation have positively impacted the Welsh community.

Roma Taylor, 79, the founder of Windrush Cymru Elders, was one of the first of a long line of women to give William a hug. "It was a long one," she laughed after their embrace.

Ms Taylor also revealed that when King Charles visited the Senedd last year, she held his hand for so long that a member of his security team told her she had to let go.

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William's joke went down well with the group as he asked, "Who's pinching my bottom?" as they posed for a photo.

Walking to the other side of the room, the future King gave out more hugs. Karen Lucock, 65, recalled: "I said, 'Please can I have a hug?' He said, 'Yes you can.' I was surprised because he hugged me for quite a while. I am in a bit of shock!"

William joked to the room: "No kissing! I draw the line at kissing!"

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William and Kate were also introduced to young people involved in the Ethnic Minority Youth Forum, a group of 11 to 25 year olds who seek to be a voice of change for young people from minority ethnic groups in Wales.

"I'm very sorry - a lot of chatting going on next door. Hugging as well," William said as they entered the next room.

The royals had the chance to speak to local young people from the Somali community, which forms a large part of Cardiff's Grangetown district. They heard about community projects members of Wales Somaliland Youth Links and Cardiff Bay Warriors FC have been involved in, from football to youth unemployment.

William and Kate also gamely took part in a round of table tennis at the Grange Pavilion.

"You've got to watch her serve - she has got a slice on the serve," the Prince warned two teenage Somali girls after Kate's winning shot.

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The royal couple are notoriously competitive and looked in their element as they played.

Eleeza Khan, 17, said: "It was really chilled and engaging. They got into it - we got into it."

Amira Begum, 18, added: "They were quite good - surprisingly good."

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Before leaving, the royals were given posies from Akachi, six, Humzah, six, Ayla-May, seven, and Mazin, eight.

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The next engagement on their itinerary took William and Kate to Fitzalan High School, where they heard about the work pupils have been doing around Black history and the Windrush generation.

Fitzalan High School serves one of the most diverse and disadvantaged communities in Wales where 70 per cent of pupils speak English as a second language. Some pupils are direct relatives of the Windrush Cymru Elders.

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In September, the school opened a new building with a range of state-of-the-art facilities to help pupils achieve their highest potential.

William and Kate spoke to a group of sixth formers who are working on their A Levels as well as vocational studies such as science, technology and sports courses.

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The couple were given a tour of the school's brand new immersion room where they sat in on a history lesson looking at life in Tiger Bay, a key area in Cardiff where the Windrush generation lived.

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After this, William and Kate met teachers and pupils working across a number of projects at the school, including the gardening project which aims to encourage young pupils to learn how to grow plants and food from scratch.

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Before leaving, the royals stopped to admire the school's new entrance gate that was designed by pupils and London designer Lara Sparey. The gate embodies 'What does Fitzalan Mean to Us?' and is covered with a variety of symbols and artwork to represent the school and Wales.

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Kate showed just how much she enjoyed her school visit, making a heart sign with her hands.

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