In marking the third anniversary of the death, Elizabeth II’s grandson, The Prince of Wales, visited Sunningdale Women’s Institute, just 7-miles down the road from Windsor Castle. He was joined by The Princess, whose attendance was only confirmed a few hours prior to the engagement, a sign that Catherine is still slowly stepping back into Royal duties following her remission from cancer.
Their Royal Highnesses met with members from the Sunningdale branch, but also from groups’s across Berkshire.
The WI, the largest women’s organisation in the UK, is not only a space for women to come together but also a platform for positive change in local communities. It is a cause deeply linked to the late Elizabeth II, who was a devoted member for more than 80 years.
The late Queen joined the WI in 1943 and would have celebrated 80 years of membership in January 2023. Having regularly attended the New Year meeting in Norfolk, she became President of the Sandringham and West Newton branch in 2003, following in the footsteps of the Queen Mother.
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Prince William, pictured with tea and cake, swapped stories about the late Queen and offered some anecdotes about his own family. Asked about his youngest son, Prince Louis, he smiled as he defended him, describing him as ‘a character but a very good boy’ who enjoys winding up his siblings.
When someone remarked that Prince George seemed to be the sensible one, William laughed, admitting that George is very different ‘behind closed doors’ and only ‘knows how to behave’ in public.
Catherine, meanwhile, revealed glimpses from how the family spent the summer holidays, saying that the children had been busy crafting over the summer holidays and sharing her passion for bee-keeping.
Over the course of the afternoon, the Princess enjoyed a slice of chocolate chip cookie cake, describing it as ‘delicious’ while William sampled a chocolate brownie and an orange and Campari cake. The Prince especially enjoyed the Campari sponge, remarking that it had ‘a good punch to it, a good kick’ before joking that he was something of an expert on brownies. Kate teased that her husband was ‘very fussy’ about how he likes his brownies.
The Royal Family has close ties with the WI. Not only had Elizabeth II been attending meetings since 1943, The Duchess of Edinburgh joined the Bagshot WI in 2007. Additionally, The Princess Royal is an associate member while Queen Camilla is a member of Tetbury WI, Gloucestershire.
In 2015, Elizabeth II spoke on the Institute’s centenary saying ‘women have been granted the vote, British women have climbed Everest for the first time and the country has elected its first female prime minister. The Women’s Institute has been a constant throughout, gathering women together, encouraging them to acquire new skills and nurturing unique talents’.
