On the last day of William and Kate’s visit to Germany, the couple spent time in Hamburg; The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge paid a visit to the Maritime Museum, the Elbphilarmonie Concert Hall, and then the Airbus HQ, where Prince George and Princess Charlotte joined them, before leaving germany for the UK.
William and Kate, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte during a visit to Airbus in Hamburg. Picture by Stephen Lock / i-Images
Travelling from the capital by train, William and Catherine arrived in Hamburg, to celebrate the joint UK-German year of science. This year, it is focused on oceans at the city’s Maritime Museum, where they headed first, joined by Mayor of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz.
Prince William noticed a model of the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was decommissioned 20 years ago, as he and his wife toured the museum. “Is that Britannia?” said William. “It’s beautiful – amazing.”
The model was only finished two days ago by Christian Hinneborg, grandson of the museum’s founder but was, in fact, commissioned before the Duke and Duchess were schedule to visit Hamburg.
NEW PHOTO FOR PRINCE GEORGE’S BIRTHDAY
It took three months to build the 1:96 scale model, and its creator asked the Duke how accurate it was: “I will have a careful look,” William said. “I will get my magnifying glass out! But I’m not an expert. My father, being a naval man, would know. And my grandmother would definitely spot anything. But it is the most wonderful model.”
During the tour, William and Kate were shown various displays including a core sample from under the sea, and expressed their concern about plastic bags, before they viewed a a 6.9 metre long Lego model of the Cunard liner Queen Mary II.
Lastly, the Royals tried their hand at the cargo ship simulator, before they left, something of an impromptu activity.
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They then travelled to the Elbphilarmonie Concert Hall, on the Elbe river, one of the largest and most acoustically advanced concert halls in the world.
250 schoolchildren were introduced to music in the concert hall, as the Duke and Duchess visited. The couple listened to a special performance given by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra for the children, before Catherine took the conductor’s baton and had a go at conducting the musicians herself to the beginning of Beethoven’s fifth symphony.
The children were also helped by the future King and Queen trying out different instruments: a violin, flute, timpani [kettle drums] and trombone.
For their final engagement before flying back to the UK, the royal couple toured the Airbus training facilities in the city, and met with apprentices, before viewing the final assembly line of an A320 aircraft.
As it was their final stop – and possibly something to do with George’s love of aircraft – Prince George and Princess Charlotte joined their parents.
The Cambridge family had a guided tour of a helicopter, with Prince George looking in awe it, as he tried on a pilot’s helmet inside. His sister, meanwhile, played with the buttons in the cockpit.
It seems that William has passed on his love of aviation to his son.
The family then boarded a plane together to head back to Britain, in time for Prince George’s birthday today.
1 comment
Beautiful