The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Warsaw this afternoon, along with their two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, to begin the five day tour which will see the family visit Poland and Germany.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with their two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, arrive at Warsaw airport, Poland, for a three day visit to the country. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / i-Images)
This is the second time the Cambridges have carried out an international visit as a family of four, after their trip to Canada last year.
Over the next five days, William and Catherine will visit the Gdansk Shakespeare theatre, meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and visit a former Nazi concentration camp. The Cambridges are undertaking this visit after a request by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as Brexit negotiations continue in Brussels.
Today’s visit began with the family’s arrival at a military airport in Warsaw, where they received a warm welcome, despite the rain and grey skies.
George, perhaps as a result of the weather, did not seem particularly interested in the official greeting, while Charlotte shook hands with one of the Polish representatives. After leaving the children with their nanny, William and Catherine then travelled to the Presidential Palace to receive an official welcome from President Andrzej Duda and the First Lady, Agata Kornhauser-Duda.
The royal duo toured the palace and its gardens before enjoying lunch with the presidential couple and exchanging gifts. Before leaving the palace, William and Kate went on a walkabout and spoke to the waiting crowds, including a group of children who were waving Union flags.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet with the Polish President Duda and the First Lady Kensington Palace)
The Duchess was given presents for a newborn, and turned to her husband, joking: “We will just have to have more babies.”
They also viewed a monument to the famous Polish poet, activist and dramatist Adam Mickiewicz.
The Duke and Duchess then visited the Warsaw Rising Museum; the museum commemorates the 1944 uprising, when the Polish resistance army tried to liberate the city, which was under German occupation. Although the resistance was defeated, it was a significant attempt to resist the Nazi regime.
During their visit, William and Kate toured the museum and its exhibits, before meeting with veterans, who were members of the Polish army and resistance movement during the Second World War. The royal couple lit candles at the museum’s Wall of Remembrance, which shows the names of those involved in the Uprising, including several pilots from the British RAF.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lit candles at the Wall of Remembrance in the Warsaw Uprising Museum (Kensington Palace)
Prince William meets veterans of the Warsaw Uprising (Kensington Palace)
The couple then travelled to the The Heart, which is located on the 38th floor of the Warsaw Spire building and boasts panoramic views of the city. William and Catherine were there to meet with young Polish entrepreneurs, mainly involved in digital start-ups.They were even able to try virtual reality technology and an interactive robot which supports children’s education. The Duke and Duchess spoke with young scientists and watched entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas.
This event also marked the launch of an initiative entitled ‘Warsaw-London bridge’, which will attempt to encourage small Polish businesses to take advantage of the opportunities in London, perhaps even by relocating or opening offices in the British capital, in order to globalise their business ideas. Two of today’s successful pitches will receive coaching to help them grow their business in the UK as part of the initiative.
William and Kate tried the virtual reality technology Kensington Palace)
Today’s final event is a garden party to celebrate The Queen 91st birthday, hosted by the British Ambassador and attended by 600 guests. At the reception, held in the Orangery of Lazienki Park, William made a speech and highlighted how much the UK values its links with Poland.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend the reception hosted by UK Embassy in Poland celebrating HM’s official birthday. @ukinpoland pic.twitter.com/VSiSy79LK2
— Polish Embassy UK (@PolishEmbassyUK) July 17, 2017
“We in the UK value our links with Poland enormously,” says Prince William at a garden party in Warsaw to mark the Queen’s birthday #SNT pic.twitter.com/KL6WMDP1CI
— Sky News Tonight (@SkyNewsTonight) 17 July 2017
