The Duke of Cambridge spent the day in Liverpool on Thursday, visiting Aintree Hospital, the Life Rooms community hub, and the Merseyside Sub-Aqua Club; Prince William showed true compassion as he spoke with a cancer patient, and predicted Princess Charlotte would be ‘trouble’ when she’s older.
William began his day at Aintree Hospital, to open the new Urgent Care and Trauma Centre there. The hospital serves over 2.3m people in the North West & includes a charity funded air ambulance helicopter landing pad; of course, the Duke served as an air ambulance pilot for two years in Norfolk, with the EAAA.
prince william at aintree hospital (kensington palace)
Meeting patients and staff throughout the hospital – including the Emergency, Major Trauma, Resuscitation and the Observation Units – the Royal seemed to bring smiles to everyone’s faces.
He told a cancer patient, Pagan Tordengrave – who apologised for not looking her best for the royal visit – that she looked beautiful.
The duke of cambridge chats with pagan Tordengrave who apologised for not looking her best (kensington palace)
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“Sorry, I don’t look my best,” said.
“I think you look beautiful,” the Duke replied.
They continued to chat, revealing that Prince George’s first week of school has ‘been very interesting’, he commented. He thanked her for her kind words and agreed that his daughter was the ‘spitting image’ of his wife, The Duchess of Cambridge, predicting that Charlotte would be ‘trouble’ when she’s older.
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Patients quizzed Prince William about his young family during a royal visit – and he was only too happy to chathttps://t.co/237bKmwggY pic.twitter.com/GOZAGKwcoW
— ITV News (@itvnews) September 14, 2017
When chatting to elderly patient, Teresa Jones, Prince William said that Prince George ‘rules the roost’.
Before he left, the Prince unveiled a plaque to mark the opening, and spoke with the crew of the charity-funded air ambulance helicopter at the hospital, which was a recent addition.
Dr Neil Goodwin, chairman at Aintree University Hospital, said: “Our staff work incredibly hard and it was a great boost to welcome His Royal Highness to Aintree and showcase the incredible work that takes place here each day caring for some of the most seriously ill and injured people in our region. It was a fantastic day and one I’m sure our staff will remember fondly for years to come.”
Crowds had gathered in their droves outside the hospital to catch a glimpse of the royal visitor, and the Prince spent time greeting them. He even gave one a hug.
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Next it was on to the Life Rooms in Walton – a community hub and home for the Recovery College.
Over 16,000 people have benefited from the Life Rooms, which aims to challenge the stigma around metal health and promotes positive mental health, learning and wellbeing, something which Prince William has been supporting with the Heads Together campaign.
The Duke learnt about how people receive one to one advice sessions on finances, addiction, and employment at the facility, and how the centre provides a space for community groups to meet and for people to share their common experiences.
Lastly, it was to the Guinea Gap Leisure Centre to meet with three of his patronages: the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC), English Schools Swimming Association (ESSA) and Swim England (formally Amateur Swimming Association).
Inside, William watched some of the programmes run, chatted to divers before enjoying the spectacle of a water polo match, a sport he used to play himself.
William, Duke of cambridge met with three of his patronages at the guinea gap leaisure centre in liverpool (kensington palace)
A trainee, Katie Condron, told the future King she had become involved with diving at Trearddur Bay, Anglesey, near the location of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first marital home.
“A great place Anglesey – when the wind’s not up,” William joked. “I’ve done a bit of kite surfing at Trearddur Bay – though I spent most of the time in the water.”
Frankie Wycherley, 13, explained that his anxiety has lessened since he joined the club. “I was telling him how diving has helped me. He said it was cool. I couldn’t walk down the road without looking down. It’s the best thing for me now.”
Outside the centre, The Duke of Cambridge was given an avocado wrapped up in a bow, by a little boy whose mother is suffering during her pregnancy too.
“He said he’s never been given an avocado before,” Christina Lahive, headteacher of Riverside Primary School, said. “He said he’d take it to her and see what happens – and said good luck for Archie’s mummy.”
