Royal Train Tour - Day 1 & Day 2
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge began their Royal Train Tour late last night at Euston Station. Their Royal Highnesses spoke to transit workers to thank them for all of the hard work they have put in to ensuring people have felt safe & secure on public transit all year before they were treated to a special performance by Shakin’ Steven. They then departed Euston Station and began the journey to Edinburgh Scotland.
While adhering to all relevant government guidelines, William and Catherine were treated to festive Scottish music while departing the train before making their first engagement of the day at Scottish Ambulance Services. They spoke with staff and paramedics to offer their sincere gratitude for all of their invaluable work throughout the pandemic. The visit was made on behalf of the NHS as it was announced today that William and Catherine have become joint patrons of NHS Charities.
They then re-boarded the train and traveled on to Berwick upon Tweed to make their third visit of the tour. They stopped in to Holy Trinity Church of England first school where they met some very festive students, reindeers and staff. They wanted to celebrate the important work that teachers do and the extraordinary way they have stepped up over the past year to continue to provide the best education possible to kids.
Their next stop was at Batley Community Centre where they thanked volunteers who have supported elderly members of their community throughout the pandemic. Volunteers have sent cards, made phone calls and dropped off shopping, food and activity packs to the most isolated or vulnerable in the community. They made another stop in Batley to visit Len Gardner, an elderly gentleman that the Duchess of Cambridge has been speaking to throughout the pandemic with the NHS “Check in and Chat” scheme. Their royal highnesses brought him and his wife a present before enjoying a stroll with them outdoors.
Their final stop of the day was at Fareshare in Manchester. They spoke with volunteers and workers who have helped to make and deliver almost 2 million meals a week throughout the pandemic. They thanked workers for their dedication and hard work during such challenging times and shared how much they appreciated it. The Duke of Cambridge closed out the visit with a speech sharing how important it was to both him and Catherine to thank frontline and essential workers for their incredible work throughout such a challenging year.
He shared how the outpouring of support and help they have achieved this year gives him hope that they will continue to meet the struggles that the fallout from the pandemic will bring. He ended by thanking a few of the performers present for spreading some much needed holiday cheer and again thanked all those they had met today. xx