The new Prince of Wales, Prince William, says he and the new Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, have a "deep affection" for Wales and are looking forward to "celebrating Wales' proud history and traditions" in their new roles. The pair became Prince and Princess of Wales after Prince William's father, the new King Charles III, bestowed the titles onto them in an address to the nation on Friday.
Following the death of his beloved "Grannie", Prince William issued an emotional statement on Saturday mourning the Queen's death before visiting many of the floral tributes laid outside Windsor Castle with his wife and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Today, the Prince of Wales appears to have begun his formal Royal duties with a phone call with the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, Hello! magazine reports. Kensington Palace released a statement on the Prince's behalf, in Welsh and English, following their latest conversation.
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The statement reads: "His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and the First Minister of Wales spoke by telephone earlier today. HRH thanked the First Minister for his fitting tribute, on behalf of the people of Wales, to Her Majesty the Queen. HRH expressed his and the Princess of Wales' honour in being asked by His Majesty The King to serve the Welsh people. They will do so with humility and great respect.
"The prince acknowledged his and the princess' deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey including during the earliest months of Prince George's life. The prince and princess will spend the months and years ahead deepening their relationship with communities across Wales. They want to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them. The prince and princess look forward to celebrating Wales' proud history and traditions as well as a future that is full of promise. They will seek to live up to the proud contribution that members of the royal family have made in years past. TRHs look forward to travelling to Wales very soon, and to meeting the First Minister and other leaders at the earliest opportunity."
Royal editor at Hello! magazine, Emily Nash, said: "Calls with political leaders are by convention private, but they have issued details to mark William's first duty in his new role."
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