The Princess of Wales spoke of "desperate people" amid the cost of living crisis during a visit to Wales along with Prince William. Well-wishers lined the streets to get a glimpse of William and Kate as they visited Anglesey and Swansea today (Tuesday, September 27), in their first appearance in the country in their new roles as Prince and Princess of Wales.
The Princess' sombre comments came during a discussion with volunteers and members of the congregation at St Thomas Church in Swansea about the importance of community services. Over the last two years the church has been transformed into a community hub, which includes a foodbank, facilities for homeless people, and a not-for-profit café and community training kitchen.
The site is also home to the Swansea Baby Basics baby bank, a volunteer-led project that distributes essentials to vulnerable mothers and their newborn babies across the city. Princess Kate said: "With the cost of living crisis, there are a lot of desperate people out there." You can read all our Swansea stories here.
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She added that the food bank was a "lifeline to so many people" particularly after the pandemic and amid the soaring cost of living. "There is amazing work going on here. Keep up the hard work," she said. Pat Hughes, one of the women who runs the food bank, said: "It was lovely to chat with the Princess and it's something we won't forget."
The couple arrived in St Thomas Church in Lewis Street at around 3pm, and greeted volunteers at the hub as well as some members of the public outside. They were spotted speaking to Rachel Bunting, who is married to Reverend Steven Bunting of the church and is the organiser of the food bank, as well as their two-year-old daughter Charlotte.
They also spoke to Leah Rees, 30, and Francesca Cardone, 44, who have both been community nursery nurses in Swansea for the past seven years. The pair work with parents who may not be prepared for a baby, and refer them to Rachel at the baby bank, who in turn prepares any items they may need, such as baby baths and clothing.
The Princess appeared especially interested in the work being done by the baby bank and listened intently. The Royal couple were stopped in their tracks by a special note written by Rachel that is given to all mums who access the baby bank - and may be the only card some mothers get.
The note addressed to one mum, which was shown to the Royal couple, read: "These items are a gift from the mothers of Swansea. We know how hard these first few weeks can be and we want you to have all you need. Here at Baby Basics we believe that God loves you and your son and we want to share that love with you."
The Prince said the note was "very nice" and "would go a long way" for mothers accessing the support. Before their visit to Swansea, the pair started their day by arriving at RNLI Holyhead Lifeboat Station around 12.20pm where they met crew, volunteers, and people who have been helped by the charity. The Prince of Wales watched as his wife the Princess of Wales was presented with a posy of flowers by four-year-old Theo Crompton, at the start of their visit.
The Prince and Princess, who used to live in Anglesey, walked from the lifeboat station to the Holyhead Marine and Café Bar where they met locals including representatives of small businesses and organisations including the Coastguard and Sea Cadets. You can see our live updates of the Royal visit as it happened here.
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