The Princess of Wales unexpectedly joined Prince William on Monday at a National Federation of Women’s Institute (WI) gathering in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to mark the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
William had originally planned to attend the event alone, but palace sources said Catherine was keen to join her husband to commemorate the late monarch. The engagement took place close to Windsor Castle, around a 16-minute drive from the royal burial site, where the Duke of Sussex was reported to have visited his grandmother’s grave on the anniversary.
The couple visited a branch of the Berkshire Federation of Women’s Institutes to hear about the organisation’s local work and the opportunities it offers members. The WI has a long association with Queen Elizabeth II: she joined in 1943, served as president of the Sandringham branch from 2003 until her death in 2022, and frequently attended meetings while staying in Norfolk.
During the visit William and Catherine met members, support staff and trustees. Several attendees described having met or worked with the late Queen; William was said to be particularly interested in hearing their recollections of her involvement with the WI. Catherine, 43, wore a black, grey and white tartan dress and tonal heels; William was dressed in a suit and tie and at one point joked with members about the amount of cake on offer.
The appearance was the latest in a series of public engagements as the couple resumed duties after their summer break. On Saturday the princess attended England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup match against Australia at the American Express Stadium in Brighton, where she was seen taking part in a Mexican wave and later visiting the Australian locker room. In footage shared by the Wallaroos, Catherine told players she was a “massive supporter” of women’s sport and wished them well for the tournament.
Both William and Catherine have posted messages of support to national teams ahead of the competition. William, who supports Wales in the tournament, posted in Welsh and English wishing Wales well; Catherine, patron of the Rugby Football Union, sent a message backing England’s Red Roses. William attended Wales’s match against Fiji in Exeter earlier in the weekend.
Catherine took over the RFU patronage in 2022 from Prince Harry, who relinquished the role as part of his departure from senior royal duties. The Princess of Wales has been a visible patron of a number of sporting and cultural organisations and is a frequent visitor to major events, including Wimbledon and other national tournaments.
The couple’s schedule has been shadowed this week by the death of the Duchess of Kent at age 92. In a statement signed “W & C,” the Prince and Princess of Wales said their thoughts were with the Duke of Kent and his family and described the duchess as having “worked tirelessly to help others.” The duchess died at Kensington Palace and is survived by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and their three children.
Earlier in the week the Prince and Princess visited the Natural History Museum in London as they returned to public duties. Catherine’s change to a lighter bronde hair colour attracted media attention during the outing, where the couple toured newly transformed gardens and met children and young people taking part in the museum’s learning programmes.
Monday’s visit to the WI underscored the royal family’s continuing public observances on the anniversary of the late queen’s death and highlighted the institutional links between the monarchy and long-standing civic organisations. William and Catherine are scheduled to continue a programme of public engagements through the autumn, balancing patronage duties with commemorations tied to the royal family’s recent losses.