Kate MiddletonandPrince Williamare kicking off a busy last day of their mini-tour in Scotland.
And Starbank Park – which has been transformed over the past seven years – was a perfect place, too, for the couple to take part in some activities with young children – and support a cause close to the duchess’s heart.
Prince William and Kate Middleton on Thursday.PHIL NOBLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Spending time with the young children from Edzell Nursery, who use the area for some of their play and outdoor activities, Kate and William joined in as the group sowed seeds for bee-friendly, and butterfly attracting, plants.
Kate Middleton at the garden today.PHIL NOBLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
“She was spontaneous and relaxed. Perhaps because she has her own children, you can see she is keen on children. William was also great with them,” the kindergarten’s practitioner Jo Harding, who was with the kids, tells PEOPLE. ‘They have an openness about them that makes them feel friendly."
“The children were proudly showing them how to scatter the seeds around.”
Kate Middleton.PHIL NOBLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge learned how the organization is protecting green spaces in Edinburgh and joined volunteers and Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme participants in planting an apple tree each, and two sunflowers.
Helen Griffiths, CEO of Fields in Trust, says the couple “saw a lot of things they are passionate ab out like the environment and work for the early years around the park, They are genuinely committed and engaged with the work we are doing.”
She tells PEOPLE, “The value of parks and green spaces over the last 18 months has resonated even more. They have been a lifeline for people. But we know that a lot of people don’t have access to green spaces, and those are often in the most deprived areas where people have also suffered the most.”
Griffiths told the couple about the organization’s new Green Space Index that identifies inequities of green space provision so that plans can be put in place to protect green infrastructure – and help mitigate climate change.This year’s report has found that over 2.77m people live further than a 10-minute walk from a local park or green space and only 6% of all parks and green spaces are protected in perpetuity.
Kate Middleton with her book, Hold Still.PHIL NOBLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
William and Kate then paid a visit to Craiglockhart Tennis and Sports Centre, where they joined local schoolchildren for a session. Kate, an avid tennis player, is patron of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). The couple took part in some drills and games with the children. They also had a little game, with some youngsters, against each other. And, following on from his success at land yachting on Wednesday, William’s team came out on top.
Both William and Kate hosted several events during the week to thank individuals that have gone above and beyond to support their communities over the last year, including NHS staff, frontline workers, emergency responders, volunteers and the military.
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In a statement to announce the tour, their office said, “Their Royal Highnesses look forward to meeting a wide variety of people across the country, as well as charities and organisations who are doing incredible work on issues such as the environment, mental health, homelessness and addiction.”
Simon Perry
source: people.com
