A stunning Duchess of Cambridge made a triumphant appearance on Friday amidst cheers of jubilation as she came out of maternity leave to join her proud husband, Prince William in Holyhead, at the launch of Anglesey’s grueling Ring O’ Fire Coastal Ultra Marathon that circumnavigates the island over the course of three days.
courtesy of Robert Parry Jones via Daily Post Wales
On this breezy, foggy, rainy day, a crowd of at least two hundred people waited giddily and anxiously for the royal couple to arrive. “It’s awesome and I am unashamedly excited!” said Country Park warden Will Stewart, who is participating in the “135-mile foot race around the rugged coast of Anglesey”.
As they arrived around 12:30 p.m., the Duke and Duchess were greeted by Mr Stewart, Holyhead mayor Ron Williams, and Anglesey County Council chairman Gwilym O Jones. The mayor congratulated the couple on the birth of the third in line to the throne with a card from the people of Anglesey, and Mr Jones presented Prince William with a painting of the Britannia Bridge by Brynsiencyn artist Ieuan Williams.
While chatting with Mr Stewart, the Duchess mentioned how eager she was to shed the remaining pregnancy pounds. “She seemed genuinely interested in doing some walking. Especially after the baby, she wants to get back into shape. “I said, ‘You don’t need to worry about that!’ She looked great.”
The rosy-cheeked Duchess wore a light patterned blouse under a warm and elegant tailored olive jacket, black skinny jeans, and her usual wedges for the occasion. Dressed in casual blues, Prince William greeted the participants wearing a bright blue pullover over his traditional white and blue dress shirt, light brown trousers and brown shoes.
Upon meeting with race organizers who enquired about Prince George, the Duchess told 37-week pregnant Sarah Bingham, wife of race founder James, “He’s really well; he’s with his grandma.”
Like Diana, Princess of Wales, the Duchess has a special affinity for children, and she made a point of crouching down to answer their questions about her little one. “George has been very good and is sleeping well,” she told Lauren Hindcliffe, age 11.
Megan Emery-Jones, aged seven, and sisters Holly and Jazmin Tomblin, aged nine and six, had their dream come true when they presented the people’s princess with a bouquet of multi-coloured mums and handcrafted baby pink and blue butterflies. Catherine thanked her adoring young fans for the fitting gifts, saying that she would pass on their creations to the little prince who loves bright colours.
courtesy of Robert Parry Jones via Daily Post Wales
“We were talking about the joy she was having from George and how quick he was changing; she couldn’t quite believe it. She’s enjoying every minute of it,” said Marian Wyn-Jones. “He’s getting quite huge, she said.”
In the meantime, ex-Commando Gavin Felton from Barnsley, enjoyed a special birthday encounter with Prince William as he celebrated his 44th birthday. He described the Prince as being “very down to earth”, as they chatted about “armed forces matters”.
When a baby’s cries could be heard, the Prince had the crowd in stitches when he put his hand to his ear as if to hear where the cries were coming from. “We’re hearing a bit of that at the moment,” he laughed.
The royal couple received many gifts from fans for their little boy, and when given a pack of diapers, the Duke replied, “We’ve got a lot of these but we can always do with some more.”
William and Catherine left their Anglesey fans brimming with joyful anticipation as they promised to return to the beautiful island soon.
