Kate Middleton’s Surprise Visit Had Staff Practicing Their Curties on Secrets of the Aquarium

Kate Middleton in October 2023.

Kate Middleton is learning more about life underwater.

The Princess of Wales, 41, appeared on Tuesday’s episode of the BBC2 docuseries Secrets of the Aquarium, which she filmed at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth.

Princess Kate made her last official visit to Plymouth in July 2022 when she took part in the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, and filming for Secrets of the Aquarium took place the same day. In the episode, she wore the same white shorts and striped top combination seen upon her arrival at the sailing race.

Kate’s visit brought attention to the importance of seagrass in countering damaging changes to our climate. As part of the activity, children made seagrass mats to be planted off Plymouth Sound, which will help improve marine health and contribute to blue carbon capture.

Kate Middleton visits Plymouth in 2022.

Kate Middleton Reveals the Fitness Routine That Has Prince William Telling Her She’s ‘Crazy’
“Are you going to practice your curtsy?” a staff member named Esther, a seagrass education officer, joked to another before the visit, dipping into a curtsy while prepping. “I really want to be told what we need to do!”

After recapping the royal’s arrival, Esther said, “She came and stood right next to me, and we were showing her what to do. Yeah, that was exciting, I mean quite literally brushing shoulders with royalty.”

“Kate’s visit was so important, not just for the aquarium but for seagrass. For the project,” Esther added. “Having royalty visit, you know, it made people sit up and listen to what we’re doing. ‘Okay, if royalty are interested, it must be something worth listening to.”

Join us TONIGHT for the FINAL episode of #SecretsoftheAquarium! 😱

There’s a surprise visit from the Princess of Wales, Xav meets his childhood hero, the new seahorse tank gets stuck in a door and Florence the shark has a pregnancy test!

❗Tonights episode will be on at 18:30 pic.twitter.com/vvlDzGhmpf

— National Marine Aquarium (@NMAPlymouth) December 19, 2023

According to the National Marine Aquarium, the six-part documentary series was “18 months in the making and showcases the dedication of our staff as they face challenges, heartbreak and happiness whilst caring for over 5000 amazing animals at the National Marine Aquarium, located here in Plymouth.”

In addition to a love of sailing and cold water swimming, Princess Kate has another hobby involving the water in scuba diving! Princess Kate and Prince William explored the Belize Barrier Reef during their eight-day tour of the Caribbean in 2022, sharing a video of their underwater adventure on their social media pages.

“On Sunday, we were lucky enough to spend time diving at South Water Caye, directly above the spectacular Belize Barrier Reef. It was a privilege to see for ourselves the world-leading ocean conservation work being done here,” they captioned the video on Instagram.

“Belize is home to the second-largest barrier reef in the world. While the effects of climate change are evident, the Government of Belize and communities across the country deserve huge recognition for their efforts to restore this incredible marine environment – with a commitment to protect 30% of it by 2030,” they continued.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

Also on Tuesday, the palace released photos of Prince William in Kuwait. The Prince of Wales made the trip abroad on behalf of his father, King Charles, to pay condolences to His Highness Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah following the death of His Late Highness, Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The trip came as the Prince and Princess of Wales were likely looking forward to spending some time with their three children ahead of Christmas. Lambrook School, where Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all attend, had its last day of classes before its Christmas break on Friday. William and Kate typically lighten up their royal schedules during school vacations to be with their kids.

This week, the royal family will likely gather for their annual pre-Christmas lunch. Prince William, Princess Kate and their children are regulars at the private holiday event, which took place at Windsor Castle on Dec. 20 last year.

Each year at Christmas, the British royal family gathers at Sandringham in Norfolk. Darren McGrady, who was a chef during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, previously told the Daily Mail that the royals have afternoon tea on Christmas Eve before exchanging “jokey and inexpensive” gifts.

On Christmas Day, the royals traditionally attend the Christmas Day service at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene followed by a holiday lunch of turkey with sides like potatoes, stuffing and vegetables. At 3 p.m., they watch King Charles’ Christmas speech on TV, followed by afternoon tea.

Earlier this month, Prince William and Princess Kate were joined by Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, at the third annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey. The event, hosted by Kate, celebrates the holiday as well as a special cause. This year, it was linked to Princess Kate’s Shaping Us campaign, which focuses on her mission to support children during the early years of their lives.

Source: people.com