The royal couple is in the midst of a whirlwind United States visit. After Prince William returned from the Oval Office and the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge made the rounds with New York City's First Lady Chirlane McCray — which included wrapping presents with the kids at Northside Center for Child Development — the royals attended a Brooklyn Nets game at the Barclays Center on Monday night.
The Duchess of Cambridge gave some lucky kids in Harlem the royal treatment Monday when she stopped by their center to help them wrap Christmas presents and spread some holiday cheer.
Kate Middleton showed she had the common touch — and displayed some uncommon wrapping skills.
“She got down on her knees and worked with the kids,” said Dr. Thelma Dye, who heads the Northside Center for Child Development. “She had glue all over her fingers.”
In no time at all, the duchess finished wrapping a present and topped it off with a red bow handed to her by New York’s First Lady, Chirlane McCray . The gifts were for kids at the center.
“Perfect,” the future queen said, pleased with her effort. “I think it’s quite good, actuallyOn Tuesday she and hubby Prince William will cap their three-day visit by rubbing elbows with A-listers at a $10,000-per-seat scholarship fund-raiser for the University of St. Andrews — the Scottish institution where they met.
Kate, who spent 90 minutes visiting Northside on Fifth Ave., took a moment Monday to cheer up a child with a case of the holiday blues.
“She spoke to one child who told her he didn’t have any friends,” Dye said. “But he got better. You can see she was very touched.”
Kate’s visit uptown was the first stop on a whirlwind day that included lunching with swells at the residence of the British Consul General, taking in a serious talk about the environment alongside her husband, Prince William — capped with a night of NBA basketball in Brooklyn.And she did it all five months pregnant — and in heels.
But Kate’s first stop in Harlem was probably the sweetest.
McCray was waiting for her outside the center, dressed in the same royal purple $578 Nanette Lepore coat she wore at the inauguration of her husband, Mayor de Blasio.
The First Lady greeted Kate with a firm handshake — but no curtsyKate was wearing a black crepe “Washington” coat by Goat that had beige trim at the neckline, cuffs and back — and which sells for over $1,100. But that’s not what impressed the kids, most of whom know only royalty like Princess Elsa from “Frozen.”
“She was like a real person, she seemed like a New Yorker,” said 9-year-old Serenity Rodriguez, who gave Kate a paper swan as a gift. “Her tone of voice was really nice. She didn’t make me feel uncomfortable.”
Unlike many of the other kids at the center, “she knew she wasn’t going to meet Elsa,” Serenity’s mom, 28-year-old Abril Molina, joked.
Kate continued her charm offensive when she emerged from the facility, stopping to talk with an adorable trio of kids bundled up against the cold.There was 4-year-old Luz, all dressed in pink. There was 3-year-old Christopher, his gray and red cap pulled down over his ears. And there was 4-year-old Dylan wearing a penguin hat.
“Kate! Kate!” the cheering crowd cried out as Kate gave a well-practiced wave and took off in her motorcade.
While Kate was soaking up the love, Prince William was making his first visit to Washington for a grip-and-grin with President Obama .
They sat side-by-side in the Oval Office and exchanged pleasantries and talked about illegal wildlife trafficking in front of a pack of reporters straining to hear what they were saying.Both men were wearing dark suits. But in this politically polarized town, William’s tie was red while Obama’s was blue.
When that was over, the second in line to the British throne did what lots of regular American business commuters do — he flew back to New York by shuttle, CNN’s Anderson Coope r reported.
The royal couple rendezvoused later in Manhattan after Kate wowed the big shots at the Consul General’s digs.
Kate was eating for two and it was quite the feast — poached salmon with dill hollandaise sauce served with lemon pearl barley risotto and sauteed vegetables. And for dessert, apple and rhubarb crumble with ice cream.
No comments:
Post a Comment