Kate Middleton‘s maternal instincts took over during her latest outing in the sweetest way. She even broke royal tradition to greet a young well-wisher during her most recent engagement.
On January 30, the princess visited textiles manufacturer Corgi’s factory in Ammanford, Wales, where she toured the space and got a chance to create her own pair of socks. As Princess Kate was leaving in her car, she heard 3-year-old Lily-Rose holler, “Hello princess!” The little girl’s gesture must have pulled at Middleton’s heart strings because the princess pulled over her convoy—a rare move for a royal—in order to jog “over to shake Lily-Rose’s hand,” according to the BBC.
“I heard you say ‘Hello’ from all the way back there, and I wanted to come and see you,” she said to the toddler, per the outlet.
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Lily-Rose then handed a small banana to Middleton, however, when the princess handed the fruit back to the youngin, she proceeded to throw it on the ground. “The princess had to bend down to retrieve it,” the BBC reported.
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The toddler’s mother, Stacey Chorley, gushed to the publication about the interaction. “It was so exciting. We had no idea that was going to happen.” “I hope this is one of the things Lily-Rose will remember,” she added. “Kate was so lovely. She’s very natural and down-to-earth.”
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According to the BBC, it’s very rare for a royal to stop their convoy as they’re leaving an event, making Middleton’s sweet gesture all that much more “remarkable.”
Earlier in the day, Middleton visited children’s hospice, Tŷ Hafan, where she met with other little ones at the facility. Middleton’s patronage of the medical institution is a nod to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who began a relationship with the organization in 1995 before they’d even built the space. For her day of royal engagements, Middleton re-wore a black-and-white houndstooth dress from Zara that cost originally $112 but has since gone on sale for $20. While outside, Middleton layered a long ivory coat over the prairie dress.
