THE MAKING OF A FUTURE QUEEN
THE ROYAL SHOWS SHE HAS INHERITED DIANA’S TOUCH, TAKING OVER AS THE PEOPLE’S PRINCESS
It’s been a turbulent year for the British royal family but Kate Middleton has faithfully stayed the course, throwing herself into motherhood and an increased workload as the country comes out of lockdown. And a visit to a London bakery proved she’s inherited her late mother-in-law Princess Diana’s touch with the people, as she was warmly welcomed as the “Queen of Hearts”.
Hello! magazine reported a crowd assembled outside of Beigel Bake Brick Lane Bakery on September 15 and cheered as the mum-of-three arrived with her husband, Prince William, 38, at the family owned business, which was hit hard by the pandemic. The couple happily mingled with staff, who were returning to work after being stood down for months without pay, before they popped on masks and helped knead large balls of dough.
After laughing off a compliment about her skills, the duchess, 38, revealed baking wasn’t a hobby she’d taken up in lockdown. “Just wait
until you see the aftermath! I had beginner’s luck. They’re getting worse!” she joked.
After the royal bake off, co-owner Amnon Cohen – who opened the bakery 41 years ago with his brother – gushed that Kate’s visit was “the proudest moment of my life”.
It follows a massive year for the duchess who has been praised for taking the lead on several big projects, with royal expert Camilla Tominey noting she’s finally “emerged from Prince William’s shadow”.
The previous day, on September 14, Kate – who has a History of Art degree and a passion for photography – unveiled the best 100 portraits out of 31,000 entries from her digital exhibition, Hold Still.
“The images present a unique record of our shared and individual experiences during this extraordinary period of history, conveying humour and grief, creativity and kindness, tragedy and hope,” she said of the finalists.
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