William shares joy at father’s return as he heads north
PRINCE William said he was pleased to see the King return to frontline duties, as he took on two engagements in the North of England.
As the dad-of-three opened James’ Place in Newcastle, its trustee Richard Swallow told him: “Thanks for coming out, good to see your father out”, to which the Prince of Wales, 42, replied: “Yes, yes exactly.”
On a surprise walkabout outside, William also said wife Kate, who is undergoing cancer treatment, is “doing well”.
The city’s new facility aims to provide crucial support to men facing suicidal crises.
Praising the family of James WentworthStanley, whose death aged 21 inspired them to set up centres, William said it was so important for men to have a “calm space”.
He also met a large group of well-wishers, including women dressed in Union Jacks.
Earlier in the day, William visited a 2022 finalist of his Earthshot Prize, Low Carbon Materials in Seaham, County Durham.
The royal said he was “really pleased” by the company’s progress as he learned all about its eco-friendly alternatives for the construction industry. Recyclable plastic waste is used to make concrete blocks and asphalt carbon-free through LCM’s innovative processes.
In a white lab coat and goggles, below, the heir had a go at making concrete – joking that his shoes “might be taking a bit of a hit” as the mixture scattered over the floor.
William was advised to stamp the concrete mixture 25 times to remove the air bubbles. Told that the mixture is left in the mould for 24 hours, he quipped: “Here’s one I made earlier? Are we on Blue Peter?”
He later said: “You are still at the forefront of this and realistically we need to be using this stuff around the world.”
The Prince heard how LCM has teamed up with National Highways to help them hit net zero with emissions from their construction and maintenance efforts by 2040.
When they confessed that long-term durability of the cutting-edge road materials was the main issue, William joked: “You need to tell them
‘no more potholes’.”