THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE SPENDS SOME QUALITY TIME AT SCOUT HQ
THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE COMES FULLY PREPARED AS SHE SPENDS TIME AT SCOUT HQ GILWELL PARK
She grew up an active member of the Brownies but last week the Duchess of Cambridge turned her attention to the Scouts. Kate took a trip to the organisation’s headquarters at Gilwell Park in Essex to hear more about how they are working to recruit younger members.
The duchess, who is their royal patron, has been involved with the Scouts since 2012 when she started working as a volunteer leader in Anglesey, Wales close to where she lived with the Duke of Cambridge.
Looking ready to get stuck into the activities, Kate wore a Barbour jacket, J Crew jumper, leggings from Zara and brown Chloe boots – all of which she had worn before. She also proudly wore the Scouts woggle around her neck tied in a friendship knot.
And it’s a good thing she dressed for comfort because it wasn’t long before a group of excitable young girls and boys were encouraging her to check out a rather cramped den they had built out of sticks and leaves!
The den drew comparisons to the one seen on last year’s Cambridge family Christmas card, reportedly made by her eldest children five-year-old Prince George and three-year-old Princess Charlotte in their garden at Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
It is also similar to the one Kate, 37, has chosen to feature in her Back to Nature Garden for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.
Kate was at the park to celebrate the site’s 100 year anniversary and to take part in a new pilot scheme, #Skillsforlife. The scheme encourages children as young as four to develop team building, leadership and communication skills through activities like bicycle maintenance and boat building.
Clearly a dab hand in arts and crafts, no doubt from helping George, Charlotte and their brother Prince Louis, who turns one this month, Kate wasted no time getting stuck into some painting. She also helped a group of children to make model boats and rockets powered by balloons tied to string.
After a few attempts at the rocket station Kate laughed: ‘I didn’t do a very good job, did I? You’re all much better than me!’
Having spent much of 2019 focusing her work on the importance of early year development for children, the visit was particularly interesting for Kate. She heard how the organisation is trying to encourage children aged four to six to sign up, after research revealed the first five years of a child’s life are the most pivotal for their future health and happiness.
The trip appeared to inspire the duchess to get her own children involved, revealing she hoped all three of them would one day become Scouts. After meeting Kate, Scout Explorer Tahseen Patel, 17, revealed: ‘She said she wants to bring her children up in the Scouting community and that she’s tried lots of activities at home with them, but would love them to become Scouts. She said Prince George hasn’t joined yet, but hopefully soon. I think that would be great – George could be a little Scouts ambassador.
Gilwell Park in Epping Forest is widely regarded as the home of the Scouts and is comprised of a campsite and adventure centre. Every year thousands of Scouts descend on the headquarters to take part in activities including teamwork and leadership.
While there, Kate planted an oak sapling tree to mark their 100th anniversary while joking: ‘Normally I have to do this in high heels, this is much easier!’