The Duchess of Cambridge opened a new hospice called The Nook in Norfolk last week, the result of a project she helped to launch five years ago called The Nook Appeal, as part of her role as patron for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
However, on the way to the engagement, Duchess Catherine surprised commuters when she took an unexpected mode of transport to The Nook – public transport.
Spotted exiting the Norwich train station after a three-hour ride from London, Duchess Catherine was hard to miss in one of her favourite Oscar de la Renta dresses, a magenta number which she wore earlier this year at the Royal Opera House in London.
She finished the look with black tights, heels and a big tote, which she later switched for a smaller Aspinal x Beulah clutch, according to People.
Speaking at The Nook’s launch, Duchess Kate spoke of her history with EACH and why she chose it as one of her first patronages.
“You have created here at The Nook a nurturing, caring environment that allows families who are going through the unimaginable the ability to spend precious quality time with each other, comforted in the knowledge that their children are being looked after in the best possible way,” Kate said at last week’s opening.
“EACH was one of the very first charities that I decided to become Patron of after my marriage. Whilst a lot has changed since then, my commitment and support for this wonderful organisation and the work that you do has not.”
Duchess Catherine gives a thumbs up to the crowd as she leaves The Nook. (Image: Getty)
Opening the Treehouse Hospice in 2012 marked Duchess Kate’s first-ever speech as a member of the royal family and according to the outgoing chief executive Graham Butland, who was there when the speech was made, he remembers how nervous she had been at the time.
“It wasn’t just the 200 people in front of her, but the world’s press and TV and everything there,” he recently told People.
“I’ve noticed how comfortably she has grown into her new position. In the very early days, I remember her coming into a room and her head would be slightly down and the long hair would be across.
“Now, she comes in with her head high,” he said.
EACH’s hospices care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and support their families by providing services such as specialist nursing care, symptom management, wellbeing activities, counselling and volunteer services in the family home.
The Nook contains even more areas for clinical care and dedicated therapy rooms, allowing EACH to meet the increased demand for its services and the ever-changing and more complex needs of those it cares for.
Duchess Catherine recently held private talks with BBC’s director-general Tony Hall which has sparked speculation she could be following in the footsteps of her brother-in-law Prince Harry, who earlier this year announced he would be producing a TV series for Apple TV + with Oprah Winfrey.
While there’s no confirmation on what it could be, Kensington Palace did say that she had met Lord Hall in her capacity as patron of the Royal Foundation, so any project they would work on would be for charity.
