Prince William And Kate Middleton Made Their First Public Appearance Since Prince Philip's Funeral

Apr 22, 2021 by apost team

On the queen's birthday on April 21, 2021, Kate Middleton and Prince William made their first official public appearance after getting special permission from the queen according to the Mirror. This is because Britain is still currently in a period of mourning following the death of Prince Philip on April 9, 2021. 

Philip's funeral on April 17, 2021, was a quiet affair with only 30 people in attendance due to the coronavirus restrictions. Generally, a man of Philips's stature would have received a state funeral with a minimum of 800 people in attendance, but this could not happen due to the ongoing pandemic. The guestlist of 30 people only comprised of the closest royal family members, which naturally included all of Philip's children and many of his grandchildren.

Philip's passing ended his reign as the longest-serving royal spouse, having served alongside Queen Elizabeth II for 65 years and having been married to the monarch for 73 years in total. His singular and incredible life continues to be remembered and celebrated by his family.

In a tribute to Philip's military service and patronage work, William and Kate visited the Air Cadets at 282 East Ham Squadron in London. The pair wore dark navy clothing as the family continues their period of mourning, which is set to end on Friday, April 23, 2021. The couple as well as the cadets honored the Duke of Edinburgh’s links with the air cadets and the DoE awards, and the Duke of Duchess of Cambridge chatted with the squadron about their work. Kate and William also shared photos of the event on their official Instagram account. 

The Air Cadets is sponsored by the Royal Air Force and provides hands-on experience that challenges and helps to develop skills amongst young people to help them succeed, while also encouraging the spirit of adventure and cultivating qualities of leadership and good citizenship. 

The Mirror reports that Philip served as Honorary Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps for 63 years, and in 2015, passed his military patronage over to the Duchess of Cambridge, who then became Honorary Air Commandant. During their visit, Kate and William talked to the cadets about what impacted their decision to join the cadet force and how they see their futures after their time in the squadron. Afterward, they also watched a team building and leadership exercise during which they supported the young men and also joked with them. 

Kate showed off her aerial skills in a flight simulator and took the controls of the light aircraft simulator during the visit. William, who was part of the Royal Air Force and was in active service from 2009 to 2013, also joked with his wife as she tried her hand in the simulator. About this, the Group Captain Al Lewis said, "It was interesting to see the duchess get in the simulator instead of him. She did very well. He was goading her to say ‘well it’s not as easy as it seems’." 

He also spoke to William during the visit and said, "I spoke to the duke about whether he was still flying and he said he was very keen to try to keep his flying hours up. He clearly misses flying professionally."

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The visit was received very well by the cadets and it was a fitting way to honor the late Duke of Edinburgh, who had made a major impact on the Air Force through his patronage. Capt. Lewis said about the visit, "It was a really unique experience and the cadets only found out an hour before they arrived. Given that we haven't had much activity over the last years it was a real morale boost," and added,

"It was wonderful for them, too, to see the real legacy that the Duke of Edinburgh left." 

William and Kate shared their own experience of the visit and posted photos on their official Instagram account. The caption for the post began, "Paying tribute to The Duke of Edinburgh, who served as Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps for 63 years." Their post includes two photographs: one of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's most recent appearance, and the other a black and white photo of young Philip interacting with air cadets. 

It is wonderful that Kate and William's first appearance after the funeral was to pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh. Moreover, it was also on the day of Elizabeth's 95th birthday, her first one without her husband in over 70 years. The queen released her own statement on the day, where she thanked the public for their kindness and support and concluded her message with,

“We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life."

What do you think of William and Kate's first official appearance to honor the Duke of Edinburgh? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to let others know about this fitting tribute to Prince Philip.