EXCLUSIVE: 'It was so moving, everyone feels this loss': The Princess of Wales's emotional moment at Sandringham
By Natalie Oliveri|
9Honey's Royal Reporter Natalie Oliveri reporting from outside Sandringham House in Norfolk.
T?he Princess of Wales has revealed her eyes filled with tears when reading cards and letters left to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Sandringham House.
Catherine and the Prince of Wales visited the royal family's Norfolk estate on Thursday afternoon, spending close to an hour looking at flowers and tributes and meeting well-wishers who had come to pay their respects.
Just after 12.25pm (9.25pm AEST), Prince William and Catherine arrived at Sandringham's Norwich Gates, the entrance to the home where the royals have celebrated Christmas over so many years.
READ MORE:? 'I wasn't prepared for how emotional seeing the Queen's coffin would be'
?After pausing to look at the flowers and cards, even crouching down for a closer look, the royal couple moved towards the crowds จC many of whom were locals and had unintentionally timed their visit with William and Catherine's.
I was in the crowd as the Princess of Wales approached and I saw firsthand her affinity with the people and her natural warmth that the former Kate Middleton has become known for in the decade since the royal wedding.
READ MORE: ?'Will, Kate, Harry and Meghan do the unthinkable at Queen procession'
With the Princess of Wales standing less than a metre away, a man next to me asked ?her how she has managed to keep her composure in such a difficult week.
"I don't know how you don't well up," Ian Andrews asked Catherine, referring to the cards, letters and messages to the late Queen.
She replied: "I did, I said to William as I was reading them it was so moving จC from all generations including the little kiddies' writings, to some of the most amazing poetry จC but the sentiment and the love that's shown here is extraordinary."
Another member of the ?crowd asked Catherine: "How are the children?".
Watch the video above.?
The Princess of Wales said: "They're well thank you very much, they're being looked after at school so, they are in a routine and are being looked after."?
One week ago today, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had their first full day at their new school, Lambrook, in Windsor.
READ MORE: 'I was kicking myself that I broke protocol with Queen'?
It was the same day the monarch died at Balmoral Castle.?
Catherine then moved on to Mary Hayter, 84, who lives at the nearby Kings Lynn where the late Queen used to arrive by train ahead of her stay at Sandringham.
She sent her condolences to the Princess, adding that the loss was hard, especially as the Queen had been there for her entire life.
?Catherine said to her: "She's been part of your life too, all of your life. Everyone feels this loss".
READ MORE: William, Catherine meet mourners at Sandringham House?
She was then heard describing all the cards as "amazing, all the messages are extraordinary".?
Hayter held Catherine's hand while she was speaking to her and later told 9Honey, "she is absolutely gorgeous".
"Her hand is very warm and her grip was very strong จC her face is so radiant.
"She's so caring and her attitude toward other people... she just likes to make sure everyone is happy?."
Two little girls caught the attention of Catherine, who took extra time to speak to the children in crowd.
Their mother, Amanda, told 9Honey ?seeing the Prince and Princess of Wales was "a really special moment".
She and her daughters Lucy and Libby had not realised William and Catherine were visiting Sandringham until soon after they ?arrived.
"It was an incredible surprise really, we were so very lucky to be at the front of the crowd," Amanda, from Norfolk, said.
"They had all the time in the world, especially to speak to the children really.
"They are part of our future, they are an incredible family - I love Kate and William, they do so much.?
"I was very surprised at how slowly they went across the crowds. They gave all the time they possibly could and they are in mourning, this is not a time when they need to be doing this for us but they are and how special that is. it is just brilliant."
Eight-year-old Lucy said Catherine had asked whether she'd managed to see the many toys left for the Queen, including countless Paddington Bears.
But for little Lucy the biggest takeaway after seeing the Princess of Wales, and future Queen Consort: "I liked her hair, it was really curly and it was a brown and she had a pretty black dress on."
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