Prince and Princess of Wales Visit Army Training Centre Ahead of Queen’s Funeral

The Prince and Princess of Wales embarked on a poignant visit to an army training centre in Surrey on Friday.

Their purpose was to meet troops who are participating in the funeral arrangements for the late Queen, who passed away on September 8.

The Queen's body currently rests at Westminster Hall, where members of the public are paying their respects.

On Monday, over a thousand sailors and Royal Marines will join the funeral procession, making the visit to the army training centre all the more significant for William and Catherine.

Troops from around the world have flown to the UK to participate in the historic event and have been practicing at the training site.

This visit is one of many public appearances by Prince William and Catherine as they support King Charles III, who has assumed his new role as Sovereign.

Upon their arrival at the training centre, they were greeted by a ceremonial Maori dance performed by 25 members of the New Zealand Defence Force.

William appeared to acknowledge the performance with a nod.

During their visit, the couple discussed the transition from the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations to her funeral preparations.

William, engaging with troops from Australia, expressed how the stark contrast between the two events highlights the highs and lows of this period.

Catherine, in conversation with Canadian military personnel, also remarked on the strangeness of going from the Jubilee to the funeral in just a few months.

She further discussed the lack of sleep she and the troops have been experiencing.

Throughout their visit, William frequently placed his hand on Catherine's, seemingly offering comfort.

Catherine has accompanied him and the entire royal family during the week-long mourning period for the Queen.

The Prince and Princess also spent approximately 45 minutes speaking with mourners gathered outside the Norwich gates.

In Norwich, William shared that walking behind the Queen's coffin on Wednesday evoked memories of Princess Diana's funeral.

He confided in one woman, expressing the challenge and emotional impact of the procession.

The Prince also spoke with receptionist Jane Wells, who conveyed her belief that his mother would have been proud of him.

Caroline Barwick Walters, another mourner, thanked William for sharing his grief with the nation, to which he replied that the Queen was “everybody's grandmother.”

Bex Neve, who waited over two hours to see the couple, described their gratitude for the support they have received and Catherine's emotional state.

As with all public outings since the Queen's passing, Prince William and Catherine dressed in black.

William wore a suit with a white shirt, while Catherine appeared demure in a black button-up military-style jacket and skirt, complemented by a black hat.

Catherine subtly paid tribute to the late Queen through her choice of jewelry.

She wore a pair of pearl and diamond earrings, the same ones she wore during a walkabout in Sandringham on Thursday.

These earrings are believed to be from the Queen's jewelry collection and were also worn by the monarch during her Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.

Catherine has worn these earrings on several occasions in the past.

Additionally, for a service at Westminster Hall on Wednesday, she wore a pearl and diamond leaf brooch that once belonged to the Queen.

This visit followed an equally emotional one on Thursday, as the couple visited the Queen's Sandringham home to view the tributes left for her.

During this visit, William spoke to a member of the public about walking behind the Queen's coffin, drawing parallels to the emotions he experienced when he had to walk behind Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral in 1997.

On Saturday, the Prince of Wales, along with the Queen's other grandchildren, will participate in another emotional event—a vigil at her coffin.

William will stand at the head of the coffin, joined by his brother Prince Harry and cousins Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Sarah Tyndall, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn.