Prince William was dubbed the prince of hugs today after he had a group of Windrush veterans in stitches during his visit to Cardiff, Wales, to celebrate the people who helped rebuild postwar Britain.
The Prince of Wales was joined by his wife, Kate as they visited the Grange Pavilion community centre to meet the Caribbean elders and Windrush descendants.
William promised community leader Professor Uzo Iwobi he would make the trip which marked the start of Black History Month.
The future monarch hugged several of the guests and also drew laughs when he posed for a group photograph and joked: “Who is pinching my bottom?”
In one instance, when William gave a woman a cuddle for longer than she expected, he joked: “I draw the line at kissing!”
The couple received a boisterous welcome from their host, Professor Uzo Iwobi, founder of the African Community Centre Wales and Race Council Cymru, and their invited guests who included members from Windrush Cymru Elders and Black History Cymru 365.
The Prince of Wales had promised Iwobi he would travel to Cardiff and meet the elders.
Prof Iwobi, who also received a hug from William said: “Today he saw me and said: ‘I promised you, and I keep my word.’ It was just so heart-meltingly beautiful for our elders to hold the hand of the future King.”
Karen Lucock, 65, received a hug from William and recounting it later she laughed and said: “I said, ‘Please can I have a hug?’ He said, ‘Yes you can.’ I was surprised because he hugged me for quite a while. I am in a bit of shock!”
Her friend Yvonne Howard-Bunt did not want to miss out and when she asked: “Can I have one of what she has just had?” and the prince agreed.
The royal couple spoke with the Windrush group about their experiences whilst Princess Kate heard about the discrimination one woman faced from the parents of her playmates.
The pair even showed off their table tennis skills when they joined members of the Grange Pavilion Youth Forum for a game of table tennis.
