TL;DR:
- Kate Middleton visited the Chelsea Flower Show on May 22, 2023.
- Elementary school children asked for her autograph.
- Kate Middleton refused, saying she wasn’t allowed to “write” her “name” before doodling pictures.
No autographs, please. Kate Middleton declined children’s requests for autographs during a 2023 Chelsea Flower Show event. However, the Princess of Wales didn’t leave them without a special souvenir.
Elementary school students asked Kate Middleton for autographs at a Chelsea Flower Show picnic
On May 22, Kate headed to the Chelsea Flower Show in London, England. There she went to a picnic with 100 children from 10 elementary schools for the first-ever Children’s Picnic. The goal, according to Hello!, is not only that the picnic becomes a mainstay at the annual event but that it inspires children to become gardeners.
Kate went around to various groups, chatting with the children before touring displays. In the Royal Entomological Society garden, students took a break from identifying insects to ask Kate if she’d sign their papers.
Kate said writing her name is ‘just one of those rules’ when asked for an autograph
The Princess of Wales’ response? She told the children no. “I can’t write my name,” she said. “But I can draw.”
So, rather than leave the children without any royal souvenirs, Kate did a few doodles.
She drew a flower for one child before attempting a palm tree for another, saying Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis “like palm trees.”
Finally, Kate rounded out her drawings with a pond for a third child.
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“My name’s Catherine,” she added before explaining why she couldn’t give an autograph. “I’m not allowed to write my signature, it’s just one of those rules.”
Per Daily Express, royals typically stay away from signing their name to prevent forgery.
Kate Middleton talked about plants, her favorite color, and more at the Chelsea Flower Show
Autographs weren’t the only thing Kate discussed with the kids at the Chelsea Flower Show picnic. In fact, far from it.
During a conversation about flowers and plants with one group, Kate confessed she “can never remember” the names because they’re in Latin. “It’s so good for our bodies and our minds,” Kate told another about spending time outside.
Other topics Kate discussed included sunflowers — “They get so big, don’t they?” — and a “plant that smells like chocolate.” Later, she pointed out fennel, saying, “If you rub it between your fingers, you can smell it.”
The Princess of Wales also showed children foxglove, which “the bees love.” The conversation continued with Kate sharing her favorite color — green — and asking for feedback on “how we can make it even better for the kiddies next time.”
Kate also talked about royal life. “You have to work hard, but you know the best thing about it is meeting kiddies like you,” she told a child. Asked what the royal family does, Kate told another that “they help support all the different people in the country, showcase all the amazing work being done and look after everyone.”
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