Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are the 'real Royal mail' as they deliver parcels to soldiers who won't get home for Christmas
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have joked they were performing the duties of a “really Royal Mail” as they hand-delivered presents to troops who will be away from their families at Christmas.
The Duke and Duchess paid tribute to British forces stationed overseas as they took gifts from children to their mothers and fathers serving at an RAF base in Cyprus.
The Duke told troops fighting Islamic State (Isil) that they deserve thanks of the nation, reminding them: "Recognition of your sacrifices is exactly what is due to you all".
The Royal couple met the families of pilots, senior officers and flight crews from 11 Squadron, a Typhoon fighter unit, who are now on deployment at RAF Akrotiri and flying missions from Cyprus to combat Isil.
They arrived at bearing presents from their children, wives and parents who were invited to a Kensington Palace Christmas party on Tuesday.
As the gifts were handed out to the first group in the sergeant’s mess the Duchess turned to a group of RAF personnel that included Squadron Leader Sarah Waghorn and others and joked about delivering the mail.
Sqn Ldr Waghorn, whose 80-year-old father David Waghorn had met the royals at their Christmas Party, said: "They said their parcel service 'really was Royal Mail'."
"All of this work is done without fanfare,” the Duke told troops in a speech.
"You don’t seek praise for your contribution. It’s not about credit or recognition – for you, it’s just about service.
"But as we approach Christmas, Catherine and I feel strongly that praise for your work and recognition of your sacrifices is exactly what is due to you all.
"From my time in uniform, we both know a bit of what it feels like to balance your work commitments with your family life.
"You all put duty first. And so do your families, some of whom we had the chance to meet yesterday at a party at Kensington Palace.
"We know this isn’t easy for you or for your wives, husbands, children, and friends back in the UK. On behalf of everyone back home, we would like to say thank you."
The Duke and Duchess also spoke of the perils of throwing a children’s party after their Christmas event left their young guests on a sugar high, admitting they felt rather "responsible" for the number of sweets and marshmallows consumed.
The Duchess, who was dressed casually in an olive blazer and wide-legged black trousers, told how Prince George and Princess Charlotte had missed out on the party, turning up after school to find the snow machine and edible treats had been cleared away.
"It was very kiddie friendly," the Duchess said of the party. "I think some of the grandparents felt slightly bombarded.
"They [the children] had a lot of sweets by the end of the day. We felt quite responsible. The sugar highs... there were a lot of marshmallows. Did they get back [home] ok?"
Empathising with the time troops were spending away from their families in service to the country, she added: "Some of the children really understood what their mums and dads are doing and missed you all.
"I’m sorry that we couldn’t bring your families with us for Christmas."
Speaking to a second group, she disclosed she had tried to show George and Charlotte the festive treats laid out for military families when they arrived home from school and nursery yesterday afternoon, laughing as she added: "We took the children down to where the party was but everything was gone - they were so disappointed."
It was not all lost for the Cambridge children, however. The Duke told pilots: "I told George this morning we were going to see the pilots today, and he said 'if you see a helicopter can you take a picture?'"
"The Duchess also made time for some more serious conversation, sharing some of her research into children’s early years development and the importance of mental health.
"Is mental health something you guys are interested in as part of your work?" she asked.
"Some of the stuff we have learned has shown that everyone should have some sort of basic mental health training.
"I really want to get mental health training as part of teacher training, not just for the sake of the teachers themselves but for the children too."
Queen visits UK's oldest children's charity
The Queen visited the UK's oldest children's charity on Wednesday as part of a celebration of the 350th anniversary of the birth of its founder.
Based at the site of The Foundling Hospital in London, Coram has been helping vulnerable children since it gained the Royal Charter in 1739.
The Queen visited the charity to open The Queen Elizabeth II Centre - a national centre for children named in her honour.
The centre has been launched as a celebration of the 350th anniversary of the birth of the founder, Thomas Coram.
The Queen was dressed in a jade green coat by Stewart Parvin and matching Rachel Trevor-Morgan hat, with a dress in floral silk in the shades of jade, mint, lavender and magenta. A diamond lily brooch finished the outfit.
The Queen was greeted on arrival by Edward Newton, 102, the oldest surviving pupil from The Foundling Hospital.
Later the Queen went outside of the centre to add a decoration to Coram's Christmas tree.
The Queen came to the aid of eight-year-old Shylah Gordon-Clarke as she struggled to add her own decoration to the tree.
Shylah's mother Evie Clarke is part of Coram's Young Parenthood Programme.
One decoration was a copy of Thomas Coram's coat and the other a red ribbon, representing the charity's museum.
