Prince William and Kate Middleton are continuing their royal duties via Zoom

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge surprised teachers, children and school staff at Casterton Primary Academy in Lancashire to thank them for their hard work and dedication via video call

Our new WFH situation means that many of us are grappling with the joys of video calling on a daily basis at the moment, but we didn’t realise that this included the royals. Prince William and Kate Middleton yesterday showed that even royal duties can be performed from home, as they video called Casterton Primary Academy from their home in Norfolk.

The primary school has remained open to care for the children of key workers, many of whom work in the nearby Burnley hospital. As well as education, the teachers have been helping children who usually have free school meals and ensuring that children’s mental health is also being addressed.

The royal couple thanked the teachers and staff who are working to make this possible at a difficult time, providing structure and normality for children, with Kate saying: “It must be such a relief for all the parents who are key workers to know that the normality is there for their children — they’ve got the structure and they’ve got a safe place for them to be, so really, really well done to all of you.”

The couple also chatted to some of the children, who showed them pictures they had drawn of their parents. Introducing themselves and Katherine and William, they admired the children’s Easter bunny ears, wishing they had some themselves, and told them they should be proud of the work their parents are doing.

Kate and William also asked the staff to pass on their appreciation to the wider community who are working together to get through in exceptional circumstances, including parents and workers. The staff said that the couple would have to come visit them in person when they got the chance.

The teachers expressed that the run up to children was a nice time for the children too, while Kate joked that William keeps eating all the Easter chocolate in their house.

Anita Ghidotti, chief executive of the Pendle Education Trust, which the school is part of, said: “This is a really exciting thing to happen for any school, at any time, but the situation we’re in and with all the bad news stories we’re looking for any positives we can find.

“This was absolutely a positive experience for everyone involved, for the staff as well as the children, and they were beaming as they came out the children, proud of themselves and very excited.”

You can watch the couple’s chat below:

Teachers across the UK are dedicating their time to keeping schools open for the children of key workers and vulnerable children.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge called teachers and school staff at Casterton Primary Academy to thank them for their hard work and dedication. pic.twitter.com/2h9N66O4EP

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 8, 2020

Images: Kensington Palace

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