Princess Charlotte diligently helped out her mother Kate during a visit to the Windsor Baby Bank with her brothers – and the young royal was keen to show her enthusiasm.
The second child of Kate and William, eight, exclaimed: ‘Oh la la!’ as she walked into the centre and saw the array of toys on display before she and her brothers Prince George, 10, and Prince Louis, five, dutifully helped to arrange Christmas gift packages for families in need.
The clip, shared by Kensington Palace today but filmed on an afternoon last month after the children had finished school, also showed Charlotte gushing over a tiny baby gro – and it’s clear she is very much aware of her role.
As a young Princess of Wales, Charlotte immediately recognised the Welsh dragon pattern on the baby gro and beamed as she held it up and said: ‘It’s Welsh!’
The young royal also gushed over a ‘sweet’ children’s coat she pulled out of a box, which will go to a child in need this Christmas.
Charlotte visited the baby bank with her older brother George and younger brother Louis as their mother, the Princess of Wales, showed them how the centre works to help families struggling to make ends meet.
Kate’s first visit to the centre was in April this year – during which she promised to return with their children.
And if the glossy video is anything to go by, the Wales children thoroughly enjoyed their time at the Baby Bank – as well as learning plenty.
Princess Charlotte of Wales, eight, expressed her joy at finding a tiny baby gro at a baby bank in Windsor featuring the Welsh dragon, in a sweet video shared today by Kensington Palace
Charlotte turned to her mother, who looked elegant in a white turtle neck jumper and earrings with pearl detailing, and remarked on how tiny the outfit was
Princess Charlotte helped her mother sort through some of the children’s clothing at the baby bank – and was particularly taken by a ‘cute’ baby gro
At the beginning of the clip Louis, wearing a Fair Isle jumper over a checked shirt, holds his own box, grinning broadly, ahead of his sister wearing a red jumper, skirt and ankle boots and George in a navy jumper, blue trousers and trainers.
The three young royals then walk into the Windsor centre carrying their own donations.
Sporting a white roll-neck jumper, Kate helps her three youngsters to put down their boxes and tells them: ‘Here there are lots of people who give up their time. And there are lot of volunteers who come and help out. And so you’re the volunteers for this evening.’
‘Ooh la la,’ exclaims Charlotte, using a favourite phrase of hers.
‘Let’s see,’ says Louis eagerly, peeking into bags of donations.
During the visit, little Louis pulled out a toy version of King Kong from the array of gifts and commented on how big the plastic gorilla was
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During the visit, little Louis pulled out a toy version of King Kong from the array of gifts and commented on how big the plastic gorilla was
Louis, five, seemed very taken indeed by the toy and held it in his hands while Charlotte was busy in the background
During the visit, Princess Charlotte, eight, dressed in a red top and a denim skirt, is pictured helping her mother pack some bags
Kate’s little helpers! Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, eight, carry what look like heavy bags full of Christmas goodies
Charlotte picks out a tiny coat. ‘So sweet,’ she says, endearingly.
As the children’s voices are heard on the video, it marks a rare occasion on which royal fans can actually hear how the Wales children sound.
Although Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have had the eyes of the world on them on many occasions, including the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and funeral and King Charles’s Coronation, it is uncommon to hear them speak on camera.
However, there have been a few occasions on which the royal children’s voices have been heard – for example, football-mad Princess Charlotte’s well-wishes to the Lionesses at the Euros last summer in a video recorded with Prince William, when she simply said: ‘Good luck, I hope you win, bye!’ She recorded a similar message with her father ahead of the Women’s World Cup final this summer.
As a toddler, Charlotte also revealed her voice to the world in an impromptu moment at her little brother Louis’s christening – when she stared down photographers outside the church and told them: ‘You’re not coming.’
In 2020, all three Wales siblings gave Sir David Attenborough a grilling in a video shared by Kensington Palace, asking him tough questions about species facing extinction and other environmental issues.
And fearless Princess Charlotte, who was just five years old at the time, revealed to the environmentalist that she likes spiders – asking him if he shared her love of arachnids.
Three years on from the Attenborough quizzing, royal fans have had another glimpse into the lives of the Wales children, as they express their excitement over the tasks they are helping out with.
The children start busily picking out gifts, Charlotte and George each holding a festive bag and placing items inside.
Louis seems particularly excited by a giant toy King Kong, grabbing it and exclaiming: ‘This is a big guy! ‘
George and Charlotte can also be seen handwriting notes for the gift bags.
A quarter of families with a child under five years of age live in poverty in the UK, according to the Department of Work and Pensions – meaning that baby banks have become a sad necessity of life for many and provide a vital lifeline in challenging circumstances.
The Bank at Windsor has been making up gift bags for children for the past five years and this Christmas will distribute 1,500 of them, as well as their usual parcels of clothes and goods.
The royal youngsters then turn their hand to sorting through clothing donations.
The Princess tells her children: ‘All these bags are donations and then we have to go and sort them and put them in all the boxes. ‘
‘Do you like this one?’ Charlotte is asked by a team member. ‘Yeah!’ she says.
George holds up a Hawaiian-print shirt to add to his bundle, as Louis helps examine a label on green toy to make sure it is suitable for children.
Charlotte gets the giggles at a tiny baby-gro with little emblems on it: ‘This is Welsh,’ she says excitedly.
One staff member can be heard saying: ‘George wants to come back, which is good.’
Putting her arm around her eldest son’s shoulders, Kate says: ‘You can see how rewarding this sort of work is, knowing you are helping others.’
‘Yes, ‘ her eldest son replies seriously.
The trio are then seen carefully carrying their gift bags downstairs ready to be taken to youngsters in the area in time for Christmas.
The video ends with the message: ‘Thank you to everyone who so generously supports Baby Banks across the country.’
Windsor Baby Bank was started by two local mothers in 2015 and has since supported more than 24,000 families in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, which despite being close to Windsor Castle has huge pockets of deprivation.
The cost of living crisis has seen a dramatic rise in referrals, with the team helping a further 300 families in the first three months of the year alone with everything from new-born starter kits to nappies, buggies, and beds.
Unlike other baby banks they provide clothes, including school uniforms, for children up to the age of 16.
They receive no public finding and rely on voluntary help and donations, grants, retailers and local suppliers.
The staff take care to match-up specific children with donations so they don’t feel like they are relying on random hand-outs.
At the time the time of her first visit the princess said: ‘There is community support out there but it’s knowing where to go to get that support. And there is a stigma that exists sometimes. ‘
She asked what would help shine a spotlight on the valuable work they do and was told: ‘Having people like you visit!’
Which is why she promised to bring her own children down.
Co-founder of The Bank Bank in Windsor, Rebecca Mistry, told the Mail that she was so delighted the Princess of Wales made good her promise.
‘It was such a fab visit, and lovely she could bring them in. It was nice for them, too, to come somewhere their mummy had been,’ she said.
‘We do have children coming down to volunteer quite regularly and their school [Lambrook, attended by George, Charlotte and Louis] recently organised a big collection of Christmas pyjamas and books and treats.
‘You never know how the children coming here will take it but they were so well-behaved.
We gave them some lists to work on and asked them to pack bags for children their own ages. They were so good at it.’
