William and Kate praised as ‘normal’ at RNLI visit
Prince William and the Princess of Wales have been described as “completely down to earth” by an RNLI lifeguard who spent time with the couple during a recent engagement at the charity’s Tower Lifeboat Station in central London.
During the visit last Thursday, the Prince and Princess met staff and volunteers working on the River Thames and were seen laughing as they boarded an E-class lifeboat. Hello Magazine reported that lead lifeguard supervisor Ms Sydney Horsted said the pair were “just a normal couple” behind the scenes, adding they were “really interested and really engaged” in the work being carried out.
Ms Horsted said the day involved “a lot of laughter and a lot of humour”, and recalled sailing alongside the couple on a smaller rescue craft as they travelled on the Thames, describing them as smiling and appearing to enjoy the boat ride. She also said the royals asked questions about water safety, discussed how Thames conditions differ from the beach, and spoke about preparations for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
The outing also included a stop at Borough Market earlier in the day, where the pair made coffees and sampled food before taking sweet treats to share with the lifeboat crew, including cookies, carrot cake and cinnamon rolls. The market moment echoed a detail previously highlighted when Prince William explained why he skipped Kate’s coffee during the same appearance.
The visit marked a “full circle” engagement for the couple, as their first official joint outing in 2011 was connected to the RNLI when they dedicated a new lifeboat in Anglesey, months before their wedding.
