The Prince and Princess of Wales’s day out in the countryside – best photos

On Thursday, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a special trip to Hereford for two significant events.

Their busy afternoon began with a meaningful visit to the Forest School at Madley Primary School, where outdoor learning is prioritized as part of the daily curriculum to support children’s mental and physical wellbeing.

The Forest School was established by headmaster Lee Batstone and Duchy Head Forester, Geraint Richards. Students receive weekly instruction in a forest setting. Together with subjects from the national curriculum, their program covers environmental awareness, conservation, and woodland management.

Students are also taught how to safely and correctly handle knives and other equipment, as well as how to craft things out of natural materials, in other sections of the program. In the meantime, older students have also learned how to start and keep fires for cooking purposes at the location.

For the past 12 years, Madley Primary School and the Duchy of Cornwall have partnered on the Forest School project. Since the Duchy gave Madley Primary School a woodland site designated especially for the Forest School, their collaboration has flourished.

The Duchy has increased the amount of woodland area in step with the school’s expansion since its inception.

The 41-year-old Princess Catherine wore a stylish grey tweed blazer, figure-flattering black jeans, and robust brown lace-up boots for the special occasion. She adorned herself with a basic silver pendant and wore her bouncy brunette tresses loose around her shoulders.

In contrast, Prince William, 41, looked sharp in a pale blue shirt, navy chinos, and a smart grey jacket.

Around a blazing campfire, the Prince and Princess of Wales assisted in meal preparation during their visit. Speaking to a group of kids, the couple seemed upbeat before bending down to whittle wood and assist in creating a spectacular tree den.

Later, they joined the students under a canopy where they worked hard to create sugar, cinnamon, and apple skewers as healthy substitutes for toasted marshmallows.

Princess Catherine has a special place in her heart for this cause. We are aware that the Princess of Wales considers her “life’s work” to be in the early years and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

In January 2023, she started her Shaping Us campaign. Her campaign seeks to increase public awareness of how crucial early life experiences are in forming adulthood and society at large. It seeks to emphasize how crucial it is to assist young children and those who provide care for them.

Later in the afternoon, Sam and Emily Stables, farming tenants of the Duchy of Cornwall, were met by Prince William and Princess Catherine during their visit to Kings Pitt Farm.

In an effort to de-stigmatize mental health concerns in the farming sector, Sam and Emily founded We Are Farming Minds. The nonprofit dedicates all of its efforts to helping farmers in Hereford’s rural communities who are struggling with mental health issues.

It provides fully funded access to a variety of services for farmers, such as counseling, a round-the-clock phone and text support line, free workshops on mental health awareness, and annual social events.

In order to support its recently adopted Mental Health Strategy, which intends to provide ongoing mental health support to all of its tenants—with a primary focus on farmers living in more remote communities—the Duchy of Cornwall has partnered with We are Farming Minds.

The Duchy of Cornwall passed to Prince William upon the passing of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Established in 1337 by Edward III to support his son and heir Prince Edward, dubbed the Black Prince, and all his subsequent heirs, it is one of the biggest and oldest landed estates in Britain.

Princess Catherine has consistently advocated for the importance of mental health, particularly for children and adolescents.

She has devoted her time over the years to supporting a number of mental health initiatives, including the introduction of Heads Together, Shout 85258, and the Mentally Healthy Schools initiative.

In addition, she supports several nonprofit organizations that advocate for and help individuals in need of mental health services.