Kate Middleton and Prince William Mark Beginning of U.K. Black History Month with Visit to Wales

The Prince and Princess of Wales marked the United Kingdom’s observance of Black History Month with a visit to their home territory.

Princess Kate and Prince William trekked to Cardiff Tuesday for an event commemorating Black History Month, celebrated in October in the UK, as well as the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush to London. The Empire Windrush was a liner carrying around 1,000 mostly West Indian passengers from Jamaica to London, with nearly 800 aboard listing their last place of residence as a Caribbean locale, and about 700 of those saying they planned to make a home in England. Immigrants from this period are often referred to as the “Windrush generation.”

The Waleses met with members of groups supporting diversity and growth in Wales, including representatives of the Windrush Cymru Elders, Black History Cymru 365, and the Ethnic Minority Youth Forum. Continuing in the theme of Princess Kate’s work with children, the royals also met with elementary school-aged kids. An 11-year-old named Gracie said that she and Kate had talked about what she learned in school, including lessons about Windrush, and how much she loved math.

“I said I like maths and like our teachers teaching us,” she told People. “And she said I could teach [Prince] George some maths!”

Another student, 8-year-old Lilly, told the outlet that after shaking hands with the royal couple, she had no immediate plans to suds away any royal traces that may be lingering.

“I’m not going to wash my hands now,” she said. “This one was Prince William and this one was Kate,” she said.

The UK marks “Windrush Day” annually on June 22, and Prince William will reportedly also appear in a documentary about the Windrush Generation in Britain later this month.

The monarchy’s legacy with immigrants, former colonies, and the Black community at large is complicated: Last year, when the Waleses toured the Caribbean, they were met with protests, and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness informed them that the country intended to become a republic and remove Queen Elizabeth (before she died) as head of state.

At a 2022 Windrush Day event unveiling a new monument in Britain, William reflected on the controversial trip: “Our trip was an opportunity to reflect and we learned so much,” he said. “Not just about the different issues that matter most to the people of the region, but also about how the past weighs heavily on the present.”

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