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Princess Kate isn’t expecting any elaborate floral arrangements from her husband Prince William this February 14th.
The Princess of Wales paid a visit to the Leeds Kirkgate Market in Leeds, England on Tuesday where she spoke with local vendors about the upcoming romantic holiday. The royal was there to promote the kickoff of her new Shaping Us campaign focused on a cause she’s long championed, raising awareness surrounding the importance of the first five years of a child’s life. This is just one of the many initiatives spearheaded by her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which was founded in June 2021. The royal also has a personal connection to the city of Leeds as it’s where her father Michael Middleton was born, and the county of Yorkshire is where many of her family’s ancestors hailed from.
During her stroll through the local market, Kate stopped at a flower stall where florist Neil Ashcroft offered her some hyacinths while they talked about his business. As Valentine’s Day is just two weeks away, Ashcroft told the princess, “No doubt William will be buying you some red roses.” But he said that she replied, “I don’t think he will do.” The florist, who has had a stall at the market for the last 32 years, added that he just wished he’d been able to sell the royal something while she was there. “I offered her a discount. I said I would give her a card and knock off the VAT [tax],” Ashcroft said. But even so, he revealed that he enjoyed his chat with Princess Kate who “acted very genuine.”
While Kate may not be receiving any roses from William this year, he has sent her plenty of flowers in the past. The princess previously revealed that the year after she got married, in 2012, her husband sent her a card and some flowers for their first Valentine’s Day as newlyweds as they had to spend it apart due to his deployment as a helicopter pilot for the Royal Air Force.
During her visit to the market, the royal also chatted with several vendors and fellow shoppers, sharing information about her shaping Us campaign and the necessity of early childhood development. At one point, she stopped to speak with Louise Keith and her 8-month-old baby Sadie, who told People about their conversation. “We told her how Leeds is such a great place to bring up kids,” she said. “Her campaign is a great initiative. It’s good for people who need it. We are fortunate that we have a good community network around us, but it’s good for those who don’t.”
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