For their first 'away day' of 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Coventry for a day of engagements. The couple's visit was planned as an opportunity to congratulate Coventry on becoming the new UK City of Culture and open Coventry University�s new Science and Health Building.


There's been a great atmosphere surrounding the visit. Lord Mayor of Coventry, Councillor Tony Skipper told The Coventry Telegraph:

�It�s going to be another memorable day for our city and we�re looking forward to seeing many Coventry people there, waving flags and cheering for our Royal visitors.
�We want people from right across the city, young and old, to help give the Duke and Duchess a warm Coventry welcome and show how proud we are to be UK City of Culture in 2021.�

Local children cheer as the royals arrive.


Victoria Murphy shared a video of Kate thanking the lady who helped organise the programme for the day.


The day began at Coventry Cathedral where the couple met members of the public before going inside.


Kate chatted with locals who waited for hours to meet the couple.


The Duchess received a selection of flowers and teddy bears.


People reports:

The couple arrived to cheers from hundreds of flag-waving schoolchildren from the local Sacred Heart School. Among them, was Darcy Hayes, 9, who gave Kate some bright orange flowers. �She said her son George will love the flowers because he loves orange � and police colors. I told them I had an American girl doll for Christmas and William said Charlotte loves dolls,� said Hayes. �They were nice and cheerful.�
When William and Kate were last in the English Midlands, they visited a famous whistle factory in Birmingham. There, they were given whistles. 
Seeing them again, Connie Hudson � wife of the High Sheriff of the West Midlands, who was in the welcoming committee at the cathedral � said she asked William, �Did you actually give the whistles to the children or did you chicken out?� Continued Hudson, �And he said �We did give them but they soon found their way into a cupboard because of the noise!� �I said to the duchess that she�s �blossoming� because she was just getting over the awful sickness when we last saw her,� said Hudson. �She�s doing well now and it�s an exciting year to look forward to with the baby and the wedding. What�s not to like?�

Kate was accompanied by her private secretary Catherine Quinn and RPO Emma Probert.


A video from the walkabout.


The Mail online reports Kate came to the aid of a sick boy.

'The Duchess came to the rescue of a 10-year-old boy who felt unwell after waiting three hours in the cold to see her. When she spotted that he was not well, she turned to one of her police protection officers for a sickbag. 'Princess Kate came over and give him a sickbag, our little Craig,' said Carole Flynn, a learning mentor at the school. 'I think he was a little bit overcome.'
The Duchess met Craig Skipper, a pupil at Corpus Christi primary school, on a walkabout outside Coventry Cathedral. Ms Flynn said: 'He went quite pale. She came over to speak to him, and noticed he was not very well. She asked if he was OK. She bent down, and was concerned.' The duchess then went over to talk to one of her police bodyguards, and came back with a brown paper bag of the type used by cafes for takeaway coffee and sandwiches. It was lovely of her,' said Ms Flynn. 'She really took time with him. You can tell she is a mum, and has got that caring side.'

The Cathedral has a fascinating history. St Michael's Church was largely constructed between the late 14th century and early 15th century. It was one of the largest parish churches in England when, in 1918, it was elevated to cathedral status on the creation of Coventry Diocese. This St Michael's Cathedral now stands ruined, bombed almost to destruction during the Coventry Blitz of 14 November 1940 by the German Luftwaffe. Only the tower, spire, the outer wall and the bronze effigy and tomb of its first bishop, Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs, survived. The ruins of this older cathedral remain hallowed ground and are listed at Grade I.


Following the bombing of the medieval cathedral in 1940, Provost Richard Howard had the words "Father Forgive" inscribed on the wall behind the altar of the ruined building. Theories claiming Winston Churchill had prior knowledge but chose not to act, because it would have alerted Adolf Hitler to the fact the Allies had recently cracked the Nazis' top-secret Enigma codes, only added to the fallout. The theory has never been proven.


William and Kate were given a short tour of the ruins of the original building


Afterwards, they met members of the local community gathered there.


The Duke and Duchess proceeded into the new cathedral, completed in 1962 and consecrated that year in the presence of the Queen.


The new Cathedral.


They heard about the history of the Cathedral before taking part in the Coventry Litany of Reconciliation. The Litany is prayed by those inspired by the story of Coventry Cathedral, aimed at healing the wounds of history and building a culture of peace. Written in 1958 by Rev Joseph Poole. It is a prayer that has been in use for decades and continues to be prayed each weekday at noon in a short ceremony in Coventry Cathedral as well as by thousands of people around the world.


The Coventry Litany of Reconciliation:

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,
FATHER FORGIVE
The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,
FATHER FORGIVE
The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,
FATHER FORGIVE
Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,
FATHER FORGIVE
Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,
FATHER FORGIVE
The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children,
FATHER FORGIVE
The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,
FATHER FORGIVE
Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Coventry Cathedral shared this image of the couple leaving.


The couple enjoyed a cup of tea with staff and volunteers at the Rising Caf�, a social enterprise aimed at providing work and opportunity for those overcoming drug and alcohol addictions.


The Express reports: William said that Charlotte would like the princess cake - and described the Union Jack one as �very patriotic�. He added: �You should be on Bake Off.�


A selection of beautifully decorated cakes, scones and afternoon tea were prepared for the royals.


Kate revealed she isn't a fan of almond milk. More from the Evening Standard:

'Ms Gardener, who lives in Birmingham, revealed how the best planned royal visits can have slip-ups. �We put almond milk on the table, because we had read that she had it. She said, �Don�t believe everything you read - I don�t even like almond milk.'

From there, the Duke and Duchess travelled on to Coventry University to open the new Science and Health Building.


William and Kate with staff.


And shared a lighthearted moment with a patient.


The University is one of the fastest growing in the country, with more than 26,000 students. The �59 million Science and Health Building trains nurses, midwives, paramedics and other health professionals using the latest technology and simulation methods. It is the only facility of its kind in the UK, where students can learn to care for a patient at every stage of their medical experience; from paramedics arriving at their house and their ambulance journey, to their stay in hospital, through to their rehabilitation at home.


William and Kate met students before following the journey of a fictional patient through the various areas of specialty taught at the faculty, from the Paramedic Ambulance Simulator and operating theatre to the rehabilitation area and adapted living 'houses'.


The couple met 'Meti-Man'... A state-of-the-art patient simulator, who needs and responds to care like a real life patient.


Time for a 'wiggle dance' during a communications training session :)

William and Kate officially opened the Science and Health building.


Finally, the Duke and Duchess saw first-hand the work of the Positive Youth Foundation in the city.


The Foundation works with young people who find themselves living in challenging circumstances. It provides education programmes for excluded young people or those at risk of a range of social issues. The Foundation also provides community sessions for young people newly arrived into the UK and a variety of other support programmes, working with over 2,500 young people each year. The charity formed an integral part of Coventry�s successful UK City of Culture 2021 bid.


The Duchess joined a discussion about mental health.


Meanwhile, William headed to the sports and music area. James Ogundare, 18, spoke to Prince William on his visit. He said: �He was a genuine guy, he enjoyed our games and I was telling him he would take it away with him. I wish he could have joined in but he didn�t want his suit to rip! He enjoyed our energy. That�s why all of us come because this is who we are. We had to tone it down a bit so Kate could hear. We were excited and nervous but the excitement took over. We were just ourselves and relaxed.�


More from the Foundation:

'The Positive Youth Foundation has been working with young people for over two decades across Coventry. Many young people in challenging circumstances are dealing with issues related to poverty, the lure of gangs and family concerns. All of which can have a profound effect on their future lifestyle choices.
At the Positive Youth Foundation, we work with young people to help them overcome their barriers through targeted provision across multiple areas of engagement. For the young people of Coventry, the chance to talk to their Highnesses is an incredibly inspiring and significant moment for them.
Rashid Bhayat, CEO of Positive Youth Foundation, said: �The Positive Youth Foundation support young people through targeted education, health, creative and social-engagement programmes'

The couple met staff and volunteers.


William and Kate watched a performance from young people.


The Duchess brought back the cerise pink Mulberry coat she debuted in New York in 2014. Kate has repeated a number of looks from the maternity wardrobe she wore when expecting Charlotte.


The �2,600 coat was described this way: 'A double-breasted coat is a timeless winter style with a reassuringly classic silhouette. Updated in vibrant cerise, this version has beautiful finishing details including elegant horn buttons and contrasting midnight blue lining.'

Mulberry

A closer look.

Mulberry

Middleton Maven shared an excellent Repli-Kate for the coat; the L.K. Bennett Bay Raspberry Coat.

L.K. Bennett

Kate wore her much loved TOD's suede pumps.

TOD's

Kate accessorised with her Kiki McDonough Morganite earrings.

Kiki McDonough

The Duchess carried her black suede Mulberry clutch and wore Cornelia James Beatrice gloves.


A lovely day in Coventry with an excellent itinerary!


The Duchess has two engagements tomorrow. First, she will visit Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) to officially open the Mittal Children's Medical Centre, home to the new Premier Inn Clinical Building. Later that afternoon, the Duchess will visit Bond Primary School in Mitcham to see the work of the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative