Prince William Announces New Appearance With an Unexpected Sidekick Instead of Princess Kate
The Prince of Wales is marking a royal first this week.
As the future King, Prince William not only holds the title of Prince of Wales, but he's also known as the Duke of Cornwall—and on Tuesday, June 3, Kensington Palace announced William be marking a royal first. The Duke of Cornwall will attend The Royal Cornwall Show for the first time on Friday, June 6. But Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cornwall, won't be joining in the fun at the agricultural festival.
Prince William's aunt Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh—who serves as patron of the Association of Agricultural Show Organisations and vice president of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association—will join him at the show on Friday.
The Duchess of Edinburgh has been married to William's uncle Prince Edward since 1999 and shares a close relationship with the Prince of Wales and his family. She's said to have been an especially strong support for the Princess of Wales as she battled cancer in 2024.
Duchess Sophie is seen with Prince William at a film screening in 2023.
The Duchess of Edinburgh enjoys a close relationship with William and his family.
William, who serves as patron of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association, will be visiting the event with Sophie "to celebrate and highlight the very best in Cornish heritage and tradition through agriculture, food and drink, entertainment and competition," per Kensington Palace.
The duo will first enjoy some local food and drink at the Royal Cornwall Food and Farming Pavilion, featuring Cornish favorites like jams, cheeses, gin and other delicacies.
The royals will then head their separate ways to focus on their individual causes. Prince William will visit hubs focusing on rural mental health and nature partnerships, and will also present the Duke of Cornwall’s award for sustainable approaches to farming, forestry and/or food production.
As for Sophie, who last visited the show in 2014, she'll visit two of her patronages, Linking Environment and Farming, and Girl Guides, who have helped run the Royal Cornwall Show for many years.
While Princess Kate won't be joining them at the event, it's expected she'll participate in The King's annual birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, next Saturday, June 14.
