Lip Reader Decodes What Prince William and Princess Catherine Said Yesterday as They Mourned Queen Elizabeth

The lip readers are back! It has been a bit since we turned to the expertise of professional lip readers to decode what members of the royal family said at a specific engagement, and we now know what the Prince and Princess of Wales (allegedly, of course) said as they signed a visitor’s book at St. David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, Wales, where they visited yesterday to mark the somber occasion of the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death. Catherine—wearing a pair of Her late Majesty’s diamond and pearl earrings—appeared visibly emotional, and, after arriving to the memorial service via helicopter, Catherine laid down a bouquet of white roses in front of a framed photograph of the late Queen in full royal regalia. To show her ongoing and permanent respect for the late monarch, Catherine curtsied to her photograph.

As the couple left the cathedral, they met Patricia Maquli Porter OBE, a local flying instructor, who shared her fond memories of Queen Elizabeth. To this, Catherine replied “We all have wonderful memories of her. We have to hold on to them, cherish them.” As they signed the visitor’s book, William and Catherine exchanged words between themselves, which have been decoded by professional lip reader Jacqui Press, per The Mirror.

As they approached the visitor’s book, a staff member pointed to the beautiful handwriting. “Yes, indeed,” Catherine responded. “It’s wonderful to see what they were thinking about at that time.” William then pointed to a specific section and said, “Some great memories of the Queen.” As the two signed the book, Catherine smiled and said she “had to be conscious” of signing her name, Press said.

The Waleses took to social media to honor the late Queen, posting a carousel of photos of her and writing “Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. WC,” with the WC denoting that the post was personally from them, and not their staff.

The Daily Mail reports that fog delayed and rerouted the couple’s arrival by helicopter; William and Catherine were due to arrive at 12:25 p.m. but arrived at 1:30 p.m. because of the delay. The couple greeted well-wishers before walking inside for the 10-minute service, with Catherine even apologizing to the crowd of about 300 for their late arrival, telling the crowd, per People, “Sorry to keep everyone waiting—we are trying to get in.”

The service included prayers said in both Welsh and English, and “Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts” was sung, evoking the sadness of Her late Majesty’s funeral. The Mirror reports that the service was led by the Dean, the Very Rev. Dr. Sarah Rowland Jones, who reflected on Queen Elizabeth’s “lifelong example of faithful and devoted service.” 

After the service, per The Mirror, Catherine “even helped a lady to her feet who slipped among the crowd while waiting to meet the more than 300 people lining the cathedral grounds,” the outlet reports. Sue Wade, who was onsite and witnessed Catherine’s act of kindness, told The Mirror “What a lovely thing to do. She saw the lady slip on the bank, and she just reached her hand through the barriers and helped get her to her feet.” William also displayed his sharp sense of humor in an interaction with Wade, proving the day wasn’t totally somber: “I said to him I had heard he was tall, but I didn’t realize how tall,” Wade said. “And he said he didn’t even have his high heels on.”

St. David’s Cathedral was likely chosen not only because of William and Catherine’s role as the Prince and Princess of Wales, but also because Queen Elizabeth was the first monarch to visit St. David’s Cathedral since the Reformation, visiting in August 1955 alongside her husband, Prince Philip, during a royal tour to Wales following her Coronation two years prior.