Prince William and his family stepped out on the red carpet to attend a Christmas show held to thank London’s essential workers.
William, his wife Kate, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, appeared together Friday at such an event for the first time to watch a traditional British pantomime performance at the Palladium.
“You have given your absolute all this year, and made remarkable sacrifices,” William said to the health service staff, teachers, emergency services workers, and researchers, gathered at the event with their own families.
The appearance followed a three-day train tour of Wales and Scotland William and Kate took earlier in the week. Though they were intending to spread Christmas cheer and thank frontline workers, they got a chilly reception from leaders in those regions.
One Welsh official said he would rather “no one was having unnecessary visits” during the coronavirus pandemic, The Associated Press reported.
More than 61,000 people in Britain have died from COVID-19, Europe’s highest total.