The Earl and Countess of Wessex had jubilees front of mind on a visit to Lancashire on Wednesday.
Edward and Sophie paid a visit to the city of Preston, which was granted city status 20 years ago during The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, becoming England’s 50th city during The Queen’s 50th year on the throne.
During a walkabout at Preston’s indoor market, one resident told the Lancashire Post, “I came on market for some sausages and look who I bump into, Prince Edward and Sophie.”
In addition to visiting all of the vendors at the market, Edward took the opportunity to meet with first responders to thank them for their work during the coronavirus pandemic. Sophie, meanwhile, chatted with families who have resettled in the area from Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine to learn how the Preston community—and the wider UK community—have welcomed them to the country.
The royals were given a tour of the indoor market by Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park and posed at the bronze statue of the famous cartoon characters set up outside the market. The trio also spoke about some of the cartoon’s funny moments before departing for their next engagement.
The Wessexes then travelled to the Avenham and Miller Parks to meet with business owners working on a regeneration programme within Preston. The programme reimagines the use of space and how greenspace can benefit the community. During their visit, the royal couple planted a tree to mark the project’s completion after an £8 million restoration.
Following a walkabout at the parks, one man told the Lancashire Post, “It’s lovely to see the family, they are all just lovely, and you don’t expect them to want to talk to everyone but they do.”
Finally, the royal couple travelled to Lancaster Castle to see the results of restorative work done to various areas within the building and to meet with local organisations that provide pandemic support and refugee support to new residents.
