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Kate Middleton has missed having Prince George at home since his move to boarding school, according to a shopper who spoke with her during a royal outing.<\/p>\n
Denise Ashton, 68, shared that account with the Press Association<\/a> after the princess approached her table at Caf\u00e9 98 in Hoveton, Norfolk, on October 22. Their conversation turned to the approaching school holidays.<\/p>\n George, 13, began attending Eton College in September, following his father, Prince William. His younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, remain at Lambrook, where the three previously studied together.<\/p>\n The surprise caf\u00e9 stop supported East Anglia\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospices, known as EACH. Kate has been its royal patron since January 2012, and the visit gave her a chance to hear from the volunteers who help fund its care.<\/p>\n A post shared by HELLO! Magazine (@hellomag)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n In another exchange, a child told Kate that Thursday was his final day of school before the holidays. The princess responded with some enthusiasm of her own. \u201cMy children break up tomorrow, and I can\u2019t wait to have them all home,\u201d she said, according to HELLO!<\/a>.<\/p>\n Her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, were looking forward to the break too. In a short video shared by the magazine, Kate described the holidays as an opportunity to catch up on family life.<\/p>\n The school\u2019s official calendar<\/a> lists autumn Long Leave from October 23 through November 8. It is George\u2019s first extended break at Eton, although the schedule already included shorter opportunities to leave campus. Students had Short Leave from October 2 to 4 and an optional weekend away in September. <\/p>\n Eton\u2019s boarding arrangements<\/a> allow regular contact with families. Parents can attend sporting events, concerts and other activities, and some take their sons out on Sunday afternoons.<\/p>\n Each boy has his own room in a boarding house of approximately 55 pupils. A housemaster and dame oversee daily life, while older students help newcomers settle into their house communities.<\/p>\n While speaking with Essie Landsborough, 75, Kate examined the shopper\u2019s purchase: port-sipper glasses shaped like tobacco pipes. \u201cI love going round a charity shop,\u201d the princess told her, recalling the shops she visited while studying at the University of St Andrews. She compared browsing the donations to a treasure hunt.<\/p>\n Upstairs, volunteer Christine Rich showed Kate how donated clothing was checked and sorted. An expensive-looking coat had suffered moth damage, earning a disappointed response before it went into the pile for imperfect items.<\/p>\n The retail operation provides substantial support for EACH. Its 58 shops are expected to contribute approximately \u00a33 million to the charity during 2026.<\/p>\n Caf\u00e9 98 opened in November 2024. Its name commemorates the 1998 merger of Quidenham and Milton children\u2019s hospices that created the organization.<\/p>\n A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n Earlier in the day, Kate visited The Treehouse in Ipswich, Suffolk. She officially opened the hospice in March 2012, delivering her first public speech as a member of the royal family.<\/p>\n During a music therapy session, 13-year-old Charlotte Freegard sang Ed Sheeran\u2019s \u201cPerfect\u201d while Kate listened beside the piano. \u201cCharlotte, that was beautifully sung. Well done you,\u201d she said, according to ITV News<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kate also explored a sensory room with special lighting, a water bed and a projector. She met bereaved families who described the importance of continued support after a child\u2019s death, including help for siblings.<\/p>\n Wearing a hard hat and high-visibility jacket, Kate toured construction work on additional care and family facilities. The charity\u2019s expansion plans<\/a> explain how a larger hydrotherapy pool will let whole families swim together. A private entrance to the new wellbeing and therapies suite will allow bereaved relatives to reach support without crossing the hospice\u2019s care floor.<\/p>\n A separate activity area will help prevent family events from being canceled when another child is receiving end-of-life care. The development also includes a dedicated teenage space, another bedroom and expanded kitchen and dining facilities. In its October 23 update<\/a>, EACH said it still needed to raise \u00a31.4 million to complete the project by spring 2028.<\/p>\nKate Says She \u2018Can\u2019t Wait\u2019 to Have All Three Children Home<\/h2>\n
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Eton\u2019s Long Leave Gives George More Than Two Weeks Off<\/h2>\n
Kate Inspects a Charity-Shop Find and a Moth-Damaged Coat<\/h2>\n
Kate Returns to the Hospice Where She Made Her First Royal Speech<\/h2>\n
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The Treehouse Expansion Will Give Families More Space Together<\/h2>\n