Princess Charlotte comically repeated a well-known French catchphrase after being told she would be volunteering for the evening at a charity.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, was seen taking her eight-year-old daughter, as well as sons Prince George, 10, and Prince Louis, five, to The Baby Bank in Windsor to help with the Christmas Pyjama appeal. Footage captured by filmmaker Will Warr – who has worked with Kate and Prince William before – showcased the secret outing last month, and saw the royal kids packing gift bags of clothes.
The heartfelt clip was posted on the Wales’ social media channels today and shows Kate pulling up in a car with the children before they all take in donations from the boot. Once inside, Kate explains to the youngsters they are going to be volunteering for the evening, to which Charlotte says “Ooh la la” – a favourite phrase of the young princess, who was first heard using in 2019 when visiting her mum’s Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.
The phrase is used for showing surprise, admiration, or excitement about something, and originates in France. The video then shows them getting to work by picking out toys for children and adding them to gift bags. Louis, in a Fair Isle jumper, picks out a King Kong toy for one boy saying “this is a big guy” before they write out gift tags. Later, Kate, dressed casually in jeans and a roll-neck jumper, tells the children they have to sort through some bags full of donated clothes, with Louis, emptying the bags, Charlotte neatly folding the items, while a colourful shirt catches George’s eye. In one sweet moment, Princess Charlotte, in a red jumper and denim skirt, can be seen giggling with her mum as they find a babygro that features a Welsh flag.
In a further clip, Kate tells George how rewarding the work can be as she puts a protective arm around him and he agrees. The video then ends with the children and their mum carrying the gift bags ready for them to be donated to needy families and the message: “Thank you to everyone who so generously supports Baby Banks across the country.”
The Baby Bank at Windsor was set up by two local mothers in 2015 and has since supported more than 24,000 families in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, which despite being close to Windsor Castle has huge pockets of deprivation. The cost of living crisis has seen a dramatic rise in referrals, with the team helping a further 300 in the first three months of this year alone, with everything from newborn starter kits to nappies, buggies and beds.
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Unlike other baby banks, it provided clothes, including school uniforms, for children up until the age of 16. The visit follows the launch of an initiative at the end of November by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood to support families with young children in the lead-up to Christmas.
Just last month, Kate helped out at a Baby Bank and spoke of the “desperate” times families are suffering due to the cost of living crisis. The princess toured Sebby’s Corner, a baby bank in Barnet, north London, where she helped volunteers decorate a Christmas grotto filled with toys and called for the service provided by the organisations, which distribute everything from nappies to baby clothes to families in need, to be “normalised”.
Her visit coincided with the awareness campaign for Baby Banks for the festive season. It came as The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood published an “Issues Index”, which found that a third of the general public cite financial pressures as the biggest issue facing parents and carers in 2023.
She said: “All those who are looking after young children and babies, it’s such a vital role you play, being able to have support from community and support from a network, it is really vital and essential, not only for children but also for parents. There are so many families in challenging circumstances. Every child should have the basic essentials. The needs are really huge.
“Hundreds of volunteers help out at Baby Banks which also work as a safe space for parents to meet and chat.” Kate added: “It’s amazing how generous people are. There is a real willingness to give back sometimes people don’t know how to support so part of raising awareness here helping everyone know what they can do, it’s not only donations but giving time back.
English