Prince William and Princess Kate were welcomed by huge cheers as they arrived at the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital on Thursday.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were urged to “keep going” as they resumed their royal duties, just two days after Prince Harry made an astonishing number of claims in his memoir.
As the couple got out of their car on arrival at the hospital, someone shouted: “Were you hurt by the comments in Harry’s book, Sir?” But there was no response and it was unclear whether they heard.
The Duke of Sussex wrote about a physical altercation he had with his brother William in his book, Spare, and divulged details about a row between his wife, Meghan Markle, and sister-in-law Kate.
Among the crowds clamouring to shake their hands inside was patient Sylvia Staniford, 81, who gripped William’s hand tightly and said: “Keep going, keep going. Scousers love you.”
William smiled at her warmly and replied: “Yes, I will.”
Mrs Staniford said afterwards: “Of course that was a reference to Harry. He knew what I was talking about.”
Kensington Palace declined to comment on the claims in Harry’s book.
During their outing, the Waleses visited the critical care ward to see the hospital’s new facilities and met with staff, who have been working at the hospital during the busy winter period, to thank them for their service.
The state-of-the-art hospital is the biggest in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single en-suite bedrooms, improving patient experience, safety and enhanced recovery.
Later, Prince William and Kate visited the Open Door Charity, which focuses on supporting young adults across Merseyside with their mental health, using culture and creativity as the catalyst for change.
Meanwhile, King Charles also carried out his first official engagement since the publication of his son’s book, visiting the community of Aboyne, close to the late Queen’s Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, to tour the Aboyne and Mid Deeside Community Shed and meet local hardship support groups.
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