Princess of Wales follows King Charles's advice with surprise visit to centre close to his heart

The workers were in disbelief when the royal made the detour to pop in and say hello.

The Princess of Wales's appearance came after a busy day in Wales, during which she visited a shop that raises money for a charity she supports.

Catherine spoke to volunteers and embraced a member of staff at the shop in Lampeter, West Wales.

Next door to one of her other scheduled visits, the princess told workers that she could not resist coming in and taking a look around.

"She thanked both the volunteers and staff, chatted while taking photos, and insisted on quickly seeing the haberdashery section despite her team advising she didn't have time.

"She also signed our customer comments book", Maree Thomas, Regional Sales Manager for Tŷ Hafan, shared with People's Magazine.

The manager continued: "[She] didn't have time to browse or make purchases, but she spent around 10 minutes with us in our shop before heading outside to greet the crowd.

"Although the visit was brief and unplanned, [she] clearly took time out for us and was very engaged and we were thrilled to welcome her and her team. We were all over the moon and on a real high following this special event."

The store raises money for the Ty Hafan children's hospice, which the Princess of Wales incorporated as one of her causes in January 2025.

She spent time with children at the hospice during the visit that day, as well as at a "stay and play" session.

Ms Thomas said it was clear Catherine "understands the importance of local communities supporting one another and recognises how vital our shops are in their communities and for hospice families".

The princess also spoke about her first visit to the charity, saying she "loved her recent visit to the hospice and felt the teams do amazing work and it's a beautiful place".

Princess Diana became the first patron of the charity just a few years before her death in 1997.

Chief Executive of Ty Hafan, Irfon Rees, thanked Catherine for her support in a statement.

The Chief Executive said in a statement: "How fantastic that our Patron, the Princess of Wales, popped into our shop in Lampeter yesterday and spent time chatting with staff and volunteers.

"Without doubt, Her Royal Highness's impromptu visit definitely left everybody overjoyed.

"I'd like to thank the princess for everything she is doing for us. It means such a very great deal.

"And we're looking forward to being able to welcome the princess to Ty Hafan again in the near future."

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