Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Crack-Up After Care Home Resident Pokes Fun At Them
A senior citizen didn’t hold back when it came to describing the royal couple’s Bing calling skills during their visit to Cardiff. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a visit to Shire Hall Care Home, located in the Welsh capital, and there they finally met with an especially critical old lady.
Three months before, the couple made a video call with the staff and residents from the care home, when they chatted with them and even were the ones to call out the numbers for their weekly bingo session. During that engagement, Joan Drew-Smith, 87, wasn’t particularly impressed by how the royal was calling out the numbers, saying it ‘wasn’t as good as it should have been’. And now they got to meet her in person, with the Duke saying: ‘Hello Joan, do you remember we did the bingo with you? You said we weren’t very good!’
‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘You did a b*****y s****y job.’
At first, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were taken aback by the bluntly honest comments but quickly exploded in a fit of laughter. Later the two got some praise as well. Margaret Stocks, 95, winner of the virtual game had this to say: ‘I did enjoy it,’ she told them. ‘I hadn’t played it before.’
Neither had we!’ replied the Duchess. ‘That’s why we were so bad!’
‘We enjoyed it just as much as you did,’ William added. ‘It was a new experience for us.’
The visit was done by following every protocol in place for the pandemic, with Prince William and Kate Middleton sporting a mask for the duration of the visit.
The Duke, who donned a blue fabric face covering, told Joan: ‘We have to wear masks because of the virus, but it’s difficult to hear sometimes when you can’t see someone’s mouth.’
‘Is that your assistant?’ Joan asked him, pointing at Kate. ‘Well I am your assistant,’ laughed Kate, putting a hand on her husband’s shoulder. ‘I have been for a long time!’
The meeting took place in a marquee set up for afternoon team just as the heavens opened up.
‘We timed it right!’ said the Duke, who later told staff: ‘I love Joan, she’s brilliant. If only everyone was as honest as her.’
Shire Hall provides senior citizens with residential, nursing and dementia care services, and is part of Hallmark Care Homes, a family-run care provider with 20 care homes all over England and Wales.
Staff discusses the measures that have been put in place in order for the residents to have safe visits from family members and friends.
Despite this being the first official time the couple have been there in person, the two already had an engagement with the facility earlier this year through a video call. During that ‘engagement’, done safely from their home Anmer Hall in Norfolk, the two thanked each and every member of the staff there for their tireless efforts to continue to look after the most vulnerable in our society.
During the chat, Prince William showed his concern about the young and the ‘implications of school being missed’ during corona crisis. The royals took turns taking out balls for the bingo game, laughing away as they did it, calling out numbers for the senior citizens that tuned in for the weekly game.
William told them: ‘Catherine is going to pick out the first ball,’ as Kate held it up to the screen for the residents to see, as she announced: ‘So, the first number is five and eight, 58.’
William then chose a ball and held it up to the screen, calling out: ‘One little duck, number two,’ followed by Kate calling out the next two balls: ‘Eight and seven, 87. Six and two, tickety-boo.’
Hearing Ms Drew-Smith call out ‘I won!’ the couple clapped, and William congratulated her.
‘Hi Joan,’ said Kate. ‘Well done!’