William And Kate Make Surprise Appearance To Mark Windrush Day
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge marked Windrush Day this Wednesday through two important engagements in central London.
Starting off at Brixton House the Cambridges visited ELEVATE, a youth programme headed by the London Borough of Lambeth which works with colleges and employers to help under 30s break into the creative industries by providing them with the necessary skills and opportunities.
Receiving a warm welcome from and meeting a younger generation of the British-Caribbean community, among other diasporas, representing the future of British talent, the royals chatted with a group of young people who were taking part in a filming and photography workshop.
Whilst William was speaking with an aspiring songwriter, Kate tried out a shoulder-mounted video camera.
Davinia Clarke, a twenty-two-year-old illustrator and visual artist, who learned how to use the camera during a course, chatted with the Duchess and later said of her: “She wanted to understand how to put it on and move it around.
“I thought, ‘Let’s try and put it on her.’ She was up for it! She did better than me. At one moment it literally just dropped off my arm. I was like, ‘Oh gosh’ She said it was really heavy, and you need a lot of upper body strength.”
For their second engagement, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Waterloo station for the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument.
Created by Jamaican artist Basil Watson, who says it had been an honor to create the monument, depicts a man, woman and child in their Sunday best standing on top of suitcases
The monument honours the Windrush Generation of British History, the thousands of men, women and children who arrived in the UK between 1948 and 1971 and with their courage, commitment and resilience helped rebuild post-war Britain.
Waterloo station was chosen as the location for the monument, as it is a common location where thousands of people who arrived from the Caribbean passed through on their way to their new lives in the UK.
The ceremony also featured a rendition of the Windrush Anthem by Nadine Benjamin OBE, a poetry reading, and a blessing from Bishop of Dover Rose Hudson-Wilkin, at the end of which members of the Windrush community unveiled the monument.
Baroness Benjamin, Michael Gove MP and the Duke of Cambridge all gave speeches commemorating the event, opening his own Prince William said: “Thank you for inviting Catherine and me. It is a privilege to be here with you all.
“Today is a day we celebrate and honour the Windrush Generation and the enormous contribution each and every one of them has made, and continue to make, to our society. I am delighted that so many of that generation and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are here today.”
“When the Windrush Generation sailed from the Caribbean to rebuild war-torn Britain, they did so as British citizens, answering a plea to help our country thrive again. Many of them were not strangers to these shores… These people didn’t have to come,” continued the Duke.
I want to say a profound thank you to every member of that generation, and the generations that have followed. And I want you to know that you can count on mine and Catherine’s continued support in helping us achieve a future they would be proud of. pic.twitter.com/QdBrH19aRR
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 22, 2022
Praising the Windrush generation he said: “They volunteered to fight for King and country – in the full knowledge that many would never make it home again. As one of the inheritors of that great military tradition, I understand how much we owe to these men and women. Today’s ceremony would not be complete without remembering their sacrifice.”
Finally thanking the community and stating their importance William said: “Without you all, Britain would simply not be what it is today.”