Prince William has been doing solo engagements almost exclusively this year, because of the Princess of Wales’s health problems and her commitment to only doing things which bring her joy. For the most part, I actually believe William prefers going solo to events, but on Tuesday, he did an event which sort of screamed out for Kate’s presence. He went to visit military families at the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment in Wiltshire. He’s the honorary Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment, and the event was just a friendly Christmas lunch where he just had to make small talk and get introduced to a lot of babies and kids. That’s what made me think of Kate – while Kate has never been good at speaking (in general), she’s usually able to get through these kinds of family-oriented engagements by talking about kids and asking to hold the babies. William never asks to hold the babies and he’s not great at talking to kids. He did get to greet a ram though. William was told that Private Derby (the ram who is the regiment’s mascot) would spend the holiday in a “field full of ewes,” to which William replied, “So he has quite a fun Christmas. Oh, good luck to him.” LOL.

What to buy the man who has everything at Christmas? If the Prince of Wales is anything to go by, the answer is simple: a Christmas jumper. Prince William, who said he would spend Dec 25 with 45 members of the extended Royal family, found himself among a sea of festive jumpers as he handed out Christmas presents to military families on Tuesday, as Colonel-in-Chief of 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment in Wiltshire. Asked why he was not wearing his own, he pointed to himself and said: “Some people don’t own one.”

Sharing details of his own Christmas plans, he said he would spend the day with 45 members of his family “all in one room” but “normally spread out”, and hoped for a long walk including the dogs. “Am I ready for Christmas?” he laughed. “No, no way am I ready.”

The Wales family will spend the festive season in Norfolk, staying at their home of Anmer Hall and joining the Royal family at Sandringham for their annual outing to church and lunch on Christmas Day. They traditionally open presents on Christmas Eve, in the German style.

The Prince of Wales, 42, today started the festivities early, as he met soldiers and their families at Picton Barracks, Bulford Camp, in Wiltshire, for lunch. Receiving Christmas cards for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis in return, he was particularly charmed by a drawing of himself, putting it in his pocket to take home. He was handed it by Karson Heighway, ten, who had drawn it on a Post-it note and asked “Is that me?” before folding it up and tucking it in his breast pocket.

Dylan Potter, 14, made the Prince laugh after revealing he was wearing two Christmas jumpers.
He said afterward: “I asked what does a prince do for fun? He said he likes watching movies and hanging out with his children but because he is over 40 finds fun hard to come by.”

Prince William also disclosed that he has been watching Netflix at home with the Princess, including Black Dove which stars Keira Knightley.

He chose not to put on a Santa hat and, when asked why he was not wearing a jumper, pointed at his new equerry and joked: “I didn’t know, you see that guy in the jacket, it’s his fault and I will be having a word.”

[From The Telegraph]

“He chose not to put on a Santa hat.” He was handed a Santa hat and he refused to put it on, because he wants everyone to see his suspicious new baby-hairs on his bald-ass head. William isn’t just dull, he just has no whimsy or festive spirit. Put on the Santa hat! Hold the babies! Wear a fruity holiday sweater! For the love of God. William is trying so hard to seem both cool and serious, he comes across like the Windsor Grinch. (Charles would have put on the hat! Harry would have worn the ugliest Christmas sweater!)

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.