A sweet gesture. Princess Kate selected an 8-year-old girl named Elizabeth Sulkovska for a special moment at the Sandringham Estate while paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II ahead of her state funeral.
The Princess of Wales, 40, who was accompanied by Prince William for the occasion at Sandringham, England, on Thursday, September 15, picked Sulkovska from the crowd to place a stuffed corgi and a bouquet of flowers among the tributes at the gates of the estate.
Speaking with The Independent, the young girl said she was “very happy” to participate in honoring Her Majesty — who died at her Balmoral castle in Scotland on September 8 — with the royal couple.
“I went with her to put the flowers and the corgi down. She [Kate] said, ‘Where do you think we should lay the flowers?’ and I said, ‘We should put them there,’” the little one said.
Her head teacher, Gregory Hill, from Howard Junior School in King’s Lynn, also spoke with the outlet about his student’s emotional experience. “Elizabeth was overwhelmed, she cried with joy at being chosen,” Hill noted. “It’s just a wonderful, amazing opportunity.”
The teacher added that the queen’s passing had “touched a young generation.”
“The older generation obviously knew the Queen for longer but young children that haven’t experienced the queen for long on the throne still are greatly moved by her passing,” he told the publication. “[They] really want to do their best to celebrate her life and legacy and never forget her.”
Following their visit to Sandringham, well-wisher Bex Neeve told People that William, 40, noted how “hard” his grandmother’s funeral will be on Monday, September 19, while Kate stated how “overwhelming” the experience has been.
“[They were] very grateful for everyone being here. [Kate] was emotional,” Reeve continued. “They seemed like they were here to soak up all the love.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall’s outing came one day after they joined the late monarch’s children and other grandchildren at Westminster Hall. William, for his part, marched side by side with Prince Harry from the queen’s former Buckingham Palace residence to the chapel on Wednesday, September 14. The brothers were joined by their father, King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Peter Phillips as they followed behind Elizabeth’s casket.
Once the group arrived at Westminster Hall, they were joined by Kate, Queen Consort Camilla, Meghan Markle and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, for a 20-minute service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Scroll down to see more photos of Kate and William’s visit to Sandringham:
