The Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived in Pontypridd to mark St David’s Day and learn how the community is coping following recent devastating flooding.
William and Kate were greeted by cheering crowds when they arrived at the town’s indoor market where they began their visit by meeting stallholders.
The princess has carried out a series of royal engagements in recent weeks as she makes a gradual return to public duties since completing her bout of chemotherapy last summer.
The Prince and Princess of Wales visiting Pontypridd Market in Wales (Ben Stansall/PA)
The visit, delayed by almost an hour due to train disruptions, was the couple’s first to Wales since Kate announced last March she had begun cancer treatment, a development which followed the King’s cancer diagnosis.
When Storm Bert struck in late November it brought serious damage to Wales, with the River Taff bursting its banks and bringing widespread flooding to Pontypridd, which had been badly hit by Storm Dennis in 2020.
Then a few weeks after Bert, Storm Darragh brought extremely high winds to the region.
The Princess of Wales during a visit to Pontypridd Market (Ben Stansall/PA)
William and Kate stopped at The Welsh Cake Shop, a popular retailer in the town’s market that has been a focal point for shoppers and traders for generations.
The shop owned by Theresa Conner, 46, is well known for its Welsh cakes and the other traditional Welsh tea-time treat of bara brith or speckled bread.