The Princess of Wales expressed her eagerness to spend the upcoming half-term holidays with her children during a visit to Norfolk on Thursday. Catherine, 44, made the remarks while engaging with patrons at Cafe 98, a small café located within an East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH) charity shop in Hoveton. The visit, kept low-profile due to the café’s limited space, included interactions with both staff and customers.

During her stay, the princess was asked about her children’s wellbeing at their respective schools. Catherine shared that she is looking forward to Prince George’s return home, saying she has missed him. This moment of personal candor was witnessed by Denise Ashton, 68, who was present at the café.

The visit followed an earlier stop at The Treehouse hospice in Ipswich, Suffolk, where Catherine met children receiving care and their families. She participated in a music therapy session alongside Charlotte Freegard and met four-year-old Primrose Harvey, a patient with a rare congenital heart defect. Catherine also toured the hospice’s light sensory room and inspected an ongoing expansion project, donning a hard hat and high-visibility jacket. The extension is slated for completion in 2028.

Later in the day at the EACH charity shop, the princess took time to connect with volunteers and staff. She spoke with catering manager Morgan Neary and chatted with local patrons, including a group of women who invited her to view their recent purchases. Catherine expressed enthusiasm for charity shopping, recalling her university days in St Andrews, where she frequented similar shops.

Demonstrating hands-on support, the princess assisted volunteer Christine Rich in the shop’s sorting area. Notably, she identified a moth hole on a coat and inquired whether it could still be sold. Ian Nicholson, EACH’s director of retail, indicated that such items were placed on an “imperfect rail,” adding with a lighthearted comment that the coat’s value would be doubled now that Catherine had touched it.

As patron of EACH, the Princess of Wales used this visit not only to raise awareness about the charity’s work but also to engage directly with the community and volunteers supporting children’s palliative care in East Anglia.