Prince William and Kate Middleton ‘much PREFER’ video calls to face-to-face meetings because they can have ‘in depth one-on-one conversations’ with no time limit, says BBC’s Tina Daheley
- Prince William, 37, and Kate Middleton, 38, are working virtually during crisis
- BBC reporter Tina Daheley has revealed the couple ‘much prefer’ video calls
- Said Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are ‘enjoying’ speaking to people online
- She revealed: ‘They like that you can have in depth one-on-one conversations’
Prince William and Kate Middleton ‘much prefer’ video calls and virtual working to meeting people face-to-face, according to a BBC reporter who interviewed the couple last week..
The Duke, 37, and Duchess of Cambridge, 38, have been undertaking engagements virtually from their home at Anmer Hall in Norfolk since the start of the coronavirus lockdown.
The couple have released footage online as they video called their patronages and charities to offer their support, as well as speaking with schoolchildren and teachers, about how they were coping in the crisis.
Now Tina Daheley has revealed how Prince William and Kate told her they actually prefer the virtual way of working, telling the Coronavirus Newscast: ‘You don’t have to faff about with all the other stuff and only having a set amount of time and having to go somewhere and meet loads of people….They like that you can have an in-depth one-on-one conversation with people.’
BBC reporter Tina Daheley told the Coronavirus Newscast that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ‘much prefer’ video calling to meeting people face-to-face
Tina said: ‘They much prefer [it]. I’m not saying they don’t want to meet people face-to-face but they’ve really enjoyed speaking to people on video calls and using zoom.’
She explained that the couple felt the virtual way of working involved less ‘faff’, allowing them to spend more time connecting with individual people.
Meanwhile she added that her interview with the royal couple had felt remarkably ‘normal’.
She said: ‘I think the thing that people sometimes forget is that they’re members of the royal family, they can perform if you like. But the thing that always strikes me is how normal they are.
Prince William and Kate have been undertaking engagements virtually since their final public appearance on March 19
‘It did feel like I was just having a chat with people.’
She also revealed how Kate asked her how she was coping with the crisis, explaining: ‘Unexpectedly, the Duchess asked me a question.’
After Tina asked the Duke how he thought society might be changed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Duchess went on to ask the reporter her thoughts.
Tina explained: ‘She wanted to know, how society might change afterwards and the things we value. She was interested to know my feelings on that.’
The reporter revealed how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been ‘really enjoying’ virtual calls which avoid the ‘faff’ of royal face-to-face visits
In the interview, which took place last Friday, Kate and Prince William spoke about home schooling Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, during the Easter holidays without telling them and told of their fears for Prince Charles over his coronavirus diagnosis.
They said it had been ‘challenging’ to teach their three children – who they said had ‘got such stamina’, although it ‘hasn’t been all hardcore’ – but also told how they have been staying in touch with other Royal Family members using online video calls.
The Duchess talked about how the couple had kept a strict regime while home schooling their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis in the past month.
The couple said it was also important to avoid scaring their children and making it ‘too overwhelming’, but added that home schooling was ‘fun’ and the children had been pitching tents, cooking and baking.
The royal couple have undertaken a series of virtual phone calls and video chats while in lockdown (pictured, chairing a roundtable call for Public Health England’s Every Mind Matters campaign)
Prince William and Kate have been on the front lines of the royal family’s response to the virus.
They conducted their final face-to-face engagement on 19 March when they visited an NHS 111 call centre in London.
The couple have been working from their home Anmer Hall ever since.
Alongside the lengthy interview last week, the couple have shared clips online as they spoke with charities and organisations across the country via video link.
The Duke and Duchess also shared a video of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis applauding the NHS workers to support healthcare workers amid the crisis.