EXCLUSIVE Tears of joy at meeting a ‘real life Princess’: Mother of girl, eight, who was picked out of crowd by Kate to lay flowers for the Queen says her daughter shed tears of happiness
- New Princess of Wales was yesterday at the late monarch’s Norfolk residence looking at the sea of tributes
- She spotted and spoke to Elizabeth Sulkovska, 8, who was clutching a bouquet of flowers and a corgi teddy
- The new Princess of Wales picked the schoolgirl out to place her own personal tribute to the late monarch
- Young Elizabeth, who was left ‘overwhelmed’ sobbed and had tears in her eyes as she recalled the moment
- Her mother Viktorija, 44, says her youngest daughter that Elizabeth will ‘never forget the day she met Kate’
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
The mother of an eight-year-old schoolgirl picked out of the crowd to lay flowers for the Queen by Princess Kate has told how her daughter cried tears of happiness at meeting a ‘real life Princess’.
In a touching moment the new Princess of Wales asked Elizabeth Sulkovska if she would like to lay a bouquet and Corgi toy she had with her by the gates at Sandringham, while she and husband William chatted to crowds.
The new Princess of Wales, 40, was yesterday at the late monarch’s Norfolk residence looking at the sea of tributes to the Queen and chatting to crowds with husband William.
She spotted and spoke to schoolgirl Elizabeth Sulkovska, who was clutching a bouquet of flowers and a corgi teddy, and invited her to walk alongside her to leave her own personal gift to Her Majesty.
The eight-year-old sobbed and had tears in her eyes as she recalled the moment: ‘I went with her to put the flowers and the corgi down. She said, ‘Where do you think we should lay the flowers?’ and I said ‘We should put them there’.’
As she placed the flowers on the ground Kate tenderly put an arm on her shoulder to reassure Elizabeth as she was left in tears by the meeting which drew applause from the crowd.
Elizabeth’s mum, Viktorija, 44, from nearby Kings Lynn, had no idea her daughter had been so lucky – with the first she knew what had happened was when she was called by headteacher Gregory Hill, from the Howard Junior School.
Courier driver Viktorija told MailOnline: ‘I knew the school was going to Sandringham to lay flowers but I had no idea Kate had personally picked Elizabeth to lay some flowers by the gates. It was only when the school called me an told me that a TV crew wanted to interview her that I found out what happened.
‘When she came home Elizabeth was so happy, she was crying tears of joy and she told me that Kate was very nice and that she was so happy to have met a real life Princess.
‘She is an eight-year-old girl and princes and princesses are the things she loves.
‘I’m so proud of her and we had a joke that she is called Elizabeth and I am called Viktorija and maybe we should have named my eldest son William or Charles and then we would have been a copy of the royal family.’
Viltorija, who moved to Norfolk from Latvia, in 2009, and has a grown up son and a teenage daughter, added:’ The children were all so jealous, after seeing Elizabeth on the news and we have told all the family in Latvia who just can’t believe it.
The new Princess of Wales, 40, was at the late monarch’s Norfolk residence looking at the sea of tributes to the Queen with husband William. She also spoke to crowds and spotted schoolgirl Elizabeth Sulkovska, eight, clutching a bouquet of flowers and a corgi teddy
The Princess of Wales, carrying a bouquet, guides young Elizabeth over to where she can leave a stuffed corgi toy
‘We are all so proud of her and will be keeping all the newspapers with her picture. Elizabeth asked if we could go to the funeral in London or the lying in state but the queue seems so long and I don’t think it would be fair on her to wait 30 hours.
‘We don’t have a royal family in Latvia but we are big fans of the British royal family and the news of the Queen’s death has been covered in Latvia and we are all very sad about it.
‘I’m sure Elizabeth will never forget the day she met the Princess and we will have to get the pictures of her meeting Kate framed.’
Elizabeth’s headteacher, Gregory Hill from Howard Junior School in King’s Lynn, added: ‘Elizabeth was overwhelmed, she cried with joy at being chosen. It’s just a wonderful, amazing opportunity.’
Mr Hill said that the death of the Queen has also ‘touched a young generation.’
He said: ‘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, and really want to do their best to celebrate her life and legacy and never forget her.’
Princess Kate and William – who will visit an army training centre in Surrey later today to meet troops taking part in the funeral arrangements – had both noticed a Paddington Bear tribute that pupils from Howard Hill Junior School had made and said that the logo on the badge was the same as their school uniform.
With King Charles III enjoying a much-deserved rest at his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire yesterday, the rest of his family took up the mantle – with Sophie, Countess of Wessex, hugging mourners in Manchester and Princess Anne visiting Glasgow.
The eight-year-old, who was in the crowd with friends, was then chosen by Kate to walk up to the sea of tributes and lay her own among them
Catherine, the Princess of Wales talks to and comforts Elizabeth as she views the flowers left in tribute to the Queen
The eight-year-old sobbed and had tears in her eyes as she recalled the moment: ‘I went with her to put the flowers and the corgi down. She said, ‘Where do you think we should lay the flowers?’ and I said ‘We should put them there’.’
During the Sandringham visit with her husband William, Kate was asked by Jo from Norfolk how her children Louis, Charlotte and George were coping after losing their great-grandmother
Prince William joked that Paddington has ‘knocked the Corgi off the top spot’ and that the Queen’s beloved pets ‘won’t take that very well’ when visiting mourners in Sandringham today
One well-wisher, Gemma Schultz, spoke to William after he noticed her baby wearing a top with Paddington on it and commented about the bear’s popularity following the Queen’s skit with the marmalade sandwich-loving character for her Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in June
The Prince joked: ‘I was saying, I think Paddington might have knocked the Corgi off the top spot now. The Corgis won’t take that very well.’
The Prince and Princess of Wales inspecting flowers left by well-wishers outside Sandringham in Norfolk this afternoon
The Prince and Princess of Wales thanked well-wishers at Sandringham this afternoon in a post on their Twitter account
William and Kate, both 40, began yesterday’s visit by stepping out of a dark Range Rover near to the estate’s historic Norwich Gates where they warmly greeted by huge crowds who had waited behind metal barriers to see them.
One well-wisher, Gemma Schultz, spoke to William after he noticed her baby wearing a top with Paddington on it and commented about the bear’s popularity following the Queen’s skit with the marmalade sandwich-loving character for her Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in June.
The Prince joked: ‘I was saying, I think Paddington might have knocked the Corgi off the top spot now. The Corgis won’t take that very well.’
Following the discussion, Gemma told BBC News that William and Kate were ‘nice and genuine people’, adding: ‘We spoke to William and we spoke to Kate, they both said about his little outfits, how nice they were… All the things that they are doing for everyone is just so nice.’
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who stayed for almost an hour, chatting to royal fans young and old, looked deep in thought as they read the messages on the sea of floral tributes that have been left behind at the gates to the royal residence.
William told a woman waiting in the crowds that yesterday’s procession was ‘very difficult’ and ‘brought back a few memories’ of walking behind his mother Diana’s coffin, before – close to tears – saying to her: ‘Don’t cry now, you’ll start me off’.
William was also heard telling a mourner the Queen was ‘everyone’s grandmother’, and saying Prince George, nine, understood that she had died but Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, less so. Meanwhile, Kate told a woman she would burst into tears if she read too many sympathy cards.
Fran Morgan, 62, spoke to Kate as she and William spoke to the vast crowd that had come to see them at Sandringham, the Queen’s estate in Norfolk. Recalling their conversation, Mrs Morgan said: ‘She said she couldn’t believe how many cards and flowers there were. But she also said: ”I can’t read them all or I would cry”.’
One visitor who missed the entire visit was three-month old Eddie Shakespeare who fell asleep just as the Royal couple arrived.
His mother Maisie, 27, from Cambridgeshire, said: ‘I was going to wake him up and show him to Kate, but I didn’t have the heart. She thanked me for coming and said that all the sympathy meant a lot to her and William. I’m glad I came, but as for Eddie, I’ll just have to tell him about it when he’s older!’
Kate was pictured speaking to a mother and her young child in the crowd as she met mourners at Sandringham yesterday
William also spoke to crowd members, telling them that it was a hard time for the family and had reminded him of his mother’s 1997 death. Pictured: William speaks to the schoolchildren Kate also met
Kate chats to a member of the crowd who had gathered to meet her and Prince William outside Sandringham in Norfolk
A small baby looks on with a look of concern as the Princess of Wales chats with people in the crowd at Sandringham
Kate points to something in the distance – as a young girl copies her – during her walkabout in Norfolk this afternoon
Prince William smiles as he speaks to a mother and her infant son who have come to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II
Prince William gestures as he speaks to a young woman, clutching a baby, as the crowds assemble at Sandringham
Royal fans scrambled to take photographs and record the historic moment as the new Princess of Wales greeted members of the public outside Sandringham Estate today
Kate clutches onto flowers as she and a royal fan share a smile together as she joined her husband to greet members of the public at Sandringham House today
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, view floral tributes placed outside the Sandringham Estate following the death of Queen Elizabeth II
The Princess of Wales told a well-wisher she would burst into tears if she read too many sympathy cards
The Prince of Wales told a woman at Sandringham today that yesterday’s procession was ‘very difficult’ and had reminded him of walking behind his mother Diana’s coffin
Kate chatting to mourners while carrying several bouquets of flowers. Hundreds have piled up at the estate in recent days
The Prince and Princess of Wales delighted those in attendance at Sandringham House as they looked over the assembled tributes and shared their memories of the late Queen Elizabeth II
Royal fans of all ages were treated to an appearance by the Prince and Princess of Wales at Sandringham House
Kate greets an excited royal superfan who had come to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales with her family today
Kate and William warmly grabbed outstretched hands, accepted bouquets of flowers and spoke with those who had patiently waited hours to meet them
Prince William gently touches Kate’s back as they inspect the sea of flowers left in memory of Queen Elizabeth II
Prince William cuts a forlorn figure as he looks over the swathes of bouquets left at the gates of Sandringham House
In Manchester, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, met Josh, a young mourner who was waiting to see her with his mother, Sue.
Recounting the moment they met, Sue said: ‘She just said ”nice to meet you, do you want me to take your flowers?” Then Josh said ”can I have a hug?”. They hugged, then he asked for a photo. The bouquet is signed from Josh but it’s got my name on it as well.’
Asked what the moment felt like, Josh – who is non-verbal – replied: ‘Happy.’
Meanwhile, in Glasgow, the Princess Royal chatted to crowds outside Glasgow City Chambers. Handed a bouquet by a young girl, she said: ‘They’re not for me are they?’ to which the girl replied, ‘They’re for you’. Anne, clearly touched, took the flowers and thanked her.
The Royal Family are preparing to lay their beloved mother and grandmother to rest on Monday in a state funeral.
King Charles will lead Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward to Wellington Arch from Westminster Abbey, with Prince William and Harry behind.
Other royals will follow by car for the funeral conducted by the Dean of Westminster.
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