How Kate’s life jacket mishap a yr in the past prompted giggles
This week, she hosted her first official work meeting in more than nine months.
The Princess of Wales began her measured return to public duties with a meeting at Windsor Castle for her ‘Early Years’ project on Tuesday – a week after revealing she has finished her course of ‘preventative’ chemotherapy to tackle cancer.
Royal fans will be hoping that she will soon be seen enjoying herself again at public-facing engagements – such a year ago this month, when she burst into a fit of the giggles.
During a visit to Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset on September 18, 2023, Kate tried on a life jacket and was rather surprised when it rapidly inflated after she pulled the toggle.
Now that she has finished her chemotherapy treatment for cancer, the Princess of Wales will be hoping to get back to public-facing engagements soon. A year ago this month, on September 18, 2023, Kate burst into a fit of the giggles during a visit to Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, in Somerset
Kate tried on a life jacket and was rather surprised when it rapidly inflated after she pulled the toggle
The Princess, who was made commodore-in-chief of the Fleet Air Arm last year, was shown the piece of kit during a training exercise with Navy Survival Equipment Technicians.
Kate put the initially plain-looking camouflage green jacket over her shoulders and fastened it with guidance from the instructors.
One of the technicians then demonstrated to Kate how to pull the cord to activate the jacket.
With a big grin, the Princess then tugged at the toggle and closed her eyes as the device inflated quickly and with force, just as it would in an emergency situation.
As the bright orange fabric puffed up around her neck, Kate was caught by surprise and burst into a fit of giggles.
Kate puts on the camo-green life jacket as technician Louise Evans-Hughes looks on
Kate looks rather apprehensive as the bright orange fabric of the life jacket rapidly appears
Once the jacket stops inflating, Kate looks from side to side and smiles nervously, seemingly a little shocked
Appearing a little taken aback by the fast inflation, Princess Kate burst into a fit of giggles, before staff aided her in removing the lifejacket
Kate, wearing a Holland Cooper navy blazer, unpacks a life vest with the guidance of Royal Navy Survival Equipment Technicians at the air station
After the exercise, technician Louise Evans-Hughes revealed she knew exactly what was going to happen the moment the life jacket inflated.
She said: ‘I told the princess there might be a bit of a bang because sometimes when the Velcro rips open there is a bit of a noise.
‘I think that was why she was a bit apprehensive to pull it. As soon as she pulled it, it inflated.
‘I gave the Princess the option whether she wanted to put it on or whether one of my colleagues would put it on.
‘I didn’t know if she would or not, but it was really nice that she got hands-on and got really engaged in what we do and making the kit work.’
Describing the princess’s reaction to the life jacket inflating, she said: ‘I see it a lot when we train the air crew pilots so it’s something that I see all the time so I knew what was going to happen and it was quite nice to watch her face.
‘I think afterwards she said it was quite snug and didn’t realise how big it was going to go and I quickly let some air out so she wouldn’t be uncomfortable.’
The Princess of Wales, who is commodore-in-chief of the Fleet Air Arm, arriving at Royal Naval Air Station in Yeovilton on September 18, 2023
The princess was appointed as commodore-in-chief of the Fleet Air Arm in August last year – a title previously held by Prince Andrew before it was stripped from him.
Kate also adopted the position of Royal Honorary Air Commodore at RAF Coningsby, a title previously held by Prince William, who had performed the role at the Lincolnshire base for 15 years from 2008.
The princess has family connections to the RAF as her paternal grandfather served as a fighter pilot during the Second World War and flew with the late Duke of Edinburgh in the 1960s.
Captain Peter Middleton – who was Prince Philip’s co-pilot on flights across South America during a royal tour – died at the age of 90 in 2010, just days before the Prince and Princess announced their engagement.
