WHEN Prince William and Princess Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, greeted well-wishers after arriving in Sydney last week, standing in prime position among the crowd was Ulladulla’s Linda Wickens.
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The avid monarchist has been on hand to greet many of the royals during their visits to Australia – meeting the Queen twice, Prince Charles twice, Princess Diana, Camila, Prince Harry, Prince William and now Princess Catherine after shaking hands and speaking with both the young royals last week.
By Linda’s side was her 12-year-old daughter Annabel Wickens-Campbell, who was carrying a photo of her with Prince Harry which was taken during the younger prince’s visit last year for the Navy fleet review.
The photograph got her noticed by Prince William.
“There’s a face I know,” he said before stopping to talk to Linda. Annabel, and Annabel’s friend Georgia Evans.
Annabel said she loved everything about the royals.
“Harry and William and Kate have brought a fresh perspective to the royal family,” she said.
“The new generation are so approachable and warm, there are no barriers Katehem.”
While Linda was impressed by Catherine’s natural beauty, she said Harry remained her favourite of the royals.
“Harry was just really funny,” she said.
“He was interacting with the whole crowd, not just the people in front of him.”
She gave Harry a bag of items from the Milton Ulladulla region including a Mollymook Surf Club shirt and a pair of Milton Ulladulla Bulldogs socks, and he said, “I don’t even know what to do with these,” she revealed.
“I don’t know if he was used to people giving him things,” Linda said.
A similar bag of local items was presented to William and Kate last week.
Linda, Annabel and Georgia were not the only Shoalhaven locals to greet the royal couple in Sydney last week, as Joscelyn Sweeney of Vincentia presented the couple and Prince George with a bunch of native flowers.
