Prince William turns 38 years old on Sunday, June 21 — but festivities got underway a little bit early this year.
On Friday morning, the Duke of Cambridge visited Smiths the Bakers in King's Lynn. The outing came as part of the royal family's effort to assist local business owners as lockdown restrictions have eased in the U.K.
William chatted with the owners of the family-run bakery about their struggles amid the pandemic, before purchasing some baked goods—four pain au chocolat and a croissant, to be exact.
Prince William hits age 38 on June 21
But it turned out the bakery staff was aware that the prince had a birthday coming up on the weekend. They prepared for him a lovely personalized birthday cake!
Appropriately, the cake was football-themed and sported a lower ring of U.K. flags. "Happy Birthday Prince William From All At Smiths the Bakers," the vanilla sponge cake's message read.
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William appeared touched by the surprise development at Smiths the Bakers.
William, Kate, George, Charlotte, and Louis love to bake
During the visit, William shared with the bakers his and the Cambridge family's affinity for kitchen work. "I've done a little bit of baking. The children have been attacking the kitchen and it's just been an explosion of flour and chocolate everywhere. Catherine's been doing quite a bit of baking."
The prince additionally reiterated his worries about the "waistline of the nation" as people are emerging from lockdown after months of inactivity. "I think we've all eaten so many cakes and chocolate," he said.
He learned that Smiths the Bakers had reopened on June 15 after having been closed for 11 weeks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The bakers told William of having to furlough multiple employees and adapt to reduced sales by offering new products and a delivery service.
By the end of the bakery outing, the Duke of Cambridge exited with the birthday cake, a loaf of bread, and a jar of tea in addition to his personal purchases.
That same morning, Duchess Kate made her post-lockdown public debut during a visit to Fakenham Garden Centre.
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The Queen, who is patron of the British Chambers of Commerce, also shared a message with "her warmest best wishes and support to business communities throughout the UK, Commonwealth and around the world."
The royals' Friday outings were organized to express their support of business communities as they reopen.
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