27 April 2021

William and Kate drive tractor on farm visit in County Durham

27 April 2021

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took turns behind the wheel of a tractor as they visited a family farm in County Durham.

William and Kate travelled to Manor Farm, Little Stainton, near Darlington to carry out the official engagement, two days before their 10th wedding anniversary.

Two weeks of royal mourning for the Duke of Edinburgh ended on Friday for the Windsors, and William and Kate were out of their black mourning outfits and dressed casually for the countryside.

Royal visit to Durham

Kate was in a Fair Isle style jumper, wax jacket, boots and skinny jeans, while William was in a padded coat, navy blue chinos, and sturdy boots.

Farmer Stewart Chapman sat in the cab giving instruction on how to drive the tractor as the couple separately took charge of the heavy duty vehicle.

William driving a tractor

William went first, with Kate asking for a turn afterwards.

The tractor was GPS operated so took a pre-planned route.

It was the Cambridges’ first official in-person engagement away from London since their royal train tour in December last year.

At the fifth-generation family-run mixed cattle, sheep and arable farm, William and Kate were taken on a tour of the cattle, calving and lambing sheds by owners Clare Wise and Mr Chapman.

Royal visit to Durham (PA Wire)

William has previously told of his passion for farming, revealing that his children are already playing on tractors.

In 2019, he took part in an ITV documentary about the Prince of Wales’ 50 years as the Duke of Cornwall.

William will one day inherit the Duchy of Cornwall, which covers more than 130,000 acres across 23 counties, from his father when Charles becomes king.

Royal visit to Durham (PA Wire)

The duke and duchess chatted with Ms Wise and Mr Chapman about how they protect the health and welfare of their livestock.

William and Kate also joined a discussion with local farmers, who are being supported by The National Farmers’ Union, about their experiences of the past year, including the mental health impact of Covid-19 for farmers and the challenges of balancing home-schooling with farm work.

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