The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall are well-known for their love of the great outdoors – to help with an outdoor renovation project, William and Kate actually ended the coronation weekend of King Charles III by visiting a Scout group, which is a cause close to their heart.

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The royal couple were taking part in the Big Help Out, which is a coronation initiative aimed at encouraging people to assist charities and worthy causes. They joined six million volunteers across the UK who came together to lend a hand in their local community.

Following Charles’ ascension to the throne, William and Kate have now become Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. Their visit to the 3rd Upton Scout Group, in Slough, was an official duty that they enjoyed immensely.

Kate’s link to Scouts

As a child, Kate was a Brownie, which is the equivalent of the Scouts for younger girls. She embraced the lifestyle, which included going on group trips, and she wanted to earn as many badges as possible. After joining her local troupe, the 1st St Andrew’s Brownies in Pangbourne, Berkshire, at the age of eight, she was introduced to a world of new opportunities and fun.

Up to the age of ten, Brownies can go tent camping, enjoy adventure holidays and take day trips with their friends. With regular meetings, they learn new skills and have plenty of outdoor experiences. At ten, they can join the older girls’ group, the Guides.

Kate’s lifelong interest in the movement was inspired as a child, leading to her becoming involved with Scouting as a patron in 2012. She became the Scouts’ president in 2020 and has thrown herself wholeheartedly into the role.

The organisation’s CEO and co-founder of the Big Help Out, Matt Hyde, described the Duchess as being passionate about “mucking in” and getting involved with all the Scouting activities. He said she had realised the “power of being outdoors” on her own wellbeing and wanted other people to experience it too.

It’s a well-known fact that spending more time outdoors, surrounded by nature, can help alleviate anxiety and depression and improve our emotional and physical health.

Coronation Scout Group visit

William and Kate’s coronation visit to the 3rd Upton Scout Group was one of many such visits to various troupes for the royal couple over the years. Joining them were nine-year-old Prince George, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, who was on his first official royal engagement.

Kate is never daunted by any of the activities she participates in as part of the Scouts movement. She and William reportedly make sure their own children get involved in outdoor adventures too and have as normal an upbringing as possible.

Prince William, 40, and Kate, 41, both wore the famous Scouting neck scarf during the visit. They helped the troupe to renovate their Scout Hut, enthusiastically taking part in sanding and painting. William drove a large digger, George was supervised using a drill, Charlotte helped with the painting and even Louis joined in, shovelling dirt into a wheelbarrow and wheeling it away to a new location.

Kate tried her hand at archery and was a good shot. It was the second time she had used a bow and arrow, having tried archery before in 2016, during a visit to Bhutan.

She also approached adult Scout helper Anne Edwards, who was in charge of cultivating the plants. The Duchess has a keen interest in plants and was asking Anne about the ones being used for the renovation project.

The royal family members had a great time with the Scouts, immersing themselves fully in the outdoor activities, meeting people, learning new skills and helping others – the ethos of the organisation.

Kate’s love of the outdoors also helped her to win the seal of approval from Queen Elizabeth II when she first married Prince William. The Queen and Kate reportedly bonded over their mutual love of nature and being outdoors, as the countryside is something very important to the royal family.

Royal family’s interest in Scouting

The Royals have always been interested in the Girlguiding and Boy Scouts movement. Queen Elizabeth II had become a Guide in 1937, when she was eleven. Her younger sister, Margaret, joined the Brownies.

Like thousands of girls today, the young Princess Elizabeth took the Guides’ pledge to always do her best. Every day, she kept the promise and served her subjects for her entire life. The Queen had become patron of Girlguiding in her coronation year, 1953.

The late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, founded the Duke of Edinburgh Awards in 1956. Today, the youth awards programme, launched in the UK, has extended to 144 nations all over the world. It encourages young people to believe in themselves by supporting them in a series of challenges including going on expeditions, volunteering, physical activities and learning new skills.

A popular location for the DoE Awards today is the stunning Cairngorm National Park in Scotland – the UK’s largest national park, where young people can go walking and hiking and explore the beautiful natural environment, with its rich flora and fauna.

William and Kate visit Cornwall

After becoming the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, William and Kate made their first official visit to the county in February 2023. Arriving in Falmouth, they were welcomed by an excited crowd. They played table tennis with a local couple, went out in a boat, and visited the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, where they learned about boat repairs.

They were shown a 14ft sailing dinghy, Kiwi, that was presented as a wedding gift to the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. The museum staff were renovating the boat during the Duke and Duchess’s visit.

Prior to becoming the Duke and Duchess, they had visited Cornwall earlier in 2016. Kate recalled her “fond memories” of the county.