Prince William made a surprising revelation about his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, during one of his engagements this week. On Monday, September 8, the third anniversary of the late monarch’s death, the Prince and Princess of Wales headed to Sunningdale and visited the National Federation of Women’s Institutes.

The visit took place in tribute to the late Queen’s decades-long association with the organisation. While there, the royals chatted with members of the Institute and shared stories about the late monarch.

William told some of the guests: “It’s three years since my grandmother died, she was a big part of the WI, she used to talk about it a lot. This is the first time I’ve been, and experienced the WI, so this is a huge honour for me.”

He asked for members’ memories of the late Queen and later told them “can’t believe it’s three years – goes quite quick”, and they chatted about his grandmother’s passion for horses and horse breeding.

He then revealed that Elizabeth had “an old iPad” she would use to watch her foals being born via a remote camera, adding “a lot of foals were born at Sandringham”.

The event was hosted by the Sunningdale branch of the WI in their small Berkshire hall with an array of cakes on a side table, which William and Kate, who had not been expected to attend, could not resist.

The WI has a close connection with Elizabeth II as she was a member for 80 years, joining in 1943 and serving as president of the Sandringham WI from 2003 until her death in 2022 at Balmoral, aged 96, after a reign lasting 70 years.

The late Queen was an active member of the Sandringham WI and would regularly attend the New Year meeting in January.

During the reception, Kate and William joined members at a series of tables and the princess told the first group: “The making and creating of the WI is at the heart of your organisation.”

And when she later described how she carries out activities with her children at home, William said with glee: “There was a bit of sloe gin-making I was involved with.”

The prince teased some of the group, asking: “Can you have honorary male members of the WI?” When they answered: “No” in chorus, he smiled and said: “Point taken.”