Kate Middleton Shares Secrets of Her Family Christmas Tree (and How to Avoid Pine Needle Clean-Up!)
Kate Middleton‘s ideal Christmas tree is one that smells nice — and doesn’t cause a mess!
The royal mom stepped out on Wednesday at the Peterley Manor Farm to help young children pick out Christmas trees for their classrooms. During the outing, Kate shared what kind of fir that Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, find their presents under on Christmas morning.
“She was asking about the trees which drop their needles and those that don’t, and which ones smell nice!” farm owner Roger Brill said. “She said that they normally have the Nordmann Fir inside that doesn’t drop the needles.”
Kate, 37, got her hands dirty by holding up trees so the children, from the charity Family Action, could get a proper look — and she scored herself a job offer in the process.
“She was fantastic with the youngsters. She was in there moving them around and holding them up,” said Brill. “I will have to give her a job at the weekend, I think. She was a very good saleswoman!”
Kate, who was decked out in a festive red puffer coat, green sweater, matching green socks and boots, also ventured into the “Elves Enchanted Forest” to help make holiday decorations and eco-friendly reindeer food.
After finding some Christmas trees, they moved back inside to make hot chocolate.
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The fun visit came as it was announced that Kate has become patron of Family Action — a role passed on to her by the Queen, 93, who has been the figurehead of the charity for 65 years.
Founded in 1869 to help families in difficulty by giving them practical help and support, Family Action now tackles challenges such as financial hardship, mental health and emotional well-being, social isolation, parenting difficulties, domestic abuse and substance abuse. It works with vulnerable or disadvantaged children and families — something that aligns closely with the Duchess of Cambridge’s work on supporting children, families and carers during the early years of kids’ lives.
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David Holmes, the chief executive of Family Action, told PEOPLE that Kate was “lovely” during Wednesday’s outing.
“I have worked with her on the early years for some time,” he says. “But she is fantastic with children and is also really interested in the issues — she’s really interested in families and parenting, and it really shines through everything she does.”
