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Leeds Live
Leeds Live
National
Samuel Port

Kate Middleton wolf-whistled at in Leeds Kirkgate Market during royal visit

The Princess of Wales was wolf-whistled by a shopper as she walked through Leeds' Kirkgate Market.

Kate Middleton was visiting the historic city centre market today (January 31) as part of her Shaping Us campaign, highlighting how babies and children develop in response to their earliest experiences. This runs in tandem with Leeds City Council's Child Friendly Leeds scheme.

The Princess briefly toured the market, meeting vendors and speaking to them about their experiences of early childhood and their reflections on the Shaping Us film. However, she may not have been expecting someone to whistle at her in a suggestive manner while she was doing the rounds.

Read more: Kate Middleton's little known Leeds roots explored

Kate was walking throgh the crowds and waving at Leeds shoppers in her green pea coat when the wolf-whistle ocurred. The princess either decided to ignore the whistle or didn't hear it as she continued through the market, nevertheless she seemed unfazed by all the attention and spoke to vendors and shoppers who were delighted to meet her.

Shopper John Ashley, who was visiting the market today out of sheer happenstance, couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the princess and almost dropped the pastry he was snacking on.

The Princess of Wales in Kirkgate Market in Leeds, West Yorkshire, where she is meeting vendors and members of the public (PA Wire/PA Images)

John said: “We just came to Leeds for the day from Norwich and I brought my son here as he’s never been.

"We just came here and it was a surprise to see Kate Middleton. It was lovely to see her I got a few pictures. I saw the Queen once and I’ve seen Charles and Phillip but never Kate. It was different!”

Speaking about the campaign from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, The Princess of Wales said: “The way we develop, through our experiences, relationships, and surroundings during our early childhood, fundamentally shapes our whole lives. It affects everything from our ability to form relationships and thrive at work, to our mental and physical well-being as adults and the way we parent our own children.

The Princess of Wales in Kirkgate Market in Leeds (PA Wire/PA Images)

“These are the most preventative years. By focusing our collective time, energy, and resources to build a supportive, nurturing world around the youngest members of our society and those caring for them, we can make a huge difference to the health and happiness of generations to come."

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