Four-year-old Scottish girl refuses to kiss Duke of Cambridge
Meeting the Duke of Cambridge would be a momentous occasion for anyone. But for one four-year-old Scottish girl who waited all morning to ask the future king for a kiss, the encounter proved too overwhelming.
8:42PM BST 04 Apr 2013
Shona Ritchie, who was dressed in her favourite green and gold princess outfit complete with a gold crown, lost her nerve as she finally met the Prince and turned away as he tried to give her a kiss.
She had stood all morning outside the Emirates arena, one of the venues for next year’s Commonweath Games in Glasgow, as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met Games organisers and budding athletes.
Her mother, Karen Ritchie, 34, from Croftfoot, Glasgow, said Shona had become shy as the Prince leaned over for a kiss.
"She's been dressed up like that since 6am today and we've been here waiting since nine," Mrs Ritchie said.
"But when she finally plucked up the courage to ask him, she got really shy and pulled away. As he leaned in to kiss her on the forehead she pulled away and got really shy.
"This is the quietest she's been all day."
The Duchess also stopped to talk to Shona, who gave the Duchess a red flower she had picked out of her mother's vase at home.
Mrs Ritchie said: "She said Shona looked very pretty and asked her if she had picked the flower from her garden, but Shona told her she got it from my vase in the house and she thought that was very funny."
The Duke and Duchess watched pole vaulters, badminton players and a netball match at the arena before unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark their visit.
Later in the day the Duchess revealed she was learning to knit ahead of her baby's arrival.
Accepting a woollen hat, babygro and teddy bear from a well-wisher, she said: "I've been trying to knit and I'm really bad. I should be asking for tips."
Another well-wisher complimented the Duchess on her blue sapphire engagement ring, which once belonged to Princess Diana.
"It's very special to me," the Duchess told 20-year-old Stuart Tominey.
During what proved an eventful day for the royal couple, the Duchess also encountered a baby girl who tried to eat a bouquet of flowers she had been presented with.
The youngster, only a few months old, made a move towards the flowers before Kate jokingly asked if the little girl wanted to keep them, and told her: "It's probably not so tasty".
When the baby reached towards the blooms again, to laughter from the gathered crowds, the Duchess added: "I don't think that's going to be very nice."
