The Princess of Wales’s ability to put people at ease has been
praised by the broadcaster Roman Kemp, who has described the
strikingly informal way she conducted herself during a private
visit to his parents’ home while working on a mental-health
project.
Kemp, who collaborated with the Princess on a short film
highlighting the importance of mental wellbeing and early
childhood, recalled in a recent interview that the royal had
personally approached him after seeing him speak on television
about men’s mental health. What followed, he said, was a series of
encounters that left a lasting impression of her “genuine,
grounded” manner.
Speaking about the day the Princess arrived to film with him and
his family, Kemp said the atmosphere was disarmingly relaxed from
the moment she stepped inside. The presenter remembered the small
gesture that most surprised him: “I remember when she arrived she
could see everyone else had taken their shoes off so she offered to
take hers off. It was surreal. Somehow you never expect to see a
member of the Royal Family in their socks!”
The Princess had initially proposed filming the project at
Kemp’s own home, but he suggested that his parents’ house would be
a more practical setting. According to him, she accepted the idea
without hesitation. Later, she shared tea and biscuits with Martin
Kemp and Shirlie Holliman in their kitchen, in what the broadcaster
described as one of the most unlikely scenes he had ever
witnessed.
Reflecting on that day, he told another interviewer: “One of the
most surreal days of my life. Me, my mum, dad, sister and the
princess just chatting ‘round the kitchen table. The weirdest thing
is, she took her shoes off at the door. You never really see a
princess in her socks.”
The mother-of-three’s warmth continued after the visit. A short
time later, Kemp said the family received a handwritten note from
the Princess thanking them for their hospitality – and adding a
personal request. The message, he said, delighted his parents: “A
few weeks later she wrote a lovely letter, which my mum has kept,
thanking them and saying that Prince George loved the juice — and
asking if there was any chance of more!”
Kemp himself received a thank-you note as well, which he
admitted he has framed at home: “Working with her was amazing. She
very kindly wrote me a thank-you note too, which I have framed on
my wall at home.”
The relationship between the Princess of Wales and the
broadcaster grew from her longstanding commitment to promoting
mental-health awareness, particularly in young people. Since
establishing the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, she
has emphasised the far-reaching impact of emotional development and
secure relationships in the earliest years.
Her collaboration with Kemp formed part of that wider mission –
one that continues to shape her public work. The Princess’s
initiative has recently invested in research examining how families
can limit digital distractions at home, with the aim of helping
parents strengthen their relationships with their children.
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