Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Handing Out Paper Poppies—Here's Why

Right now, there is a box of paper poppies sitting outside of Kensington Palace which are free for passersby to take. But you might be asking yourself: why?

As it turns out, this is all a part of a movement called the Poppy Appeal, which has been run by the Royal British Legion for the past 100 years and is meant to show support for the armed forces.

Each year, during the Poppy Appeal, collectors stand outside and ask for donations that go directly to members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families. And this year, Prince William and Kate Middleton are showing their support for the effort by having a box of paper poppies placed outside of Kensington Palace, where visitors can take one for free.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posted a video to their account that showed the box being placed outside the palace, and it also featured short clips of visitors walking by and taking one.

In the caption of their video, they said, “We are helping every poppy count as the 2021 #PoppyAppeal launches, and sharing poppies with the public on behalf of Kensington Palace. Look out for your local collector and donate to help raise vital funds to support the Armed Forces community.”

For those unaware of the tradition, the Royal British Legion shared a series of videos to their official Instagram account that explained the symbolism of the poppy, including one video that was titled, “11 Things You Might Not Know About the Poppy.”

We know that the cause is important to Prince William and Kate Middleton, because last year, the pair baked delicious-looking poppy cakes with their three kids, Prince George (8), Princess Charlotte (6) and Prince Louis (3), to mark the special holiday.