ORANGE was well represented at the reception of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with three lucky residents invited to Sydney Opera House to welcome the couple to Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Nicole Sugden and Orange High School captains Meaghan Kempson and Trent French were guests at the first official function following the arrival of Prince William and his wife at Sydney.
Ms Sugden was lucky enough to speak with the duchess as she made her rounds, staying at her table for about 20 minutes.
“We spoke for five minutes,” Ms Sugden said.
“Not everyone got to speak to her.
“She asked me where I lived, why I chose psychology, why I chose my PhD, how I got in the wheelchair.
“She seemed really interested, it wasn’t fake,” she said.
Meaghan Kempson and Trent French also met with the Duchess briefly.
“I got to shake Kate’s hand but not William’s,” Trent said.
“They seemed like really cool people and down to earth.
“It was pretty amazing.”
Meaghan postponed surgery so that she could attend the exclusive event.
There were strict guidelines in place that prevented people who attended from taking anything into the function.
“Everything had to be cloaked,” Trent said.
“The only chance to get photos was with the professional photographers.”
Not only were they rubbing shoulders with the royal couple, there were many other notable names among the guests.
“Matthew Reilly was at out table,” Ms Sugden said. “I was stoked, I’m a big fan of his books.”
Trent enjoyed the chance to mingle, chatting with many of the guests.
“I got to chat with Glenn McGrath
“I was pretty star struck,” he said.
There were a number of other sporting stars at the event including Olympic snowboarder Torah Bright and many NRL and AFL players.
“There were lots of people there who have done amazing things,” Ms Sugden said.