William and Kate get wiggle room on visit to Coventry

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge followed in well-trodden royal footsteps when they danced in public, learning a new way to communicate.

William and Kate did the "wiggle dance" when they joined occupational therapist Annette Roebuck who runs an innovative organisation that uses people with learning difficulties or other conditions to teach communication skills to others.

The royal couple put their hands above their heads and smiled as they moved the hips from side to side as Ms Roebuck played and sang the song Learn From Us.

The simple tune is used in the first training session for students working in the health service who want to improve their communication skills and the duke and duchess were following a teacher who had cerebral palsy, Steven Battle-Welsh, and another, Alysia Wilson, whose hearing and sight are impaired and who has a learning disability.

As the guitar was played the Cambridges shimmied again and showed just like the Prince of Wales and Prince Harry they can also dance when the moment calls for a display on the dancefloor.

Ms Roebuck who is a director of the organisation Communicate2U said: "The wiggle message is very powerful, and the royals were happy to take part. It was empowering to have Steven and Alysia as the teachers, rather than being seen as the ones with the problems.

"The chorus is 'learn from us wiggle, wiggle, wiggle' we're saying 'you've got to see us as communicating beings, learn from us, mirror our communication style'."

The Duke and Duchess' lesson came as they toured Coventry University's new £59 million Science and Health building that trains nurses, midwives and paramedics.

The Duchess of Cambridge meeting well-wishers at Coventry Cathedral (Aaron Chown/PA)
The Duchess of Cambridge meeting well-wishers at Coventry Cathedral (Aaron Chown/PA)

Kate meets well-wishers at the cathedral (Aaron Chown/PA)

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