Just a few days after the royal wedding, Williamsburg was graced with a royal experience of its own.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, stopped by the Williamsburg’s Habitat for Humanity Restore on May 23. The duke is the royal patron for Habitat for Humanity in the United Kingdom and, after learning Williamsburg was home to the sixth top-producing restore in the United States, decided to make a visit, according to a release from Habitat for Humanity Peninsula & Greater Williamsburg.
“He was just amazed at the way the store changed in just an hour,” said Janet V. Green, the chief executive officer for Habitat for Humanity Peninsula & Greater Williamsburg. “When he walked in, there was a table he had admired and, by the time he left, there was already a sold sticker on it.”
The duke’s visit was not announced as per a request from Kensington Palace for safety precautions, so when he arrived at the store he was able to see it in its normal daily activity, according to Green.
A tour of the 2,500-square-foot facility for the duke included seeing the front sales floor, the drive-thru donation center, the processing center, and the logistics and calling center.
The staff also discussed how the store provides funding for affordable housing as well as recycled materials to keep out of landfills.
“He said ‘one man’s discards is another man’s treasure’ and was impressed by the way we use these materials that would otherwise end up in our landfills,” Green said.
The Williamsburg store was named sixth of about 1,000 stores across the nation based on net sales and gross profits, according to Green.
To learn more, visit Habitat for Humanity Peninsula & Greater Williamsburg online.