Apple CEO Tim Cook Pays a Visit to Windsor Castle, Meeting the Prince and Princess of Wales and Surprising Them with Goody Bags

The Prince and Princes of Wales welcomed Apple CEO Tim Cook to Windsor Castle yesterday to discuss “the environment, mental health and other issues”.

Cook, who took over as CEO of the tech giant in 2011 when founder Steve Jobs resigned, today posted two photographs from the meeting on X, formerly Twitter.

The businessman, 62, stood proudly alongside Prince William and Kate, both 41, in one of the images, with the princess looking stylish in a navy pinstripe Holland Cooper blazer of £549 and a cream turtleneck jumper.

“It was a true honor to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales. We had a wonderful and in-depth discussion about the environment, mental health and other issues that mean a lot to us all,” Cook wrote in his message.

William, dressed in a navy suit with a light blue shirt, appeared deep in conversation with the CEO in another photo from their meeting. Two bags that appeared to have the Apple logo printed on them were also spotted in the snap.

William previously partnered with Apple Fitness+ to record an episode of Time to Walk in December 2021.

Palace aides said it was William’s idea to take part in the series after hearing previous episodes. Other guests included country singer Dolly Parton, model Naomi Campbell and boxer Anthony Joshua.

For this episode, Apple made a six-figure donation to three charities chosen by William: Shout in the UK, Crisis Text Line in the US and Lifeline in Australia.

All offer confidential mental health helplines. The UK charity offers a free text service to 85258.

The series was designed to encourage Apple Watches users to get outside and walk while listening. At William’s request, his episode was made available to everyone for free online, without the need for a subscription.

Thursday’s meeting comes after it was announced that the Princess of Wales would not attend Prince William’s Earthshot Awards ceremony, in what was described as a “big blow” for organizers.

Kate will not travel to Singapore with her husband in November and will stay at home with Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.

It is believed that the royal does not want to disrupt the children’s education during school term and is instead striving to have a “stable home life in preparation for their royal careers”, according to the Mirror.

Cook (pictured with Prince William), who took over as CEO of the tech giant in 2011 when its founder Steve Jobs resigned, today posted two photos from the meeting on X, formerly Twitter.

“It was a true honor to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales. We had a wonderful and in-depth discussion about the environment, mental health and other issues that mean a lot to us all,” Cook wrote in his message.

The mother of three attended the previous two Earthshot Awards in Boston and London.

MailOnline has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.

Prince William founded the awards in 2020, saying he wanted to transform “current pessimism around environmental issues into optimism by celebrating the people and places driving change.”

Each year between 2021 and 2030, an awards ceremony will recognize winners in the five award categories who create innovations that address environmental challenges. Each winner receives £1 million to support and expand their work.

Last year, Kate presented an award while donning a lime green Solace London dress rented from fashion platform HURR.

The Sabrina Dress, from Solace London, costs £74 a night to rent. It was described by the platform as a “modern, floor-length dress with an exaggerated neckline.”

It featured a “body-conscious fit,” a concealed-fastening belt to define the waist, as well as the brand’s signature high slit.

She accessorized the look with an emerald choker that was previously worn by Princess Diana.

The Princess of Wales will not attend Prince William’s Earthshot Awards in what has been described as a “big blow” for organizers. Pictured is the couple at last year’s event

The necklace, given to Queen Mary in 1911 by the Ladies of India, was given to Diana by Queen Elizabeth, on loan for life.

Announcing the location of the Earthshot Prize ceremony in May this year, Prince William said: “The Earthshot Prize aims to show the world that solutions to some of the biggest environmental challenges we face exist.

“After two years of discovering impactful ideas and innovations, I am thrilled that the Earthshot Prize is heading to Singapore, where the groundbreaking solutions of our 2023 finalists will be celebrated.

William said Earthshot was inspired by John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot program which challenged America to put man on the Moon and helped launch the 1969 moon landing.

Last year’s winners included a British start-up, Notpla, which uses algae to make packaging.