London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 01, 2026

'Royals visited my dad's care home but I couldn't'

'Royals visited my dad's care home but I couldn't'

A man has said it was "upsetting" to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit a care home where his father lives before his family was allowed to.

The Royal couple visited Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff on Wednesday.

Rhys Thomas said he was told he would be unable to see his father, former assembly member Owen John Thomas, until Friday after a carer tested positive.

The care home said Mr Thomas' father and others who had been isolated were not part of the visit.

Mr Thomas said he had accepted an apology from the "very good" care home.

Owen John Thomas, pictured left, with his wife Sian, his son Rhys and daughter-in-law Manon



Mr Thomas said he had not seen his father, who has dementia and has been in the care home for 18 months, since the start of July.

"It's a bit upsetting that we can't go but the Royal Family are allowed to go there and play bingo," he told BBC Wales.

"We didn't know about it beforehand. Maybe the care home didn't know about it in advance, so I'm not critical of not knowing."

While he said he understands the benefits of the visit to "boost morale", Mr Thomas said it was a "bit insensitive".

"I'm happy with the home - they provide very, very good care," he explained.

"I sent an email complaining, and I have had two phone calls from the care home today trying to explain. I accept their apology.

"It's nothing to do with being against the visit per se - some people of a certain generation would have appreciated that."


Prince William and Catherine spoke to staff and residents at the care home



Mr Thomas said he would now be unable to see his father until Tuesday because he has to go away for five days.

"But of course, we don't know if the care home will be locked down again," he added.

"It looks like I could have gone on Wednesday, but the Duke and Duchess were there."

He said that with his father's illness "every moment is precious", especially with the coronavirus pandemic.

Shire Hall Care Home said the suspension of visitors only applied to one community in the home.

It said the dementia community at the home had been Covid-19 free for 28 days on Tuesday but, as it takes time to arrange visits in accordance with guidance, it wrote to all relatives concerned the pervious day informing them they could begin facilitating outdoor visits from Thursday.

Mr Thomas said he did not receive this correspondence.

Correspondence between the local authority and the care home manager, seen by the BBC, states that the 28-day no-visitor period came to an end on Wednesday. This was also confirmed by Public Health Wales.

The care home said: "We understand the importance of the connection between residents and their loved ones and have worked hard to develop innovative ways to keep them in touch throughout this challenging period."

It said the entire home had now been coronavirus-free for 28 days and visits to the home had resumed for all.

It added: "We would like to thank relatives for their support during this challenging period."

The Royal Family have declined to comment and referred the BBC to the care home.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Southwest England Faces Flood Alerts After Heavy Autumn Storms
UK Expands Funding for Rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Welsh Government Approves Funding to Upgrade South Wales Transport
Northern Ireland Tensions Rise as Orange Order Rejects Drumcree Compromise
NHS Leaders Back Early Design of Proposed National Care Service
More Than One-Third of Regional UK Universities Face Financial Deficits
UK Current Account Deficit Narrows as Cross-Border Financial Flows Remain Strong
Bank of England and FCA Issue New Rules for Stablecoins and Digital Assets
MI5 Warns UK Universities Over Research Links With Chinese Institutions
UK Energy Price Cap Rises 4% as Electricity VAT Is Temporarily Suspended
Equity Calls for UK Personality Rights to Protect Performers From AI Replication
OpenAI Pauses Advanced Model Training Following Safety Concerns
Scottish Government Proposes Replacing 32 Councils With Larger Regional Authorities
Ofgem Raises UK Household Energy Price Cap by 4% From October
UK Counter-Terrorism Police Continue Investigation After Five Arrests Near RAF Fairford
OECD Cuts UK 2027 Growth Forecast to 1%
Labour Says State Pension Triple Lock Remains Protected Through Current Parliament
Andy Burnham Pledges National Care Service With Free Social Care in England
Six Flags Permanently Shuts Landmark X2 Roller Coaster Following Safety Scandals
Metropolitan Police Rule Out Terrorism in Golders Green Stabbing Investigation
Lithium-Ion Battery Identified as Cause of Fatal Merseyside House Fire
UK Department Rejects New Sea Use Framework Due to Stakeholder Fatigue
Major Thames Water Pipe Burst Causes School Closures in London
Aldi Commits £900 Million to Expand UK Supermarket Network
Scottish Affairs Committee Warns Skills Shortages Threaten Defence Sector Expansion
Parliamentary Committee Warns Northern Ireland Budget Deadlock is Stalling Economic Growth
NHS Hospitals in England Face Severe Shortages of Essential Medications
Home Secretary Signals Major Overhaul of UK Immigration and Leave to Remain Policies
Chancellor Promises New Job Schemes Alongside Strict Fiscal Discipline
Energy Secretary Proposes Taxpayer-Funded Green Transition and National Electricity Grid
UK Government to Renationalise Avanti West Coast Railway Franchise in March
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Major Social Care and Infrastructure Reforms
Five Suspects Released on Bail Following Alleged Bomb Plot Near RAF Fairford
UK Diesel Prices Hit Record High of 199p Per Litre
Transport for Wales and Network Rail Complete Electrification of South Wales Metro
Defra Expands Incentives for Sustainable Farming and Biodiversity in England
Northern Ireland Executive Approves Funding Package to Resolve Public Sector Pay Disputes
Universities UK Warns of Financial Insolvency Risks for Higher Education Institutions
UK Prisons Activate Emergency Protocols to Manage Capacity Pressures
UK Government Establishes New Safety Standards for Frontier AI Models
Home Office Tightens Skilled Worker Visa Requirements and Dependent Rules
Ministry of Defence Restructures Royal Navy Frigate Procurement to Prevent Overruns
UK Government Mandates New Housing Targets to Address National Shortage
UK and Scottish Governments Reach Agreement on North Sea Energy Transition
NHS Launches Digital Overhaul to Reduce Surgical Backlogs in England
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Service Sector Inflation Persists
UK Chancellor Announces Fiscal Consolidation Measures to Stabilize National Debt
RNLI Chief Executive Condemns Misinformation and Abuse Targeting Volunteer Crews
Metropolitan Police Charge Swindon Man with Assisting Foreign Intelligence Services
British Intelligence Report Warns Environmental Collapse Threatens Global Defense Infrastructure
×