Apple CEO Tim Cook meets the Prince and Princess of Wales at Windsor Castle (and he even brings some goody bags with him!)

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

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

The businessman, 62, stood proudly next to Prince William and Kate, both 41, in one of the images, while the princess looked dapper in a £549 navy Holland Cooper pinstripe blazer and a cream turtleneck.

‘It was a real honor to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales. We had a wonderful and wide-ranging discussion about the environment, mental health and other issues that mean a lot to us all,” Cook wrote in his post.

William, wearing a navy blue 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 no time.

William previously collaborated 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 the 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.

They all offer confidential mental health helplines. The British charity operates a free text message service on 85258.

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

Thursday’s meeting comes after it was reported that the Princess of Wales will not attend Prince William’s Earthshot Awards, in what is being called a ‘huge blow’ to organisers.

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

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

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

‘It was a real honor to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales. We had a wonderful and wide-ranging discussion about the environment, mental health and other issues that mean a lot to us all,” Cook wrote in his post.

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 “turn the current pessimism around environmental issues into optimism by celebrating the people and places driving change.”

Every year between 2021 and 2030, an awards ceremony will honor winners in the award’s five categories who create innovations that address environmental problems. Each winner will receive £1 million to support and scale their work.

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

The Sabrina dress, from Solace London, cost £74 per 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’ and a hidden closing strap to define the waist, as well as the brand’s signature high slit.

She completed the look with an emerald choker previously worn by Princess Diana.

The Princess of Wales will not attend Prince William’s Earthshot Awards in what has been called a ‘huge blow’ to organizers. Pictured is the couple at last year’s event

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

Announcing the destination of the Earthshot Prize ceremony in May this year, Prince William said: ‘The Earthshot Prize is about showing the world that solutions exist to some of the biggest environmental challenges we face .

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

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

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