Prince and Princess of Wales stun passengers by hopping on Tube to pub
William and Kate jump on the Elizabeth line and pull a coronation-themed pint at a Soho pub, ahead of the coronation, as ITV News Correspondent Romilly Weeks reports
Early coronation celebrations have officially kicked off as the Prince and Princess of Wales surprised travellers with a trip on London's Elizabeth Line before ordering ciders at a Soho pub.
William poured "a perfect pint" as he and Kate visited The Dog and Duck pub in Soho on Thursday lunchtime, with plans to hear how the venue is preparing for the coronation of King Charles and the Queen Consort.
After the roughly 20-minute journey on the tube, in which William “confidently” used his Oyster card, they visited the pub, where they both ordered a pint of cider.
'It creates such a wonderful atmosphere,' Kate says of Soho's The Dog and Duck
It begins a busy weekend for the royal family who are expected to swap the pint-pulling for a gilded display at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.
Kate was also spotted using an Oyster card as they boarded the Tube at Acton Main Line in west London, chatting to Transport for London (TfL) workers about their plans for the busy bank holiday weekend when tens of thousands of people are expected in the capital.
At one point Kate was asked about Charles’s coronation and replied: “Yes, it’s going to be a busy time. We’re getting there. I still feel like we’re trying to get ducks in a row.”
The royal couple travelled three stops and got off at Tottenham Court Road, in the shadow of Centrepoint tower block.
After arriving at the venue, they were accompanied by pub managers Chris Watts and Maria Sojkova behind the bar, where William poured a “perfect pint”, according to waitress Bernie Kidson.
It was the first pint of Kingmaker, a pale ale brewed to celebrate the coronation, ever poured.
Talking with local businessmen as he sipped a pint in the pub, William said: “You always have the best conversations in pubs – you never know who you are going to meet.”
The Prince of Wales makes a cheeky joke about 'getting back to work mode' as he puts his pint to one side
He also joked that he would have to watch how much he drank and “get back into work mode”.
Kate meanwhile said their eldest child Prince George was “excited” about the upcoming coronation and had been taking part in rehearsals.
The royal couple then left the Grade II listed building where they were met by hundreds of fans who lined the streets with calls of “we love you”.
They also shared a message on their Instagram and Twitter accounts alongside pictures of them enjoying their day out in London.
Alongside the selection of pictures the caption said: " Saying a big thank you to the transport and hospitality workers who will be working so hard across the Coronation weekend "A big thank you to @transportforlondon, the team at the Dog and Duck as well as everyone who came out to say hello."
Only the day before, the couple and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, arrived at the Abbey for the coronation rehearsal.
He will also help clothe the King in his golden robe royal, also known as the mantle, ahead of his crowning.
While Kate and William were at the pub, the King welcomed leaders from around the world ahead of the coronation.
He was presented with a feathered crown from an Amazonian elder Uyunkar Domingo Peas.Charles also welcomed the Ashanti King from Ghana, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Lady Julia Osei Tutu.
A multi-coloured fringed parasol was held over the Ghanaian monarch’s head as the encounter took place, with the cover denoting the visiting king’s seniority.
His Majesty The King also hosted an audience with Canadian Indigenous Leaders, Ms. RoseAnne Archibald (National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations), Mr. Natan Obed (President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami) and Ms. Cassidy Caron (President of the Métis National Council).
It wasn't just the Royals who were celebrating the coronation a few days early.
The wives of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy also met today.
Akshata Murthy welcomed Olena Zelenska to 10 Downing Street on Thursday afternoon ahead of the coronation.
The pair visited the British Library.
Ms Murthy's husband Rishi Sunak also welcomed another world leader into their home.
The Prime Minister met with Rwandan president Paul Kagame at 10 Downing Street before bilateral talks.
Rishi Sunak has described the UK and Rwanda as “great friends” during his meeting.
He added: "It is wonderful to welcome you here for the coronation, particularly in your role as the office-in-chair (sic) of the Commonwealth over the past year where you led the way on issues like trade, empowerment, gender and sustainability — so, thank you for your leadership on that."
The talks were likely to surround the UK's multimillion-pound partnership with Rwanda designed to tackle the number of small boats of migrants coming to Britain via unauthorised routes.
Listen to the latest episode of the Royal Rota podcast