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Kate Middleton and Prince William have always been masters of the common touch, and Wednesday they took that schtick to what might turn out to be its ultimate iteration: taking the subway to the pub for a pint.
Admittedly, it wasn’t exactly a low key look for Kate, who was dressed in a glamorous red dress by London boutique Eponine. William, meanwhile, was in business attire, albeit with a shirt unbuttoned almost to his solar plexus.
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They hopped aboard the Elizabeth Line (named after granny, of course) shortly before lunch time, and travelled to one of the city’s classic boozers, the Dog and Duck pub in Soho, with their office telling The Daily Beast that they “wanted to thank people who will be working hard across Coronation weekend.”
They boarded the Tube in Acton and alighted at Tottenham Court Road in London’s West End.
Large crowds had gathered at the venue after Kensington Palace made the decision to announce the engagement in the media in advance.
Royal reporter Roya Nikkhah tweeted that Kate said of her preparations for Saturday’s coronation: “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 Prince and Princess of Wales were understood to be keen to hear from the local businesses about the hospitality sector and how London’s night-time economy is doing after it was hammered by coronavirus lockdowns.
Having pulled a pint of a newly created beer called, “Kingmaker,” the couple sat at a table in the pub for pints of cider. Asked if he had been there before, William demurred, saying his pub-going activity was usually confined to “rural” areas because they are “less busy.”