At HELLO! we love it when the royals are pictured doing ordinary things, such as driving themselves to engagements like the Duchess of Edinburgh, or popping into their local supermarket to stock up on groceries.
Royals from the Princess of Wales to the late Queen Elizabeth II have been spotted among the aisles in an off-duty and an official capacity over the years. Read on to find out more...
King Charles and Queen Camilla
King Charles and Camilla visited an Asda distribution centre in Bristol in July 2020 to thank staff who had worked throughout the coronavirus pandemic. They met some of the 700 workers at the branch as well as drivers and those based at nearby stores.
Sarah Ferguson
Sarah Ferguson previously shared a photograph of herself popping to the shops. Proving that the royals are not above a supermarket sweep of their own, the Duchess of York was seen stocking up on some food essentials at Waitrose.
Juggling a number of items, the mother-of-two clutched some cherries, strawberries, apples and biscuits, whilst stopping to study the cheese straw selection in one aisle. Giving fans an insight into her grocery shop, Sarah simply captioned the post with a smiley face emoji.
The Princess of Wales
The Princess of Wales caused quite the stir at a Sainsbury's in Norfolk, preparing for Halloween festivities one autumn. Accompanied by Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the mum-of-three was seen picking up some Halloween costumes for her eldest son and daughter. The young royals were able to choose from a large selection, including a spooky skeleton or a wicked witch costume. Kate was seen paying for the garments using the self-checkout machines.
The Princess is also considered a regular customer at her local Waitrose supermarket in Norfolk, near their Anmer Hall family residence. Shortly after the birth of Prince George in 2013, the new mum was seen buying some nursing pads amongst other items in her weekly shop.
In April 2018, a heavily pregnant Kate was also seen loading her car with the weekly shop at the same Waitrose branch. Looking stylish in a peach Joseph coat and black boots, Kate bought a coriander or parsley plant, which was seen hanging out of one of several reusable bags.
On another trip to a Tesco's in Wales in 2011, Prince William's wife was pictured queuing up with a weekly shop at the store's tills. Revealing the royal couple's essential groceries, Kate was seen purchasing bananas, chicken, milk, potatoes, and oranges. The couple clearly couldn't resist a sweet treat, with a tub of Häagen-Dazs ice cream added to the cart.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
When Prince Harry lived in the UK, he was known to pop into his local Waitrose, buying half a dozen eggs at the self-checkout of the Kensington branch in 2016.
He also made a trip to the same Waitrose a few months later in June 2016. According to reports, he was eyeing up the ready meals, before purchasing some Kellogg's cornflakes and bananas.
Harry's wife, then girlfriend Meghan Markle, was spotted similarly out grocery shopping in December 2016, when she lived in Toronto, Canada. Shielding attention away in a LA Dodgers baseball cap, the former actress bought kitchen roll, garlic, salad leaves, and various vegetables.
Queen Elizabeth II
The late Queen visited a Sainsbury's store in Covent Garden, London, in May 2019 to celebrate the supermarket's 150th birthday. Perusing the store, the late monarch even had a chance to use the self-service checkout, where she asked one amused staff member: "You can't trick it? You can't cheat?"
Her late Majesty also previously visited a Waitrose store in Poundbury in 2016, with Charles and Camilla. Whilst she did not make a purchase, she was captured spending some considerable time in the speciality cheese aisle. Charles and Camilla did not leave empty-handed though, with the now Queen spotted buying apples and Charles purchasing a few boxes of luxury biscuits.
Princess Diana
The late Princess Diana filled her shopping trolley up with plenty of fresh fruit during a visit to a Southport Tesco in 1990. Diana delighted staff and shoppers alike as she arrived at the store to share advice on healthy eating.
Community Champion for Southport Tesco, Lesley Kirkbride, recalled the special day to the Southport Visiter back in 2016. She said: "My son was one of the children who met her. BirthRight was Tesco’s charity of the year and we were collecting cans along with Blue Peter. It was an amazing day. She was brilliant with the children and spoke to all of them making reference to William who is the same age as my son."
Duchess of Edinburgh
© UK Press via Getty ImagesThe Duchess of Edinburgh was like any other shopper when she toured The Company Shop in Lambeth, south London. Sophie perused the shelves and helped herself to some crisps before getting dished up meals to attendees at the space's community café.
The Company Shop is an initiative with 13 UK locations, offering shoppers the chance to purchase affordable and quality foods and socialise with community members.
