Prince William and Kate were mobbed by surprised crowds as they arrived at Borough Market on Thursday.
The Prince and Princess of Wales donned aprons as they chopped cheese and served crumble with custard at the famous London attraction in Southwark. They later tried their hand at brewing at the Bermondsey Beer Mile before travelling via speedboat to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Tower lifeboat station in Westminster, which opened in 2023 and is the busiest in the UK.
The Princess, 44, looked stylish in a Prince of Wales check blazer and blue shirt, and even made a cappuccino in the market, where she was said to be a "natural". The couple was immediately greeted by crowds of people, shaking hands and chatting. One young girl told the couple: "We just went to Borough Market and saw loads of police cars everywhere!", to which William joked, "Sorry!"
The RNLI visit later marks a full-circle moment for the royal couple, as their first-ever official engagement was connected to the charity. During the February 2011 outing in Anglesey, North Wales, they dedicated a new RNLI lifeboat, called the 'Hereford Endeavour'.
Kate christened the lifeboat by pouring a bottle of champagne over the boat, before they joined crowds to sing a rendition of "God save the Queen". It came just three months before their wedding, when the couple was newly engaged.
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© Alamy Stock PhotoThe Princess of Wales looked stylish as she arrived on Thursday.
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© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaceThe Princess of Wales expertly served crumble at TikTok-famous Humble Crumble.
However, her cappuccino at Change Please, a social enterprise supporting the homeless, was turned away for not being decaf.
She handed the finished drink to William saying “I’ve made a coffee for you, William” but when he asked “is it decaf?” and she replied “no” he suggested it should be sold.
However, staff member Lorent Maliqi said, "She did really well."
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© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaceThe London dessert business grew from a single market stall into multiple locations and a large social‑media following.
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© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaceThe Princess of Wales chopped cheese in Borough Market.
The couple met the Trethowan Brothers, award‑winning family cheesemakers producing small‑batch traditional cheeses whose stall has been part of the market since 1998.
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© Alamy Stock PhotoThe couple poured pints at Bermondsey Beer Mile.
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© Alamy Stock PhotoKate asked, "What am I doing?" before stirring a brewhouse kettle.
"You like your cider, don't you?" she asked William, placing her hand on his knee.
He nodded, telling everyone: "I'm a cider man, I like cider. I grew up on cider in the West Country."
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© Alamy Stock PhotoWilliam sipped on a half pint of cider as he tasted the varieties on display.
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© Alamy Stock PhotoThe Prince and Princess enjoyed a boat ride up the Thames - and clearly weren't put off by the speed!
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© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaceWilliam and Kate were seen onboard an E class inshore lifeboat.
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© UK Press via Getty ImagesPrince William and Kate arrived at the RNLI Tower Lifeboat Station to hear about the vital work of staff and volunteers.
Kate sported a branded baseball cap as she walked alongside her husband.
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© Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future PublisKate was mobbed by fans as she left the visit and was gifted a bouquet of flowers by the waiting crowd. She stopped to take selfies and talk to members of the public.
