Prince William and Kate Middleton break protocol with risky move

Prince William and Kate Middleton surprised royal fans when they embarked on an unplanned walkabout in Windsor on Sunday. The Prince and Princess of Wales took the time to greet members of the public attending a Coronation Big Lunch on the Long Walk in Windsor.

The crowd was stunned when the pair left their vehicle to take part in the street party to celebrate King Charles’ coronation. Kate was the picture of elegance, trading her formal coronation attire for a pale blue blazer over a white top, high-waisted black pants and a pair of flats.

The couple were quick to mingle with the public, with Prince William even accepting a cup containing a mysterious drink. The future king took a sip from the paper cup before passing it to Kate, who also had a taste.

“Oh, that’s lovely,” she told the woman, before continuing to mingle with partygoers.

Prince William also looked delighted after he was given a can of Windsor & Eton Brewery’s Organic Coronation Ale by an attendee, with his father’s portrait on the can.

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It seems the couple broke royal protocol, as Delish reports royals are not supposed to consume complimentary food or drink from people they don’t know personally. According to another Yahoo article, this is to help prevent attempts to poison a royal family member.

This rule for unsanctioned food or drink consumption is supposedly in place as the royal family no longer travel with taste testers.

Celebrity chef Kevin Dundon previously opened up to People about the rumoured use of taste testers to keep the Queen safe while travelling. When Her Majesty arrived at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary, where Kevin was the head chef, he had to make two identical dishes.

“I produced two plates: one for him and one for her, and he tasted before it was served to her,” he recalled.

During their 45-minute appearance, Princess Kate was also spotted comforting a royal fan in tears. The young girl was overwhelmed after meeting the royal, with Kate kneeling down to offer a hug.

“Do you want a hug?” she appeared to ask, before she took the young girl into her arms.

Royal fans were divided by the royals’ unscheduled visit, with some saying the pair were ‘enthusiastic’ and ‘genuine’.

“They are going to make an amazing King and Queen someday!” one fan gushed on social media.

“These two, and their adorable kids, may just yet revive the British Monarchy. They seem genuine, approachable, and just regular people one could actually have a conversation with,” another added.

“She always has enthusiasm. Love it,” a third chimed in.

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However, others labelled the stunt as ‘attention seeking’ and weren’t enamoured with the royal couple.

“So surprised the cameras were all right there to capture it! Bless them attention seeking again in their quest to be [the] most liked royals!” a person fired out.

“Great for the crowds — though not persuaded about the authenticity,” another pointed out.

“Attention seekers and the cameras just happened to be there,” a third commented.

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