Prince William made a surprise appearance at an Italian restaurant last weekend after he accompanied Princess Charlotte to a pizza party for one of her classmates.
The Duke of Cambridge, 39, who also shares sons Prince George, eight, and Prince Louis, three, with the Duchess, 40, arrived at Il Pagliaccio in London alongside his six-year-old daughter last Sunday.
Dressed in a relaxed maroon jumper and jeans, the heir to the throne appeared like any other father delivering his daughter to the party, which was hosted by one of her classmates from nearby Thomas’s Battersea School.
In footage shared by Italian newspaper La Stampa, the Duke can be walking through the restaurant with Charlotte while carrying a large gift wrapped in pink paper, before returning several hours later to pick her up.
Prince William, 39, made a surprise appearance at an Italian restaurant last weekend after he accompanied Princess Charlotte, six, to a pizza party for one of her classmates (pictured, in December 2020)
The Duke arrived at the event alongside his six-year-old daughter at Il Pagliaccio in London last Sunday (pictured)
According to the Italian newspaper, Prince William and Charlotte arrived in one of the three SUVs that stopped in front of the venue in Fulham.
Several bodyguards entered the restaurant first, followed by the Duke and Charlotte, with the six-year-old confidently walking through the restaurant ahead of her father.
Restaurant owner Teo Catino extended a warm handshake to William before requesting a selfie from the Duke – which he declined.
It’s not the only royal connection the restaurant has, having reportedly been one of Princess Diana’s favourite pizzerias in London.
According to Italian newspaper La Stampa, the Duke dropped Charlotte off at the event with a gift, before returning several hours later to pick her up
Teo explained: ‘When she returned from her gymnastics sessions in a gym not far from here, Lady Diana stopped by me, always together with her bodyguards, and ordered Margherita and pizza with salami. And then off home to to eat them with the two children.’
The rare public appearance from the Duke comes amid reports he and the Duchess are looking to move the family out of the capital.
The couple are understood to be finalising arrangements to move Prince George to a new prep school in Berkshire this September, with co-educational Lambrook, near Ascot, thought to be the front runner.
But Princess Charlotte is more likely to remain at Thomas’s Battersea for the time being where she is ‘super happy and settled’ and is expected to be joined by her brother, Prince Louis, who turns four this spring.
The rare public appearance from the Duke comes amid reports he and the Duchess are looking to move the family out of the capital
The couple are also still eyeing up properties in the Windsor area – having looked at several potential family homes on the Queen’s Berkshire estate – with a view to living in the Royal Borough at weekends and holidays.
Handily, Windsor is only a short drive from Kate’s family home in Bucklebury. Her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, are doting and very hands-on grandparents.
However Kensington Palace, where they live in Apartment 1A, and have their offices and their charitable Royal Foundation, will remain their weekday base.
It means that in the near future Anmer Hall, their Norfolk home, may revert back to the Queen to pass on to another family member or rented out privately.
The changes have come as William and Kate are starting to map out where they see their family settling down.
It could, of course, be another 20 years before the couple accede to the throne and they are keen to afford their offspring as normal childhoods as possible before then