On Thursday, November 27th, Prince William made headlines with a generous gesture during a visit to Mere, Wiltshire. As part of his duties for the Duchy of Cornwall, the 43-year-old royal stopped by the Walnut Tree Inn for a surprise lunch.

The prince, accompanied by five associates, enjoyed a working meal at the local country pub. Meanwhile, his trio of security personnel took their seats at a separate table. William opted for a classic choice, indulging in a burger and fries as part of his meal.

Prince William enjoyed a pub lunch

The unexpected royal visit was a pleasant surprise for the Walnut Tree Inn’s proprietor, William Friend-James. He shared with The Telegraph, “We had received a reservation about a week in advance for nine individuals across two tables, but we were unaware of who the guests would be.”

Adding a touch of royal generosity to his visit, Prince William left a £75 tip, leaving the staff at the inn delighted by his thoughtfulness.

William Friend-James, the owner of the Walnut Tree Inn, told The Telegraph: “We took a booking about a week ago for nine people on two separate tables but didn’t know who it was.

“So everyone was a bit shocked when the Prince of Wales walked in.

“William had our homemade burger, fries and a lemonade. Others in his party had the homemade pie and someone had the sea bass.”

The prince posed for a photo with Lisa James, who served him and his team, and pub regulars Gary Fermor and Nick Lowe.

The owner added: “Somebody asked for a photo and his security guards said no. Then he walked to the loos by himself and Lisa asked him if he minded having a photo and he said yes.

“It was a great pleasure to host him.”

The group spent 90 minutes at the pub, with William’s security team paying the bill and leaving the generous tip.

William – who took on the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate across 20 counties, when his father King Charles ascended the throne in 2022 – tries to visit part of the Duchy once every four to six weeks, meeting stakeholders at its farms and offices.

Meanwhile, William recently joked he is a “taxi driver” for his three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Prince Loui,s and he and wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, try to be as hands-on as possible with their brood.

Appearing on Brazil’s Domingão com Huck, he said: “Play dates, taxi driver, sports days, matches, playing in the garden when I can.

“School run most days. I mean Catherine and I share it, but she probably does the bulk of it.”

The royal couple have chosen not to give their kids mobile phones and plan to take a cautious approach as they get older because they don’t want them exposed to danger online.

William said: “It is really hard. Our children don’t have phones.

“When George moves on to secondary school, maybe he’ll have one with limited access.

“We talk to him and explain why we don’t think it’s right. With full access, children end up seeing things on the internet that they shouldn’t. But with restricted access, I think it’s good for messaging.”

<!–

–>