Prince William took guests by surprise when he quietly entered the Walnut Tree Inn in Mere, Wiltshire for an unannounced working lunch on Thursday.
The Prince of Wales, 43, was in town on business in the Duchy of Cornwall and chose the local pub in the Duchy’s territory as his meeting place.
Pub owner William Friend-James said staff had no idea the table reserved for nine a week earlier was for royalty. “Everyone was a little shocked when he walked in,” he said. William sat at one table with six Duchy colleagues, while his security officers sat separately.
To keep it informal, the prince ordered a homemade burger, fries and lemonade. Others opted for the pie and sea bass from the pub. The group remained undisturbed by customers for about two hours. The staff described William as ‘down to earth’ and easy to work with.
Despite initial instructions against photos, William agreed as he went to the toilets, posing with two patrons and staff member Lisa James. The pub later posted the photo on Facebook and praised the team for hosting him.
William’s security team paid and left a tip. The drop-in follows another casual outing earlier this year when he surprised Aston Villa fans at a pub in Birmingham and bought them a round.
