“ROYAL FANS THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A CASUAL PUB VISIT—THEN KATE MIDDLETON DID SOMETHING NOBODY EXPECTED.” During a surprise outing with Prince William, the Princess of Wales stepped behind the bar and put her brewing skills to the test, creating a moment that quickly sparked debate online. While many praised the relaxed and down-to-earth appearance, others questioned whether the increasingly informal royal approach is reshaping the public image of the future Queen in ways the Palace never intended.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales made some unexpected stops around London

Catherine, Princess of Wales stirs in a brewhouse kettle as she tours the brewery during a visit of the Southwark Brewing Company at the Bermondsey Beer Mile on March 12, 2026 in London,
Kate Middleton stirs in a brewhouse kettle as she tours the brewery during a visit of the Southwark Brewing Company at the Bermondsey Beer Mile on March 12, 2026 in London.Credit : Kin Cheung-WPA Pool/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • Kate Middleton and Prince William surprised locals with a bar crawl on London’s Bermondsey Beer Mile
  • The royal couple visited Southwark Brewing Company, where Kate stirred a brewing vat, and William shared his love for cider
  • Their outing included stops at Borough Market and a female-owned brewery before visiting an RNLI lifeboat station

Kate Middleton made sure she was doing her job well during a surprise stop at a brewery with Prince William.

The Prince and Princess of Wales stepped out for a surprise bar crawl on London’s Bermondsey Beer Mile on Thursday, March 12, where Kate took on the role of brewmaster at Southwark Brewing Company.

Princess Kate, 44, donned large gloves and climbed a ladder in block-heeled boots to try her hand at stirring a brewhouse kettle. “Wow, look at that,” Princess Kate said as she looked down into the vat.

As she accepted a giant stick to stir the contents, she asked, “What do I do?” as seen in a video shared to X by Rebecca English of the Daily Mail. She smiled and put the stick inside as she was instructed to give it “a bit of a stir.”

Catherine, Princess of Wales, stirs in a brewhouse kettle during a visit to the Southwark Brewing Company at the Bermondsey Beer Mile in London on March 12, 2026
Kate Middleton stirs in a brewhouse kettle during a visit to the Southwark Brewing Company at the Bermondsey Beer Mile in London on March 12, 2026.Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty

“This is hot,” she quipped with a giggle as she mixed the steaming vat, with Prince William watching from below.

Despite testing her brewing skills, Princess Kate revealed during the stop that she doesn’t drink alcohol often after her cancer diagnosis in 2024. “Since my diagnosis, I haven’t had much alcohol. It’s something I have to be a lot more conscious of now,” she said, per The Sun‘s Matt Wilkinson.

Elsewhere at Southwark Brewing Company, a business that founder Peter Jackson started in his garage in 2014, the royal couple poured pints and had a chat about William’s go-to drink: cider.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, pull pints during a visit to the Southwark Brewing Company at the Bermondsey Beer Mile in London on March 12, 2026.
Prince William and Kate Middleton pull pints during a visit to the Southwark Brewing Company at the Bermondsey Beer Mile in London on March 12, 2026.Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty

“You like your cider, don’t you?” Princess Kate asked her husband, according to Hello! magazine.

The Prince of Wales, 43, nodded and agreed, “I’m a cider man, I like cider. I grew up on cider in the West Country.”

Prince William and Princess Kate embarked on the pub crawl after a surprise stop at Southwark’s Borough Market, where they toured one of London’s oldest and most famous food markets. In addition to their visit to Southwark Brewing Company on the Beer Mile, they also checked out Fabal Beerhall, the latest venture from the independent, female-owned Hiver Beers brewer, which exclusively uses British ingredients.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prince William, Prince of Wales visit the Fabal Beerhall at the Bermondsey Beer Mile on March 12, 2026 in London, England.
Prince William and Kate Middleton visit the Fabal Beerhall at the Bermondsey Beer Mile on March 12, 2026 in London.Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty

The Prince and Princess of Wales made the unexpected appearances around the River Thames ahead of a planned visit to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Tower Lifeboat Station in Westminster to learn more about the vital work of RNLI on the River Thames. They made the visit as the RNLI marks the 25th anniversary of the RNLI Lifeguards, who protect lives at sea.

William and Kate made the trip to thank crew and volunteers for their efforts during the difficult winter months, in an outing that was somewhat of a throwback moment.

In February 2011, Princess Kate undertook her first royal engagement by christening a lifeboat at RNLI Lifeboat Station in Anglesey, Wales, where she and William were living ahead of their April royal wedding.

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