Kate Middleton has been spotted in London with her two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, on a surprisingly normal day out.
In a rare candid photo snapped by an onlooker, the Duchess of Cambridge could be seen treating the kids to soft serve ice cream cones from a local shop.
The photo shows the royal mum looking like any other mum picking her kids up after school and stopping off for a treat on the way home, proving Kate really is just like us sometimes.
The duchess looked elegant in a green printed Cefinn Studio dress with long sleeves, which she paired with dark Ray Ban sunglasses, gold hoop earrings and black leather loafers.
“Love it! It’s nice to see that she dresses the same way even when she is just with her kids getting ice cream (she just doesn’t have high heels),” one onlooker commented.
Another social media user added: “Love that she goes for comfort over fashion too when she’s picking up the kiddos.”
Meanwhile, the two royal children looked casual in athletic gear, George dressed in his soccer uniform while Charlotte wore a white top and navy shorts.
Prince Louis, who turns four this weekend, was nowhere to be seen but his two elder siblings seemed thrilled to be having some one-on-one time with their mum.
Both were happily eating ice cream despite the London chill, with Instagram users remarking on how grown up they looked while Kate chatted to another woman at the store.
Several royal fans speculated that the photo may have been snapped after school pick-up or the royal children’s after-school sport activities.
It’s one of very few candid snaps of the Cambridge children enjoying a private moment with their mum and demonstrates just how “normal” family time can be for the royals.
Though their father, Prince William, will one day be king and George will follow after him, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have worked hard to give their three children a down-to-earth upbringing.
WATCH: Prince George sings God Save The Queen at a rugby match. Story continues after video.
“William is working with Kate to help all their children develop what they find personally fulfilling,” royal historian Robert Lacey told People magazine in 2021.
“As royal parents, both Kate and William have focused on … working to ensure that all three of their children enjoy the peaceful childhood that eluded William and Harry.”
Princess Diana had desperately wanted a normal childhood for her sons, but her tragic death in 1997 pushed them even further into the public spotlight.
Now William and Kate are working to ensure their children are protected from the media that followed William and Harry as youngsters.
The Cambridge family – sans Prince Louis – attend an Easter church service.
(Image: Getty)They carefully monitor what photos are released of George, Charlotte and their youngest, Prince Louis, as well as restricting press access to the children.
The duke and duchess also encourage their children to get involved in normal kid activities, like sport; photos from January showed William standing on the sidelines at one of George’s soccer games.
Recently, they’ve also included their eldest two children in more formal royal events like Easter Mass and Prince Philip’s memorial service.
