Kate and Prince William’s secret incognito outings that royal expert ‘bets money’ they still do

Kate and Prince William's secret incognito outings are something that a former royal butler predicts they still do 'when they can'

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend a service to commemorate the life of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
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Kate and Prince William’s secret incognito outings are something that a former royal butler “bets money” they still do to this day.

The Prince and Princess of Wales’s latest outing together saw them step out in their best winter coats alongside their children to attend the Together at Christmas carol concert on 8th December. Whilst this was a high-profile appearance from them, they are apparently very familiar with undertaking low-key outings together. 

According to Grant Harrold, who worked as a royal butler to King Charles for seven years, Kate and Prince William’s secret incognito outings are something they used to do a lot - and likely still do. Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Grant has recently got candid about Kate and Prince William’s trips to the cinema together during his time working for the Royal Family. 

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales arrive at the Dog & Duck pub during their visit to Soho on May 04, 2023

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The Making of a Royal Romance by Katie Nicholl | £8.92 at Amazon

The Making of a Royal Romance by Katie Nicholl | £8.92 at Amazon

Published in 2011, this provides a fascinating insight into the lives of Prince William and Kate. It reflects back on her childhood, her close family and her romance with the future King. The book goes up to the preparations for the couple's fairytale wedding and also focuses on their life in Wales together.

Going under the radar, these sound like they were the ultimate romantic date-nights for the couple. 

“I remember them ordering curries to the house and organising secret cinema trips,” he explained, before expressing his belief that things have “had to change” since Prince William and Kate’s wedding.

In Grant’s opinion, though, the changes likely won’t have affected Kate and Prince William’s secret incognito outings to the cinema for date nights in their leisure time.

“I think things had to change after they got married. Kate and William strike me as very different people now. They’ve gone through major changes, such as marriage and kids,” he said. “They’re more grown up and have responsibilities as future King and Queen.” 

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend a ceremonial welcome for The President and the First Lady of the Republic of Korea

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He continued, “They take that seriously but it means they have to be more careful with the everyday things, like pub drinks and date nights. But I’ll bet money they still go incognito to the cinema when they can.”

Grant seems confident that whenever they can fit in a low-key cinema trip around their busy work schedules and time with Prince George, Charlotte and Louis, the Prince and Princess of Wales will do so. 

Date nights are likely important to them, with the former royal butler describing Prince William as a “romantic at heart” who he claimed once asked him to help organise a special Valentine’s Day dinner for Kate.

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales during a visit to Abaco on March 26, 2022 in Great Abaco, Bahamas

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“I remember him asking me to help with a candlelit dinner for Kate to celebrate Valentine’s Day. It was the Valentine's after they got engaged and shortly before their wedding. I was so happy to be involved. I can’t remember exactly what was served but I’m sure William chose Kate’s favourite dessert. He’s got a romantic side,” Grant alleged. 

Kate herself has previously echoed Grant’s remark about her husband’s romantic nature in the couple’s engagement interview. Discussing his proposal during a holiday to Kenya in 2010, the now-Princess of Wales declared, “It was very romantic, there’s a true romantic in there.”

Whilst Prince William talked about how he’d tried to cook “amazing fancy meals” at university to impress Kate in the early days of their relationship - even if this often ended in disaster. 

“All that would happen is I’d burn something, something would overspill, something would catch on fire and she’d be sitting in the background trying to help and basically taking control of the whole situation. So I was quite glad she was there at the time!” he declared.

Now, many years later, Prince William might perhaps have found a selection of recipes he knows won’t end with anything going wrong if he makes them for Kate. Either way, it seems like the “romantic” couple probably still try and fit in special date nights together when they can. 

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!