Kate Middleton and Prince William's secret 'date night' venue might not be what you'd expect

Kate Middleton and Prince William's secret date night venue has been revealed  - and it's not what you'd expect.

When they're not busy with their many royal engagements, the Prince and Princess of Wales are usually spending time as a family with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. But they reportedly recently managed to escape their hectic daily life for a date night, as it's been reported that the royal couple paid a secret visit to the salerooms of auctioneers Dreweatts, which is close to their Windsor home of Adelaide Cottage. 

According to the Daily Mail, the couple appeared "very, very interested" in some of the items they saw while at the salerooms. It is believed they were looking at the extraordinary collection amassed by decorator and antique dealer Robert Kime, who died in August. 

£6 at Amazon

The Palace Papers by Tina Brown: £6 | Amazon

This royal bestseller delivers plenty of shocking revelations as it examines how the Royal Family have reinvented themselves over the years. The Palace Papers focuses on everyone from Queen Elizabeth to Prince William and Prince Harry with intriguing inside access and details.

View Deal

Robert Kime had decorated for King Charles in the past, both at Highgrove and Clarence Houses. A three-day auction of his collection, which included carpets and vases worth up to £1.5million, started on Wednesday 4 October. A source told the Daily Mail, "Everyone was all of a twitter to see them. It was the beginning of the very big champagne reception that auctioneers always have before a serious date."

While it's not known whethe the Prince and Princess of Wales made any bids, it's thought that they could have been looking for gifts for Catherine's parents or siblings.

And this isn't the first time art-fanatic Kate has made a secret trip. It was recently revealed how the Princess of Wales visits museums on her own early in the morning to avoid being seen by members of the public.

According to royal expert Tina Brown, the Princess of Wales gets to enjoy some normality by heading out early in the morning, before 8am, so she can beat the public rush and not be seen. The Princess, who studied History or Art at St. Andrews University, typically likes to head to art galleries and museums.

In her book, The Palace Papers, Tina Brown says that Kate's solo trips "nourish her life" and so far she’s only been spotted once - at a David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. Here, she is thought to have told the fan who spotted her, "I miss my history of art. It’s what I do to get my fix."

Kate and William moved from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor last summer, with their three children joining Lambrook school in September 2022.

It's thought that the move was to give the Wales children a more 'normal' upbringing out of the spotlight. Prince William and Kate Middleton had lived in Apartment 1a at Kensington Palace since 2013, having previously occupied Bodorgan Hall in Wales for the first few years of their marriage. 

"I think Wills and Kate need space to bring up their children," Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine, told the Sun ahead of the move. "Kensington Palace is a glorious prison for kids – they want to be able to play football without being watched from behind the gates. I think Windsor will be perfect for them, as they will have lots of freedom and they can all be at school together."