Prince William pours a pint, meets public before coronation
By Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press on May 4, 2023.
LONDON (AP) – Prince William has poured a pint of ale and taken a ride on the subway with his wife Kate as part of a royal ramble in central London before King Charles III’s coronation. With just two days to go until Saturday’s coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, William and Kate took time to chat with royal fans, tourists and Londoners on Thursday in the U.K. capital’s Soho entertainment district. The pair took their first trip on the Elizabeth line, named after Queen Elizabeth II and the latest line on London’s busy train network. They then stopped at the historic Dog and Duck pub, where William went behind the bar and poured a pint of Kingmaker, a pale ale brewed to celebrate the coronation. William joked that he would have to watch how much he drank and “get back into work mode.” Hundreds of royal fans – some hailing from China, Canada and the United States – lined the streets of Soho, hoping for a glimpse of the couple, a handshake or a brief chat. Kate told well-wishers that her eldest child, Prince George, was excited about the coronation. The 9-year-old royal, who is second in line to the throne after his father, will carry Charles’ robes as one of the king’s four pages of honor on Saturday. George and his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis attended a rehearsal for the ceremony alongside other members of the royal family on Wednesday. Thursday’s royal visit came as London prepared for the United Kingdom’s first coronation since Elizabeth II was crowned 70 years ago. Union Jack bunting and crown decorations have appeared across the capital, while Big Ben was lit up in red as part of late-night dress rehearsals around midnight on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to descend on London for the historic event, and many die-hard royal fans are already camped out near Buckingham Palace to secure the best viewing spot. “We’ve always been a massive fan of the royal family. I was also over for the (queen’s) jubilee, so all the big moments that we can, we come over,” said Luisa Rawes, from Portugal. “It is a massive occasion.” ___ Follow AP’s coverage of King Charles III and the coronation at https://apnews.com/hub/king-charles-iii 14-13
