King Charles Queen Camilla Coronation: Prince William, Princess Catherine shock fans at surprise walkabout

Some royal fans burst into tears, others screamed, after the Wales’ unexpected walkabout in Windsor as King Charles revealed why he was “deeply touched” by coronation celebrations.

Prince William and Princess Catherine have surprised royal fans gathered on the streets of Windsor by going on a surprise walkabout.

It comes as Buckingham Palace said that King Charles III and Queen Camilla were “deeply touched” by the global celebration of their coronation.

Prince William is gifted a special “Coronation Ale” as a thrilled Princess Catherine looks on. Picture: Getty Images

The Prince and Princess of Wales surprised the crowds at Windsor when they made an unannounced appearance, stopping to shake hands and chat to people waiting for the coronation concert at Windsor Castle.

Princess Catherine took selfies with fans. Picture: AFP

Prince William was handed a can of coronation ale by a wellwisher while Princess Catherine hugged a little girl who seemed overwhelmed to meet her, in a surprise walkabout in Windsor.

The pair, who on Saturday watched King Charles crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey, were in Windsor for the Coronation Concert, which is due to start early Monday (AEST).

Thousands of people have travelled to the town for the event with Katy Perry and Lionel Richie the top headline acts.

Princess Catherine comforts a little girl who burst into tears after seeing her. Picture: BBC

Princess Catherine comforts the overwhelmed little girl. Picture: BBC

Princess Catherine greets royal fans at Windsor. Picture: Supplied

The Prince and Princess of Wales stopped off on The Long Walk, where people were picnicking and enjoying the sunshine.

One of the picnickers handed William a tinnie, called “Return of the King”, a specially brewed “Coronation ale”.

Royal fans were thrilled to get up close to Princess Catherine. Picture: Getty Images

Prince William meets fans at Windsor. Picture: Getty Images

Prince William meets another young fan. Picture: AFP

Perhaps sensibly, Princess Catherine suggested he could save it for later.

Meanwhile, a little girl was so overwhelmed to meet the princess, she burst into tears.

Princess Catherine, dressed casually in a pale blue blazer, dark pants and white sneakers, crouched down to speak with her and asked, ‘Do you want a hug?’, to which the child, who was wearing a headband with union flags attached gave an enthusiastic “Yes!” as the pair shared an embrace.

Princess Catherine went on a surprise walkabout at Windsor. Picture: Supplied

Prince William is to take to the stage to deliver a speech during the musical extravaganza in the grounds of Windsor Castle, with Kensington Palace sharing behind-the-scenes footage of the prince during rehearsals.

William and Kate’s surprise stop came shortly after Buckingham Palace issued the first public statement on behalf of King Charles and Queen Camilla since they were crowned.

Prince William received loud cheers from the crowd. Picture: Getty Images

“Their Majesties were deeply touched by the events of yesterday and profoundly grateful both to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion – and to the very many who turned out to show their support in such numbers in London and further afield,” he said.

More than 18 million people in the UK tuned in to watch the ceremony on TV, compared with 26.5 million for the late Queen’s funeral in September.

CORONATION PARTY CONTINUES

The Coronation party kicked into its second day, with lunch parties throughout the UK ahead of a star-studded Windsor concert.

Around 10 million patriotic Brits are making history of their own with one of the largest-ever community get-togethers known as the Big Lunch.

Thousands of street parties and lunches were thrown for King Charles’s coronation in London as the sun finally came out on the second day of the bank holiday weekend.

The newly crowned King and Queen sent their best wishes ahead of Sunday’s events.

In a message posted on the Royal Family’s official Instagram account, the King and Queen said they hoped it would be a “truly enjoyable event for everyone”.

Prince William and Kate have surprised guests at the Long Walk in Windsor today, only hours after celebrating the Kings Coronation. Picture: Sky News

As Princess Anne joined one of the thronging street parties thrown across the country to herald the reign of the newly crowned king, Australians toasted the monarch their way, sharing food and fun and pink champagne at the Mayfair garden party.

Taking upfront row seats before a giant screen were Sydneysiders Bill, Diana and Alana Parry, drinking Roebuck Pink fizz.

Prince William meets the people. Picture: Getty Images

The Coronation concert was eight hours’ away from entertaining the 500-strong crowd on the screen but, retiree Bill, 67, said: “The British might know how to party but we’re resilient, us Aussies – we’ve got the bubbles on the go and we’ll show them how well we can keep up.”

Diana, 74, said she loved the “pomp and ceremony”.

“ … Today is about soaking up the crowd atmosphere and spending time with our daughter Alana, who lives here,” she said.

At the Grosvenor Square garden party revellers enjoyed a reprieve from the wet weather, with 20C sunshine adding to the jovial mood.

Anthea Beeck, Joe Cassidy, Colin Beeck and Andrew Toulalan at the Mayfair Coronation party. Photo: Ella Pellegrini

Diana, Bill and Alana Parry from Sydney at the Mayfair incoronation party. Photo: Ella Pellegrini

At the heart of the London festivities, enjoyed by more than an estimated one million people, were a foursome from Perth.

Sipping Laurent Perrier champagne was Andrew Toulalan, 41, with friends Joe Cassidy, 36, Anthea Beeck, 80, and son Colin Bseeck, 58.

“We got stuck into a street party after the Coronation yesterday and loved it so much, we thought we’d do it again,” said Andrew, a director at WA Holidays.

“We’re showing the new king our approval but raising a few glasses to him today, bringing a bit of Aussie bogan to London,” said Joe.

“I love the way the British party and lay on a spread, it’s so lovely the way it’s done here,” said Anthea.

Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Picture: AFP

The Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence joined a community street party in Swindon, in the West Country while the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh mingled with royal revellers and members of the Royal British Legion for a big lunch at Cranleigh Village Hall in Surrey, South East England.

Some 67,000 Coronation Big Lunches are being held across Britain as the celebrations continue following the historic ceremony and processions filled with pomp and pageantry on Saturday.

The newly crowned King and Queen will join around 20,000 members of the public in Windsor this evening for a star-studded coronation concert featuring Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

The Duke of York’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will also attend a big lunch in Windsor.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and family prior to Downing Street hosting a big lunch to celebrate the coronation. Picture: Getty

People take selfies at The Big Lunch at The Long Walk, at Windsor. Picture: Getty

Later in the day a special Coronation Concert will be staged and broadcast live at Windsor Castle by the BBC and BBC Studios, with several thousand pairs of tickets made available via public ballot.

Queen Camilla is patron of the Big Lunch, a charity function to fight loneliness, which is held annually in June, but brought forward this year for the King’s Coronation.

And on Sunday morning church services across the UK were invited to include the Coronation anthem composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber which was performed publicly for the first time as the King was enthroned.

The sheet music was been sent to 6000 churches, so they could perform it during their own services.

Prince William, Prince of Wales touches St Edward's Crown on the head of his father. Picture: AFP

EYES OF THE WORLD FALL ON KING AND QUEEN

The eyes of nearly 30 million people across the globe were fixed on them.

But this is how newly crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla saw their momentous Coronation celebrations.

In a special series of behind-the-scenes photos released by Buckingham Palace, the royal couple on the palace balcony is shown peering out from under their crowns to a sea of more than one million loyal subjects watching the RAF Red Arrows fly overhead, leaving a quintessential trail of red, white, and blue.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose and smile after their Coronation, at Buckingham Palace. Picture: Getty

Queen Camilla and King Charles III standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, following their Coronation Ceremony. Picture: Getty

The official snapshots also captured delightful moments in which four of the eight Page Boys — including future king-to-be Prince George — laughed and clowned around on the balcony.

The balcony appearance has become a centrepiece of royal events stretching back decades.

However, this time the line-up was very different, reflecting the new-blended family of King Charles and Queen Camilla — and the changing times.

Pages Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Prince George of Wales, Nicholas Barclay and Ralph Tollemache on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Picture: Getty

The disgraced Prince Andrew was missing as was Prince Harry who left Westminster Abbey to go straight to the airport.

Instead Camilla’s sister, Annabel Elliot, her grandsons Master Gus and Master Louis Lopes Master Freddy Parker Bowles and her great-nephew Master Arthur Elliot were included.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, leaves the Coronation for Heathrow Airport. Picture: Getty

The royal family gathers on the Buckingham Palace central balcony after the coronation. Picture: Getty

Queen Camilla and King Charles III standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to view the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows fly-past. Picture: Getty

The slimmed-down working royal’s team headed by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children waved to the crowds before retiring for a private lunch to eat the now infamous spinach, broad bean and tarragon “quiche” the piqued French have quipped is actually a “tart”.

Prince Harry was invited to join the family for the quiet gathering away from the cameras but declined, preferring to rush home to spend time with his son Archie on his fourth birthday.

Following the Coronation, watched by a global audience of 27 million people, thousands of wellwishers left messages for the new King on social and mainstream media platforms.

Among them was The Duchess of York, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who sent her “sincerest congratulations” after her own lunch party starring the late Queen Elizabeth’s corgis Sandy and Muick.

One coronation moment still being talked about is the attention-grabbing role of the stylishly-dressed woman bearing the sword during official procession through Westminster Abbey.

It was Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, Conservative MP and a contender for the Prime Minister’s job last year, until she was knocked out of the running by Liz Truss. Ms Mordaunt is the first woman in history to carry the sword and captivated viewers with her elegant outfit designed by atelier Safiyaa.

Author and columnist Caitlin Moran cheekily commented on the buzz around Ms Mordaunt’s role, saying: “Penny Mordaunt’s sword is the ‘Pippa Middleton’s Bum’ of the Coronation.”

Originally published as King Charles Queen Camilla Coronation: Prince William, Princess Catherine shock fans at surprise walkabout