Princess Charlotte Looks ‘Amazed’ During London Tube Ride With Princess Kate
Princess Charlotte enjoyed a rare glimpse of everyday London life on Saturday, joining her mother, the Princess of Wales, for a journey on the Elizabeth line. The 11-year-old appeared fascinated by her surroundings as the pair travelled through central London, sharing a train carriage with members of the public rather than relying on their usual chauffeur-driven transport.
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Catherine, 44, and Charlotte were spotted by a fellow passenger during the outing on October 10. According to a source who spoke to HELLO!, the young princess looked almost “amazed” as she took in the carriage around her.
The mother and daughter were accompanied by members of their security team, although their presence was kept discreet to allow the pair to enjoy a relatively ordinary journey.
A Relaxed Journey Through Central London
The Elizabeth line, which opened during the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee year, provided the setting for the royal pair’s outing. Sitting among other passengers, Catherine and Charlotte appeared comfortable and relaxed as they made their way across the capital.
A source told HELLO! that the pair interacted with people seated opposite them during the journey.
“They spoke to members of the public sitting across from them. They had security with them and Catherine held Charlotte’s hand getting off at Tottenham Court Road. The security didn’t make it obvious they were there and they tried to make it as ‘normal’ as possible.”
The source added that Catherine briefly checked her phone while the two chatted and smiled together.
“Catherine had her phone with her and was looking at her phone for a couple of minutes. They seemed very relaxed and were chatting together, smiling. It was a brief interaction with people opposite them but they seemed very happy.”
The pair eventually left the train at Tottenham Court Road. Catherine appeared to be wearing a burgundy outfit with matching heels, while Charlotte enjoyed the unusual opportunity to travel alongside her mother in a busy public space.
Their destination has not been disclosed.
A Special Day Out for Mother and Daughter
Although the purpose of their journey remains unknown, Catherine and Charlotte have previously spent time together enjoying cultural outings. In July, the pair attended a performance by The Royal Ballet School at Opera Holland Park, continuing their shared interest in ballet.
For Charlotte, however, a journey on the London Underground was a much rarer experience. She is currently in Year 8 at Lambrook Preparatory School in Berkshire, and royal family members generally travel in chauffeur-driven motorcades or use private helicopters when attending engagements.
Catherine, by contrast, was a regular user of the Underground before becoming a member of the royal family. Her latest journey with Charlotte offered a reminder of her familiarity with public transport and her occasional opportunities to experience London as an ordinary commuter.
The Princess of Wales has spoken about missing those everyday journeys in the past. In 2013, she joined the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Baker Street station to mark the 150th anniversary of the London Underground. Pregnant with Prince George at the time, Catherine admitted during the engagement that she “missed” travelling on public transport.
The latest outing also echoes an earlier journey Catherine made with Prince William. In May 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales surprised fellow passengers when they took the Elizabeth line to Soho. The visit formed part of their efforts to understand how London workers were preparing for King Charles’s coronation.
The Royal Family’s Occasional Public Transport Adventures
Catherine and Charlotte are far from the only members of the royal family to have stepped away from private transport. The late Princess Diana, in particular, was determined to give her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, as normal a childhood as possible despite their royal status.
A former royal protection officer described Diana’s hands-on approach in an interview with HELLO! in 2022. Although the boys had nannies, he recalled, their mother remained closely involved in their everyday lives.
“Although the boys had nannies, she was a hands-on mum and was always with them in their nursery or bringing them down to the kitchen for breakfast.”
Diana also encouraged her sons to spend time with friends and enjoy experiences that other children could recognise. According to the former protection officer, they were allowed to invite friends for sleepovers and take them along on family holidays.
He also recalled Diana taking William and Harry to Thorpe Park, where they queued for rides like other visitors. Their outings included journeys on London buses and the Underground, as well as visits to burger bars and restaurants, including Bill Wyman’s Sticky Fingers.
Diana’s approach extended to ordinary shopping trips, too. She once took the boys to Marks & Spencer to buy William’s favourite sausages. The experience excited the children, although their father, then Prince Charles, reportedly struggled to understand their enthusiasm given that Kensington Palace had some of the finest chefs.
These everyday experiences reflected Diana’s determination to ensure that her sons grew up with an understanding of life beyond royal residences and formal engagements.
How Diana Arranged a Ride on a Red London Bus
Diana’s commitment to giving William and Harry ordinary experiences was also recalled in the late princess’s former protection officer Ken’s 2017 book, Guarding Diana.
Ken revealed that Harry once asked to ride on one of London’s famous red buses. Rather than travelling by chauffeur-driven car, the bodyguard arranged for them to take a Routemaster to Smollensky’s Balloon restaurant on The Strand in 1992.
The episode offered another example of Diana’s willingness to accommodate her sons’ interests and let them experience the city in ways that went beyond the usual privileges of royal life.
More than three decades later, Catherine’s journey with Charlotte provided a similar glimpse of the royal family sharing an everyday experience with the public. For the young princess, the Elizabeth line trip was a rare opportunity to explore London from a passenger’s perspective, with her mother close by and their security team keeping a discreet watch.
