Princess Kate’s “Magic” Birthday Lunch with Pippa and Carole Middleton at Low-Key Bistro Revealed
"She was utterly charming, gracious and every bit as radiant in person as you’d imagine."
Princess Kate celebrated her 44th birthday on January 9 with a special girls lunch with her mom and sister, Pippa Matthews and Carole Middleton. The three women dined on french fare at The Funghi Room in Hungerford, West Berkshire. In a Facebook post, the bistro said “last Friday, in our teeny Hungerford Bistro, we had the enormous pleasure of welcoming a rather extraordinary guest.”
"Every now and then something happens that sends a little fizz of excitement through the whole place and this week delivered a corker," the restaurant shared, before revealing that their extraordinary guest was Kate, the Princess of Wales.
Julie Sharp, who was also in the restaurant at the time, confirmed that the three women dined alongside everyone else, and tried to stay low-key. “I was in there at the same time with my sister's and it was also my birthday!” she shared. “Certainly gave it a special “frisson,” of course we all acted cool.”
Princess Kate at an engagement the day before her 44th birthday.
“The entire team on duty reported the same thing: she was utterly charming, gracious and every bit as radiant in person as you’d imagine,” the restaurant shared. Hungerford is a small village about 30 minutes from where Carole and Pippa live in Bucklebury. Perhaps French-born sister-in-law Alizée, who is married to Princess Kate’s brother James, recommended the french eatery.
The intimate restaurant features large street-facing windows and several small tables. “Our all-day French inspired bistros have been created to evoke a relaxed and carefree feeling,” the restaurant shared on their website.
“A little moment of magic for our small bistro,” the restaurant said in their Facebook post, “and one we won’t forget in a hurry.”
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Christine Ross is a freelancer writer, royal expert, broadcaster and podcaster. She's worked with news outlets including the BBC, Glamour, Talk TV, ET, PBS, CNN and 20/20 to cover the foremost royal events of the last decade, from Prince George’s birth to the coronation of King Charles III.
She previously served as co-host of Royally Us, a weekly royal podcast by Us Weekly. As a freelance writer and royal commentator she provides expert commentary, historical context and fashion analysis about royal families worldwide, with an emphasis on the British Royal Family.