Princess Kate Is "Just a Girl" in a Sweet Moment with a Fan and Reveals Her Down-to-Earth University Shopping Habit
Even royals love a good bargain.
My editor and I were just chatting about our favorite charity shop finds this morning, and it seems Princess Kate is one of us when it comes to a great bargain find. While visiting the café and shop that raises money for East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) on October 22, the Princess of Wales couldn't resist but peek at one woman's purchases.
In an Instagram Reel shared by a fan account and captioned "She’s just a girl 🤭," the princess is walking through Café 98, the not-for-profit store and community hub that supports EACH. As she waves to some women sitting at tables in the coffee shop, one of them calls out, "Want to see my purchases?"
"Oh, yes please!" Kate exclaims, making a beeline to the customers, causing them to burst into laughter.
Princess Kate speaks to customers about their purchases during a visit to Café 98 on October 22.
The Princess of Wales speaks with employees at Café 98 following her visit to The Treehouse hospice.
"Do you come in here quite a bit?" Kate asked, with the woman explaining that they actually live in England's Lake District—quite a long drive from Café 98, located in Hoveton.
"Let's see what you have got," the Princess of Wales said, holding a box of cups. "Are these for yourself or are they a gift?" After the woman tells her the cups were a gift, Kate called them "very nice."
In a longer video of the interaction shared by Hello! magazine, Kate says "you never know what you're going to find" when it comes to visiting a charity shop. She told the ladies she "loves going around" bargain hunting herself and there were "lots of charity shops" she'd visit while attending the University of St Andrews with Prince William.
This isn't Kate's first royal foray into charity shops while on duty this year. In February, the Princess of Wales made an unexpected stop into the Tŷ Hafan shop in Wales when she realized the store was located close to her other planned events. The princess serves as patron of the Tŷ Hafan children's hospice, and she made a surprise visit into the store that supports the charity, taking time to hug one volunteer and meet with shoppers.
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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.