The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Borough Market (Image: Royalrota)
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The Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise visit to London’s Borough Market today, touring the stalls in the iconic food market and even serving crumble and custard to unsuspecting shoppers. The previously unannounced visit saw the couple spend time at an award-winning cheese stall, a coffee shop helping homelessness and a famous dessert business.

They were put to work chopping cheese, making coffees and serving crumble and custard to customers. Londoners and tourists grabbing an early lunch couldn’t believe their eyes when they spotted William and Catherine walking around the market on Thursday morning, with dozens surrounding them and stopping to say hello and ask for selfies.

The Princess wore dark straight-leg trousers, a blue blouse and a checked blazer and her long brunette hair down and crowds thronged around them as the royal couple walked through the market without security barriers.

The Prince and Princess of Wales served customers crumble and custard (Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)

Their visit to one of London’s oldest and most renowned food markets is the first of a series of visits in the capital today. There is another underwraps visit as well as an engagement at RNLI tower station on the River Thames.

The programme was built around the river, designed to illustrate how it remains at the heart of London communities and trade.

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At Borough Market, they first visited Trethowan Brothers, an award‑winning family cheesemakers producing small‑batch traditional cheeses whose stall has been part of the market since 1998.

William gestured to a tall tower of cheddar, asking questions of owner Todd Trethowan and happily agreeing to a taste test.

Both the Prince and Princess tried their hand at slicing the Pitchfork Cheddar with some cutting wire, and Catherine asked which cheese was the most popular.

Mr Trethowan said afterwards that they were “big cheese fans”, telling him “that’s lunch taken care of!” when he gave them cheese and chutney to take away.