The Princess of Wales shocked festival-goers after she attended an electronic music festival following dinner with the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley over the weekend.
Kate Middleton was able to let her hair down at the 24-hour Houghton Festival thanks to the presence of “lots of security”.
While no official images of the princess have been released, a quick-fingered fan was able to grab a snap of the royal and has shared the image on social media. The shot-from-the-hip photograph was shared on Twitter/X by user @JazzWild, with the caption: “One of the boys snapped Kate Middleton at Houghton.”
In the image, Kate is flanked by two unidentified men, both of whom are dressed in green coats, jeans and trainers. Meanwhile, she cuts a casual figure while holding what appears to be a spicy margarita as she chats with the other revellers.
Kate appeared to prioritise comfort over the flashy, sequin-heavy garments often seen at music festivals. Considering the weather last weekend was relatively dry, the princess did not have to wear wellies and instead opted for a pair of white Veja Campo trainers for the ultimate casual look.
She appeared to be wearing black skinny jeans and a fitted long-sleeved top with a boat neckline. Kate accessorised with a slender necklace juxtaposed with large dangling earrings.
The princess also sported an access wristband, showing that even royalty can’t sneak past festival security without proper accreditation.
The Evening Standard quoted a source as saying that Kate visited the on-site restaurant Turntable and Napkin, an upscale alfresco dining site that floated on Houghton Lake where patrons could enjoy a three or four-course meal.
The source told the publication that the royal “was in high spirits” and ordered plenty of spicy margaritas and affogatos. Her party later reportedly left the restaurant staff with a very generous £700 tip.
It emerged earlier this week that Kate attended the festival with friends David and Rose Cholmondeley (née Hanbury) after dining with them at their residence, Houghton Hall, which is located only four miles from the Waleses’ country retreat, Anmer Hall.
A source told The Daily Mail: “After dinner, one of the guests suggested that Catherine [Kate] go to the festival. Catherine was nervous about the idea, but after much discussion with her protection officers, she went with lots of security. William wasn’t there.”
The Prince of Wales may have been absent from the techno festivities, but he had been spotted letting loose himself among clubbers at Camden hotspot Koko in June.
The four-day-long Houghton Festival was launched by infamous DJ Craig Richards in 2017, and has since hosted hundreds of artists who perform across 13 stages, many of them returning each year.
Set in the idyllic grounds surrounding the historic Palladian mansion, the festival specialises in electronic music. High-profile DJs and artists such as Afrodeutsche, DJ Fumiya Tanaka, and even Willow Smith, the daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, have previously appeared.
