Kate Middleton Was Reportedly Seen Doing Back-To-School Shopping

October 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Kate Middleton, a totally normal mother of three who also happens to be the Duchess of Cambridge, was reportedly seen partaking in the inevitable end-of-summer errand: back-to-school shopping.

A source told Hello! (per Town & Country) that Middleton was spotted with Prince George, 5, and Princess Charlotte, 3, on the hunt for new school shoes at Peter Jones in London a few weeks ago.

Per the insider, Middleton had forgotten to bring socks, and her kids, who were reportedly wearing sandals at the time, had to borrow some from the shop to try on the new footwear. (It happens to all of us, Kate!)

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It's not uncommon for the Duchess of Cambridge to do her own back-to-school shopping for her kids. In fact, the hands-on royal even does her own grocery shopping from time to time. In April, she was photographed at a Waitrose supermarket in Norfolk, England, pushing her own cart and loading up her bags into her car.

"I doubt she does the weekly shopping, as she does have a small household staff at Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall who probably take care of most things," royal historian and founder of Royal Musings blog Marlene Koenig told BAZAAR.com at the time. "But I think the Duchess of Cambridge, who has lived in a non-royal world, takes a more active role in what her family eats."

Prince George reportedly had his first first day of school at St. Thomas's Battersea in London today, but Kensington Palace didn't release any new portraits of the royal, likely out of respect for his privacy. Looks like we won't be getting a photo of those new shoes.

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Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. 

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