The Prince and Princess of Wales met famous trainspotter Francis Bourgeois when they travelled on London’s Elizabeth Line for the first time.
Prince William and Kate took the capital’s newest rail line as they headed into London to visit a Soho pub.
The royal couple boarded the Tube at Acton Main Line in west London and chatted to Transport for London workers about their plans for the busy bank holiday weekend when tens of thousands of people are expected to visit the capital for King Charles’s Coronation.
As they walked along the speeding train talking to fellow passengers, they encountered Bourgeois – real name Luke Nicolson – who is best known for his lighthearted and humorous Instagram videos about trains.
He recorded his royal encounter for social media, with the 22-year-old shaking hands with both William and Kate.
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Kate told him, “Hi, very nice to meet you” as they shook hands, while William said, “Hi, how are you doing?”
Bourgeois replied as they walked on, “It’s nice to meet you.”
The encounter delighted fans of the railway and engineering enthusiast – who has 1.8 million followers on Instagram. And, commenting on his Instagram ‘reel’, the Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram account said: “Nice to see you.”
Bourgeois often records himself through the fisheye lens of a GoPro mounted in front of his face, and used the technique to film his royal encounter.
As the royal pair travelled through the train, Kate was asked about King Charles’s coronation on Saturday. She replied: “Yes, it’s going to be a busy time. We’re getting there. I still feel like we’re trying to get ducks in a row.”
The royal couple travelled three stops and got off at Tottenham Court Road in the shadow of Centrepoint tower block. Kate was spotted using an Oyster card as she left the station and she and William walked the short distance to the Dog and Duck pub in Soho.
The hospitality industry is hoping for a bumper weekend thanks to the coronation, and the couple met representatives from the industry based in the Soho area.
The Dog and Duck is part of the Nicholson’s group, which has several pubs across the UK and is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
At the Dog and Duck, they both ordered a pint of cider. They were then accompanied by pub managers Chris Watts and Maria Sojkova behind the bar, where William poured a “perfect pint”, according to waitress Bernie Kidson.
It was the first pint of Kingmaker, a pale ale brewed to celebrate the coronation, ever poured.
During the visit, William told Mr Watts he likes to visit pubs “out in the sticks” to enjoy watching football in a quieter atmosphere.
Speaking after the visit, which hundreds of fans lined the streets to watch, Mr Watts said William was “enjoying his drink” and “didn’t want to go”.
