Princess Diana, Megan Markle, Kate Middleton, even Queen Elizabeth herself: when British royals break the rules and escape the palace to go shopping – or for a night out with Freddie Mercury
But when someone new marries into the royal family – like Princess Diana in the 1980s, and Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle in recent years, they bring with them a breath of fresh air.
She would wear wigs and lay low in friend’s cars to escape Kensington Palace. But it was her tristes with Freddie Mercury that were most outrageous. One night, described in comedian and actress Cleo Rocos’ book The Power of Positive Drinking, Mercury, Kenny Everett and Rocos were drinking champagne with Diana watching The Golden Girls on television when the princess asked them what their plans were for the evening. Mercury mentioned they were going to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a well-known gay club. The princess decided to come, too, so Everett dressed her in a military jacket, sunglasses and leather cap and passed her off as a gay male model.
Surprisingly, nobody recognised her. Clubbers were presumably fixated with Mercury. She ordered a white wine and beer, had a few giggles and they all left after 20 minutes.
Kate Middleton is often seen in London’s high streets, shopping at stores such as Gap, Zara and John Lewis. She also does her own grocery shopping when at their home in Norfolk, and has been spotted at the local Sainsbury’s and Waitrose with her children in tow.
In the evenings, Prince William and Kate have been known to frequent their local pub in Kensington, especially during the days when Prince Harry was still living at the palace. Both princes were also said to have come and gone regularly from the palace on motorbikes unnoticed for years.
When Meghan Markle was living at Kensington Palace, she would sneak out to Whole Foods, and was a regular at Dean Street Townhouse by Soho House. Also, like the late Princess Diana, she figured out ways of escaping prowling eyes and cameras by wearing wigs and disguises and leaving through one of the palace’s six back exits to enjoy nights on the town.
And let’s not forget that Queen Elizabeth is no stranger to escaping the palace incognito either. Famously, Princess Elizabeth, as she was at the time, and her sister Princess Margaret, left Buckingham Palace on V-E Day, May 8, 1945, to enjoy the celebrations to mark the end of World War II.
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Elizabeth was 19 at the time and Margaret was 14. They were accompanied by their cousin Margaret Rhodes; a former lady-in-waiting, Jean Woodroffe; and an entourage of 14 others for what the queen would describe as “one of the most memorable nights of my life”. Apart from joining in the celebrations on the street, they did the conga through the front door of The Ritz hotel, where a few eyebrows were raised, according to Rhodes.
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When the crown grew too heavy, back exits, disguises and motorbikes were used to evade the paparazzi to dance into London’s The Ritz hotel, go to Sainsbury’s supermarket or the pub, or to party with stars like Cleo Rocos and Kenny Everett