Kate Middletonand her family have some exciting weekend plans:King Charles' coronation!
The Princess of Wales and her husband,Prince William, made theirfirst official appearanceof the coronation week on Thursday, visiting Dog & Duck Pub in Soho to hear how the tavern is preparing for the festivities. The royal couple chatted with the crowd after their time inside, and one well-wisher exclusively tells PEOPLE that Princess Kate said she was nervous ahead of the crowning ceremony — but that childrenPrince George,Princess CharlotteandPrince Louisare not!
“I asked if the kids were excited about the coronation, and she said, ‘They’re very excited. They hadtheir rehearsalyesterday so they knew what they’d expect,’ " Mandy Leifheit of Seattle, Washington tells PEOPLE of her exchange with Kate.
“She said she’s more nervous than the kids are since it’s such a big event for the kids to be part of. She said Louis will be there and that he’ll remember it,” Leifheit added.
Leifheit, 48, planned a trip across the pond for the coronation and even snagged a selfie with the Princess of Wales outside the Dog & Duck.
“It was a dream. She’s amazing. She’s so real and so natural — and this would be overwhelming but it’s not and she’s here,” says the advertising sales professional.
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
The coronation celebration on Saturday is an especially momentous occasion for the Wales family, asPrince WilliamandPrince George, 9, are next in line to the throne. The father and son are both poised to participate in the church service at Westminster Abbey;Prince Williamwill step forward topay homageto his father King Charles, whilePrince Georgeadorably serves as aPage of Honorto his grandfather. The Prince and Princess of Wales brought George, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5, to a rehearsal at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday, as the countdown to Saturday continues.
Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte at Trooping the Colour on June 2.Karwai Tang/WireImage
RELATED VIDEO:Kate MiddletonandPrince WilliamCheck Out a London Pub 2 Days Before King Charles' Coronation
Leifhert tells PEOPLE that Kate’s statement coat today made her think of the late monarch, who famously worebright huesto be easily found in a crowd.
“I saw her walk up in the red coat, and I thought it’s kind of like the [late] Queen in bright colors so people can spot her — and I almost teared up,” she says.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Leifhert says she told Princess Kate she had come in from Seattle, and the royal replied, “People have come a long way.”
“She was so gracious. The fact they’re in London doing a walkabout is a dream come true,” she says. “I love that they came to a pub. It’s real. This is where everyone’s going to be afterward so it’s perfect.”
Can’t get enough ofPEOPLE’s Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates onKate Middleton,Meghan Markleand more!
Prince William and Kate Middleton.James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images
The royal fan serendipitously befriended another American in the crowd at the walkabout — Carol Holcomb from Denver, Colorado.
“I was just dumbfounded. Seeing a future queen,” Holcomb tells PEOPLE of seeing the Princess of Wales in real life. “She was so poised and she handles it all so well. That’s the most exciting thing that will happen this trip.”
source: people.com
