Kate Middleton's 'instincts' overrule royal protocol in 'unprecedented' move

Kate Middleton made a little girl’s day when she unexpectedly stopped her royal car to say hello.

During a visit to a knitwear factory in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire last week, the Princess of Wales was already on her way out when three-year-old Lily-Rose called out, "Hello, princess!"

Instead of continuing on, as is the usual practice of royal convoys after an engagement, Princess Kate had the car stop, jogged over, and warmly greeted the toddler.

"I heard you say 'hello' from all the way back there and I wanted to come and see you," Kate told the delighted little girl, shaking her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you,” she added.

When Lily asked if she was really a princess, Kate smiled and said, "Yes, I am! I wanted to come and say hello."

Lily’s mother, Stacey Chorley, described the moment as "surreal" and admitted they never expected the royal to stop. "When she got in the car, she waved, and we thought that was it. But when she stopped the car, we all said, ‘Oh my God, she’s getting out,’” Stacey told GB News, adding that Kate was "so genuine, so down to earth."

The spontaneous interaction quickly won over royal fans online, with many praising Kate’s "instinctive" move. One social media user noted via Express, "You could see that the other cars, security and photographers were not expecting her to stop. Also she ran so it definitely wasn’t planned, they are on a tight schedule. I just could not admire this woman more.”

The visit was part of Kate’s first trip to Wales since being named patron of the children’s hospice Tŷ Hafan, taking over from King Charles and following in the footsteps of Princess Diana.