The Duke & Duchess of Sussex went down to a local pub for a Sunday roast

The Royal Family attends a Service to commemorate the Armistice on the centenary of the end of WWI

There’s one thing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have done which the Sussexes will have to play catch-up. For years now, the Cambridges have been carefully curating their image as a perfectly normal, middle-class family. Of course there have been times where that image has blown up in their faces, but they still keep on with it. It’s their branding. It’s the whole reason why William loves the Middleton family – they help him cosplay his idea of a “middle class” life. Harry and Meghan have been repeatedly bashed and smeared as “too jet-set” or “too Hollywood” or “too elitist,” because apparently British people don’t like to be reminded that there’s a monarchy and the Queen literally owns a gold piano. So, the Sussexes have some work to do on their image, and on their couple-branding. So they decided to go down to a local pub for some pints and a Sunday roast.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle answered critics of their jet-set lifestyle — by having a roast dinner down the pub. The royal couple tucked into a £15 lunch at the boozer with three-month-old Archie in a cot beside them. Harry, 34, washed his down with a couple of pints of beer while Meghan, 38, appeared to stick to water during their two-hour stay.

They sat inside unnoticed while other diners soaked up the sun on Sunday at The Rose & Crown in Winkfield village in Berkshire. It was in contrast to the global warming campaigning couple’s recent holiday jaunts to Ibiza and the South of France on gas-guzzling private jets.

The Sussexes — watched by two protection officers — were spotted by a businessman, 53, and his girlfriend. He said: “They were on a table with, I presume, a private secretary. Meghan was cradling Archie most of the time. The little lad was as good as gold, I didn’t hear him cry once while he was there. No other customers recognised them. The staff clearly knew who they were but kept the service low-key. They did indicate to me they had been there before. They just chatted away like any normal couple and were laughing a lot. After the controversy they have been attracting they were getting their feet back on the ground with pub grub like millions of ordinary folk – and it was nice to see.”

[From The Sun]

After that little stunt was over, I bet Harry and Meghan were driven back to their high-tech haven, Frogmore Cottage, where they put on golden slippers and reviewed the horrors of having to interact with peasants! Seriously, that’s the image the British papers want people to have of the Sussexes. Like Meghan and Harry haven’t actually lived in the world and existed with regular people before. Anyway, The Sun published the pub’s menu and so much of it looks delicious. Has anyone been to this pub, the Rose & Crown? Is that pork sirloin good? Because it sounds good.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports

Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid and Avalon Red.

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91 Responses to “The Duke & Duchess of Sussex went down to a local pub for a Sunday roast”

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  1. oliphant says:

    LOL

    What’s next? Meghan waits patiently in line at the post office? Kate searches through the reduced items near the til in the supermarket? Harry lists some used clothes on eBay? William takes a bus? THEY’RE SO NORMAL JUST LIKE YOU AND ME

    This PR seems so amateur- is that the point? people talking about how dumb this is to take attention away from paedo Andy? I’m genuinely asking for insight here.

  2. Esme says:

    Advantage Sussex. 😀

  3. Elvie says:

    I mean … Sunday roast is literally the best thing so who can blame them?

    • Alice says:

      +1!

    • L84Tea says:

      Can you explain the term Sunday Roast for this uninformed American? Is it a literal roast, as in a pot roast? Or is it a general term for all pub grub?

      • Kate says:

        There’s an actual roast, it’s not just a general term. I spent a summer working in London and Sunday roast was my favorite part of living there, so delicious!

      • L84Tea says:

        @Kate, thank you for clarifying! It sounds divine!

      • duchess of hazard says:

        @L84Tea – a roast used to centre around a type of baked meat (typically roast beef/pork/ lamb) served with yorkshire pudding, gravy and a bit of vegetable. But with the increase of vegetarians, it’s gotten more generic (I’ve seen vegetable meatloaf being coached as roast). But it’s the name for a typical Sunday spread

      • L84Tea says:

        My mother used to make roast beef and Yorkshire pudding every Christmas when I was a kid. Good God, that was some delicious food.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        Thanks. Now I have to make Yorkshire pudding. And, of course, eat it all!

      • BayTampaBay says:

        What is Yorkshire Pudding?

      • AceMom2 says:

        @BayTampaBay Yorkshire Pudding (or popovers) are a traditional English baked pudding that’s made from eggs, milk & flour then baked in the oven (I do mine in a muffin tin) and usually served with gravy. If you’ve never had them, you’re missing out!! They’re delicious and addictive 😀

      • notasugarhere says:

        One of my fav descriptions of Yorkshire Pudding is from 84 Charing Cross Road.

        Cecily in a letter to Helene, describing YP and giving a recipe:
        “Helene my dear – There are many ways of doing it but Mummy and I think this is the simplest for you to try. Put a cup of flour, an egg, a half cup of milk and a good shake of salt into a large bowl and beat altogether until it is the consistency of thick cream. Put in the frig for several hours. (It’s best if you make it in the morning.) When you put your roast in the oven, put in an extra pan to heat. Half an hour before your roast is done, pour a bit of the roast grease into the baking pan, just enough to cover the bottom will do. The pan must be very hot. Now pour the pudding in and the roast and pudding will be ready at the same time.

        I don’t know quite how to describe it to someone who has never seen it, but a good Yorkshire Pudding will puff up very high and brown and crisp and when you cut into it you will find that it is hollow inside.”

        Part of Helene’s response after making it:
        “Yorkshire Pudding out of this world, we have nothing like it, I had to describe it to somebody as a high, curved, smooth, empty waffle.”

      • MissAmerica says:

        As an American, my family always had a Sunday roast. They can be done a million ways. Mine was always a pot roast. Now as an expat in Australia, oven roasts are more common.

    • PrincessK says:

      Making me feel hungry, wish I could have joined them for that cosy lunch, the pub looks divine, I adore pub grub!

    • Selena says:

      Oh yeah!

  4. Beyonce_Padthai says:

    There’s several instances of this type of imagery and one is of Michael Phelps and his opponent next to him is checking their progress in the middle of the race while he just forged ahead. That’s what I feel like the Sussexes are doing, just forging ahead while the Cambridge’s spend all their time trying to figure out how to disparage them again. It must be exhausting.

    Someone here mentioned that in order to keep the monarchy going the public must never see or feel like anyone else would be better because that would introduce the idea of notion of someone not being “chosen” or “sovereign by God” or whatever. The fact remains no one is chosen by birth and the second sibling or cousin or whoever might be better liked and better for a job. Truth of the matter is that if the monarchy abolished, the Sussexes have a brand that will sustain them. They will continue to collaborate and be heads of trusts and foundations. They will be fine-ish.

    The Cambridge’s don’t. No one really finds them useful. That’s what they’re so scared of.

    Can anyone explain what and how one goes about removing the royal family from the public’s burden? Like still keep their houses for tourism but now they must find their own jobs or live off their trusts?

    • guest89 says:

      I’m laughing because the Michael Phelps/Chad Le Clos comparison is really quite accurate (former swimmer here) and one of the main differences between the two is that Michael would put his head down and DRIVE into the finish whereas Chad frequently ends up finishing awkwardly short or ill-timed (and it’s literally cost him gold medals).

      I feel like its a remarkably appropriate if insanely specific metaphor and I love it.

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      Beyonce_Padthai, I would think that their “private” residences, that THEY own (Balmoral, Sandringham, etc) would be theirs to “retire” to. BP, KP and the other castles stay with the government; they would have to vacate the “private” rooms they occupy as a household. I would think the state rooms and banquet rooms would still be used for official visits/state dinners, etc., and the rest could be opened for public tours.

      The Queen is pretty much the richest woman in the world. She’s never going to go “without” and not have (multiple!) roofs over her and her family’s heads. They will always have more than enough $$$$$ for all of them.

    • noway says:

      Pretty sure the Brits would have to pull a Brexit and vote them out. Now they would still own all their property which is considerable, and not sure but they may actually own the crown jewels too. I’m sure there would be some negotiation on those kind of things. Then they are just uber rich people who don’t get money from the taxpayers. The reality is I don’t think that will happen. Honestly, if the USA was part of Britain now I don’t think we’d vote them out now either. People love them and love to hate some of them. Just look at all the comments on royal stories. It’s crazy this is about them eating pot roast at a pub. Please. There are some who want them to stop using so much money, but they still want them around. What will happen is the monarchy will probably be much smaller with less working royals when Charles or if he doesn’t make it William become King. Pretty sure both Charles and William think the monarchy can’t survive with so many working royals. More will be the Zara Tindall’s of the world who don’t have a title, or work for the monarchy, and could actually do pretty much what she wants.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Elizabeth Windsor owns Sandringham and Balmoral. Much of the jewelry is private ownership (her 18th birthday brooch, the Greville jewels, other assorted jewels and tiaras). The Crown Jewels do not belong to them personally.

        They have plenty of money stashed many places, but their UK real estate isn’t easily liquidated.

  5. jules says:

    Yeah, I’m sure they went unnoticed.

  6. Brittney says:

    Lmao… “they help him cosplay his idea of middle class life”.

    Spot-on! It’s just a role for him. Harry grew up just as privileged, and I don’t know if it was the military or being the second-born, but he certainly managed to master this “relating to plebeians” thing effortlessly. His bro barely tries by comparison… just cosplays when it’s convenient.

    • Amy says:

      …Except that given Harry’s immense privilege, surely things like this are him also “cosplaying his idea of middle class life” just as much as his brother? Sure, Harry’s much better at (acting as if he’s) relating to the plebs than William but at the end of the day, they’re both cut from the same gilded cloth. Meaning that isn’t it fair to call any attempt to be “normal” just a stunt, no matter which brother (or which wife) is doing it?

      • BayTampaBay says:

        This is whole Sunday lunch in a pub thing was just total BS IMHO. All of these HRHs just need to hibernate for a good six moths so the MSM will concentrate on the real story: Pedo Andy and those covering for him.

    • duchess of hazard says:

      @Brittney – both Harry and William do fetish ‘normal life’ because their mum would expose them to it growing up. So it’s like a romanticised notion of what being normal is. I can’t see them battling on zero hour contracts, and having to apply for holiday.

    • PrincessK says:

      On their behalf I take offence to that remark. Harry and even William are human beings, they did not ask to be born royal and for various reasons they just have to get on with it. The Queen and also Charles stuck rigidly to royal lifestyle even though they may have wanted top on a bus and nip out to the chip shop. Princess Margaret had a go and ’slumming’ it and tasting ordinary life. Diana definitely made sure her boys experienced ordinary life, and they patronised the local Mac Donald’s and queued to get into cinemas. During his bachelor days Harry frequented kebab shops and other fast food joints.

      What on earth is wrong with them wanting to do ordinary things. Being under royal lock and key even in the most luxurious surroundings can drive you mad.

      Even with this pub lunch they still had bodyguards with them. Diana often said that having to factor in the needs of chauffeurs and bodyguards whenever she went anywhere was a chore she wished she did not have.

      Please allow them do engage in ‘ordinary pursuits ‘ without poking fun at them, they get enough of that from the vicious RRs. Why are so many of you sneering at them and whining about how difficult real life is. Their rich gilded lives are far more difficult than most ordinary lives

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        Was with this …. till the last sentence. Their rich gilded lives can be difficult, but how can they be “far more” difficult than the lives of the non-rich? They have privilege that covers everything from posh housing to superb health care, access to whatever they want, well-heeled connections, the means to not to have to worry.

        It may be more accurate to observe that their rich gilded lives have their own unique forms of complexity, but are they far more difficult? Not likely.

      • Iris's Grandaughter says:

        Agreed 100% @PrincessK. Well put.

      • noway says:

        @PrincessK that last sentence should be for all the royals, even the creepy one’s like Andrew. Just saying, otherwise it’s a bit hypocritical if it’s only for the Sussexes. I don’t think that is what you meant, but I know others on here think that way. I don’t begrudge them doing this, but it is kind of funny. A really famous rich person goes to an everyday restaurant this means they are like us. Why do I feel like that is similar to how a lot of US voters thought Trump was one of them cause he talked like them and liked fast food. Nope still wealthy privileged people, but I think it’s fine that they do this, just wish the publicity wasn’t so into the branding of it. That goes double for the Cambridges since they have been doing it for ages. Orchestrated branding or not it doesn’t matter, it’s still out there.

        Plus I don’t believe their lives are harder than other ordinary lives, whatever that means. Money has a way of hiding a lot of things. It may be the root of all evil, but it also takes away a lot of stress people have.

      • Your Cousin Vinny says:

        Yeah, not sure their rich gilded lives are more difficult than us ordinary folks. Frankly, I would take the “chore” of having to factor in “the needs of (publicly funded) bodyguards and chauffeurs” in exchange for all of my other chores. Not to mention in exchange for feeling safe and being transported somewhere seamlessly and without hassle.

        It’s one thing to say it’s perhaps not all it’s cracked up to be but to say their lives are more difficult is a slap in the face to those who are doing it tough with no other option but to keep struggling.

      • PrincessK says:

        I don’t think that Harry or any of the others have said that going to ordinary pubs and restaurants makes them just like us. But l do remember Harry as a bachelor saying that he cooked, shopped and did his own laundry. He did it not because he had to or wanted to prove to the world that he is like us but because having a ‘normal ‘ type of life is probably a human instinct. Remember how the Queen and Margaret slipped out of the Palace and mingled anonymously with the crowds to celebrate end of WW2…..they could have just sipped champagne and clinked glasses indoors with the King and Queen.

        I have lived with and without household staff to manage and for me living life independently is much better. For people moaning about the drudgery of their own lives if you swapped a week with Harry and William you would soon want your life back.

        It is actually worse for William, what does he have to look forward to? Receiving endless numbers of diplomats, handing out hundreds of medals, countless Royal tours following more or less the same format, always thinking twice before you open your mouth, never being able to say what you think. I am really sure that the palaces, all the rich food and servants will compensate for that, yeah right. I am not a fan of William but l fully understand him wanting to stretch out being ‘ordinary Bill’ for as long as he can.

      • Your Cousin Vinny says:

        @princessk, I’m not moaning and I’m not talking about drudgery. There are people out there fundamentally struggling to make ends meet, feed their children and provide a safe roof over their head. The idea that managing household staff and having to watch your tongue (publicly, at least) are struggles that equate to or supersede these struggles is ridiculous. The chores you mentioned are not in anyway hardships. At best they are the grim realities of a privileged role, one they are free to remove themselves from at any time.

      • MrsBump says:

        Sorry PrincessK, i’m sure you mean well but this comment thread about how difficult their lives are reads like satire.
        There is a reason why these poor misunderstood HRHs do not leave their gilded prisons and join the rest of us down here in the muck, it’s because they know they got the sweet end of the deal.
        I’d happily shake all the hands of all the diplomats like poor Will, attend all the barefoot google summits like poor harry, heck, i’d even take insults from the dailymail like poor Meg and Kate if it meant i never had to worry about my immigration status, about finding work in an increasingly racist and islamophobic atmosphere, about paying my mortgage or about etc.etc, and i am one of the lucky ones.
        Please do not let your affection for these strangers cloud your judgement. They are literally crying in a castle while there are others struggling to keep a roof over their head. Sure their feelings of unhappiness are as valid as anyone else’s but their circumstances help to mitigate much of the unpleasantness of the world which we have no protection against.

  7. Mae says:

    The original article was written by Emily Andrews.
    The same person who wrote a whole article about the NY baby shower (with quotes from attendees) a day before the actual shower.
    The same person who wrote about the rules that H&M gave out to residents in Windsor. This story has again been proven a lie when the person who actually wrote the so called “rules” came forward and said that it was done as a joke.
    Emily Andrews is a proven liar and I would take any article she writes with a grain of salt.

    • Oliphant says:

      Ah i see- I wrote above how this PR seems dumb- so it’s an attack piece? Urgh.

    • Mtec says:

      Yeah I noted how they chose to keep reporting false information with “gas-guzzling” private flights. Is it too much to ask for unbiased journalism. I guess so.

      • noway says:

        Well I think the issue is this isn’t journalism. It never was. Now if they meet with a leader of some country or business in an official capacity, yes that would be journalism, but this is someone’s private family business. It’s gossip. Also, I did hear the story is false as the restaurant denied it. Which I guess says more about this writer’s connections though. Not sure it really matters though.

  8. (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

    One of my favorite memories of my time in England is going to Sunday Roast at a pub. It was sooooo good!!

    Good on H&M, just going about, living their lives.

  9. L84Tea says:

    Sure I’ve been to The Rose & Crown….at EPCOT.

    • Va Va Kaboom says:

      Ha, me too! I’ve never met a Shepherds Pie I didn’t like, so I can’t reliably recommend the food, but the bar is excellent.

      • L84Tea says:

        Ha! I was just there a couple months ago and had the Shepherds Pie for my meal. It was decent if I recall.

  10. Skyblue says:

    Man, I don’t care what Harry and Meghan are up to but all this talk of Sunday roast at a pub is killing me. It sounds amazing!

  11. Erinn says:

    And now I just want a roast. And beer.

    • Green Desert says:

      Same Erinn! I’m in Pacific Time though so it will be several hours before this would be appropriate for me, hahaha.

      • Erinn says:

        Haha, I definitely looked at the clock when I was posting this. I was probably around 10:30am. It’s now 1:20pm (I believe Atlantic time is about 4 hours ahead of pacific) though, so I’m creeping into ‘socially acceptable’ territory.

    • minx says:

      Same, and it’s still morning here 😂

  12. BayTampaBay says:

    @Kaiser, I love you to death BUT QUII owns that gold piano as much as Donald J. Chump owns the Lincoln bed.

    • Giddy says:

      He would probably claim that he does. Also, the Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington, and the Resolute desk.

    • harper says:

      During the Proms, there was a show called Victoria’s Playlist, where they played lots of Mendelssohn (a good friend to V&A) and pieces that Albert wrote.

      The instruments were accurate to the 19th Century, and about 20 minutes in, they brought out that gold piano. And a pianist played it for a Mendelssohn piece.

      The pianist then did an encore, Chopin’s “Nocturne in E flat major”. Here it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDDI8yJJY-c

      The piano sounds wonderful!

  13. Le4Frimaire says:

    So what, they actually eat. It’s amazing this is even considered news, and then there are those calling them hypocrites for trying to look “normal”. Meanwhile Granny consented to suspending Parliament ( and democracy).

  14. Well-Wisher says:

    @mae Spot on. She claimed that the Duchess is being “harassed” ( my description) by the media because she pissed off a royal family member.

  15. Taryn says:

    No one can resist a good pub lunch or Sunday roast! It’s one of the few english foods I genuinely crave.

  16. Myra says:

    Can someone please tell the British People that their Royal Family isn’t Middle Class. They are…Royalty! TQ and her family live in castles, palaces and mansions. They fly private and via helicopters. They go on long expensive vacations. They spend lots of money on clothes and jewelry. Stop trying to make people who live a life of luxury and privilege NORMAL. Once the British People can acknowledge this FACT maybe their RF can stop with the nonsense and focus on important cause that can uplift the Brits and can also bring in tourism to help with their economy…..now about that roast, yes I’ll have some please!

    • oliphant says:

      I imagine most British people are aware of this. It’s not the British people, it’s rather the ridiculously insulting ‘hey we’re normal middle class just like you!’ PR of William and kate to try and spin themselves as middle class (as they perceive to be ‘normal’), and it does not work. Not one person with a brain cell thinks these people live anything other than a ridiculously privileged life that they’ve done nothing to deserve.

      • Jinjie says:

        Must be a lack of understanding about British culture. No one in the UK believes for one moment that the Royals are ordinary. What is a very British upstanding trait is modesty. The Queen is the very example of this trait. Hell everyone including her knows She’s THE SUPREME but precisely because of that she’s extremely modest and humble. She’s got world leaders falling at her feet yet she displays astounding humility and grace. That’s VERY British. It’s about manners – they are obviously above everyone else but it’s not the done thing to behave exactly that. This is the reason why it’s important to behave like ‘normal people’. To do otherwise is rubbing it in people’s faces and the British will rip your head off very quickly for that. They’re simply being British.

      • Lowrider says:

        Wow. “The Supreme”

        The fact that people believe she is above them is insane.

      • PrincessK says:

        @oliphant….Why should you say that Harry is insulting ordinary people by going for a roast lunch in a pub. Please get a grip.

  17. Loretta says:

    That pub looks so lovely. Archie must be a very good baby boy.

  18. LRob says:

    Good to know they eat. Weren’t they often seen at a cozy pub in the Cotswold’s when they leased a home there? And they had their favorite spots near KP. This is a story because of the last 2 weeks of press nonsense, but otherwise these 2 have a life, they like Windsor, they eat. Hi Archie!

  19. Jaded says:

    I’ve spent a lot of time in England and literally everyone goes down the pub there. Everyone has their “local” and it’s not unusual to see the toffs mixing with the plebes. William and Harry have been doing the pub thing since they were old enough to drink. I doubt very much if this was a one-upmanship type of ploy, the Sussexes just do what they do and let the Cambridges sink themselves again and again.

    And Sunday roast at the pub is divine!!!

  20. kerwood says:

    Smart move by the Sussex family. So now, ‘Normal Bill’ is going to have to drag his family down to McDonalds if he wants to OUTNORMAL the Sussexes. AND take the bus to get there. Both ways.

  21. Peg says:

    I’m shocked that Meghan is continuing to hold Archie, even though he is equip with legs.

  22. Whatabout says:

    Wait when I read the story it said they had a “cot” with them. Can a Brit (or someone with kids) clarify what a cot is? Because to me it’s this like spring loaded bed that they rolled into a pub and then pushed down either sides for Archie to sleep. I mean lol that would be hilarious but I’m guessing that isn’t what it is?

    • KatV says:

      It’s like a little crib with handles that you can have with you. Here in Denmark, kids sleep outside in big pram, and when they’re very young you have a smaller cot to put inside. You can also have a separate carry cot that you can mount on a frame with wheels 🙂

  23. ds says:

    It’s a standard pub menu, and so are the prices.

  24. xo says:

    She looks SO beautiful in that top photo. Heavens.

  25. Wadsworth the Butler says:

    This can’t possibly be true because The Sun already told us she forced him to stop drinking, and The Sun would never lie to us.

  26. Islandgirl says:

    I am not sure why this is a story. The staff said they had been there before. If they had been surprised and said that this was the first time the Duke and Duchess had patronized the establishment then we would have lots to say about PR.
    Perhaps it is just that the person who saw them spoke to the press this time?

  27. CarbnFtPrnt says:

    Near the bottom of the yahoo UK article, it said they called the pub, and they said the SUSSEXES DID NOT VISIT

    https://t.co/RE84C7WbRa?amp=1