'If I can offer you one piece of advice...' Camilla gives Kate tips over lunch
10 FEBRUARY 2011
It's a stressful job planning a wedding. Especially when your husband-to-be is the future King.
But Kate Middleton was given some invaluable advice this week – from the woman who will soon be her step-mother-in-law.
Diners at an upmarket London restaurant were surprised when the two ladies arrived for lunch, and the Duchess of Cornwall proceeded to giving the princess-to-be some pointers.
Joining them at Koffmans, the new restaurant at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge – were Kate's sister Pippa and Camilla's daughter Laura Lopes.
A fellow diner told a Daily Mail columnist: "All four women were talking away like mad and none of the waiters could get a word in edgeways to serve their lunch.
"I heard Camilla saying... 'if I can give you one bit of advice...' Kate was really enjoying the moment.
"I did hear talk of trumpets and someone said "we can't have trumpets, the ceiling is too high', which may have been a reference to Westminster Abbey."
Prince Charles' wife was apparently the one who made the reservation. She's dined at the restaurant before, and her son – food journalist Tom Parker Bowles – is friends with the head chef.
The diner added: "They were all getting on very well and they clearly hadn’t asked for an out-of-the-way table and nor did they attempt to lower their voices,
"It was high spirits all round. Kate and Pippa were sitting on banquettes with their backs to the wall opposite Camilla and Laura.
"There was one moment which was clearly meant to be amusing when Kate said 'what happens if William doesn't turn up?' Someone else then asked 'is it going to be a sit-down lunch?'"
"They followed that with talk of menus. I heard chipolatas, sausages on sticks and mini pizzas, but I don't know whether it was ironic or not."
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