Kate Middleton made a surprise visit to Leicester on March 5—her first time there in eight years.The Princess of Wales’s jam-packed schedule included taking part in dance with worshippers at a Hindu temple.As she did so, the future queen removed her shoes—something not often done on royal engagements.
Kate Middleton had a busy day of engagements in Leicester—including dancing with worshippers at a Hindu temple.
Kate Middleton dancing barefoot on March 5, 2026.
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While doing so as she visited on March 5, the Princess of Wales removed her shoes, which is typically not done during royal engagements. Before taking them off, the future queen wore camel-colored stilettos, paired with her cream-colored custom Chris Kerr coatdress and a pleated knit Ralph Laren mididress. She accessorized with a pair of dangling earrings—a Christmas gift from her husband, Prince William, in 2022—and a garland of pearls and roses given to her as she arrived at a community center in Leicester on Thursday that had celebrated Holi, the Indian festival of color, love, and spring, earlier in the week.
Kate Middleton going barefoot on March 5, 2026.
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While watching a group of Bollywood dancers perform a routine for her, Kate told the group that her three kids would “love” their dance moves—and one in particular. “You must be super fit because it’s super energetic,” she said, per The Telegraph. “My children would love that—they love their dancing. [Prince] Louis would love your dance routine.”
After another performance, the outlet reported that Kate seemed hesitant to clap before anyone else, to which someone joked “you can clap now”—which got a laugh out of the future queen. “That was so moving,” she said. “Extraordinary.”
Continuing her praise, she said, “Thank you. That was really fantastic.”
Kate Middleton applauding after a dance performance.
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Kate Middleton on March 5, 2026.
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As she mingled with well-wishers, the Princess of Wales said, “Thank you for coming to see me” before walking to visit family businesses on Leicester’s Golden Mile. She mentioned that it was nice to return to the city under “happier circumstances,” as her last visit took place with William in 2018, when they paid respects to five victims of a helicopter crash.
As Kate visited Bobby’s restaurant—a family business named after a 1973 Bollywood film of the same name—the princess remarked, “What’s lovely about a family business is that the values still stay. That’s the heart of it. That’s really what matters to the customers, those relationships.”
Kate Middleton on March 5, 2026.
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Kate Middleton on March 5, 2026.
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She also remarked that it was important to “make sure families and communities still have time to come together and stop and slow down and connect together.”
“Even the simple act of eating a meal together becomes harder and harder,” she added.