Did Kate Middleton, Prince William Swill $11,000 Bottle Of Wine To Celebrate Queen’s Birthday?
Kate Middleton made her first official appearance since giving birth to Princess Charlotte when she came out with her husband, Prince William, and father-in-law Prince Charles to greet crowds at the ceremonial birthday parade for Queen Elizabeth in London on Saturday.
The event, of course, was hijacked by scene-stealing toddler Prince George, who charmed the crowd as he waved and even stuck out his tongue at the first of what are sure to be thousands of ceremonial appearances the not-yet-2-year-old will make in his lifetime — a lifetime that will, in all likelihood, culminate in the prince becoming Britain’s King George VII, once his great-grandmother the Queen, grandfather Prince Charles, and dad Prince William have shed this mortal coil, or at least stepped aside from the throne.
The Queen actually turned 89-years-old back on April 21, but her birthday is traditionally celebrated several weeks later when the often gloomy English weather has lightened up enough for a parade with thousands lining the streets.
But when the parade was over and Prince George was securely tucked into bed, the royal couple — Prince William and Kate Middleton — took a rare opportunity to let their hair down, joining Queen Elizabeth and other Royal Family members at the ultra-exclusive Berry Brothers and Rudd wine bar and restaurant for a private soiree.
Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper obtained exclusive details of the Royal Family-only bash, including selections from the menu, a revelation that indicates how much the royals may have spent to enjoy the queen’s big night out.
The most expensive item, according to the Mirror — a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne that listed for £16,650. That’s nearly $26,000 in United States currency.
But if the royals preferred a simple bottle of red wine rather than the bubbly stuff, they could opt for the 1982 Petrus Pomerol, which retailed at the restaurant for approximately $11,000 — per single bottle.
A four-course prix fixe dinner could be ordered at the restaurant for the relatively bargain price of $460, though the minimum order for a group there is required to top $3,900.
But it really wasn’t the food or the drink that was the focus of the private royal party, according to sources who blabbed to the Mirror. It was the company, which even included Princess Eugenie, who jet-setted in from New York.
“The Queen adores having her grandchildren around her. The cousins are great fun when they are all together and they keep her feeling young,” a Mirror source said. “For William and Kate, it was a chance to enjoy an evening out together away from Prince George and Princess Charlotte.”
But when the dinner was done, the paper reported, that’s when the party really started for Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie who bar-hopped their way to a newly opened Japanese-style nightclub known as “Geisha.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William — who unlike Prince Harry and their younger cousins have parental responsibilities — simply went home to bed.
“William and Kate’s partying days are on hold for a while,” the source explained.
Of course, rumor has it that Princess Beatrice and Kate Middleton can’t stand each other anyway.
[Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images]
