Prince William surprised Polish diners last night by arriving at an LGBTQ+ restaurant for a meal while on a surprise visit to the country.
Pictures from the Butero Bistro in Warsaw showed the Prince of Wales sitting around a table with a group of Kensington Palace staff, while placing an order with a waiter.
The images were shared by a local, who next to the photograph wrote: ‘Warsaw can surprise. I had dinner with the Prince today. They were quickly picked up by the local media, who shared their surprise at the royal appearance.
In a statement to MailOnline, a royal source explained that William, 40, had asked to join Kensington Palace staff for dinner at a local restaurant they had reserved nearby.
“The Kensington Palace team booked a local restaurant close to where they worked and the prince decided to join them,” the source said. He asked them what they were doing and then asked them to come with him. It was a great night in every way.
“The team really appreciated him asking to join them,” the source added.
Prince William surprised Polish customers last night by arriving at an LGBTQ+ restaurant for dinner (pictured) while on a surprise visit to the country.
Pictures from the Butero Bistro in Warsaw showed the Prince of Wales sitting around a table with a group of Kensington Palace staff, while placing an order with a waiter (pictured)
Butero Bistro in Warsaw (pictured) bills itself as “your queer space for comfort food,” while its logo is made up of the colors of the rainbow. It opened in November of last year and markets itself as an LGBTQ+-friendly spot with a rainbow-colored neon sign.
The local who shared the images joked that he was “wondering what to order.” But the service here is great and helped.
“It is valuable that he has supported the community that has been abused by the current authorities in Poland,” they added, referring to the Polish government’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights, which has been criticized by human rights groups and the EU.
The bistro bills itself as “your queer comfort food space,” while its logo is made up of the colors of the rainbow.
The central Warsaw venue hosts karaoke nights for drag queens and has garnered a cult following for its opposition to the government’s conservative views.
Opened in November last year and promoting itself as an LGBTQ+-friendly place with a rainbow-colored neon sign, owner Paweł Zasim said the restaurant “is an inclusive space where everyone can feel good.”
He said: ‘You look towards a specific courtyard, towards a place under a specific neon sign. You know what you’re signing up for and whether you’re in or not.
Offering butter-based dishes, the simplest item on the menu is ‘fresh bread with lard in three flavours’ for the equivalent of £3.50.
William, who is first in line to the British throne, visited Rzeszow, a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border, yesterday before traveling to Warsaw. His visit has been shrouded in secrecy, and he traveled under massive security to the country.
Speaking today, she echoed her late grandmother, the Queen, by laying a wreath at a monument dedicated to soldiers in Poland.
William laid the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw on Thursday morning. Queen Elizabeth II and the late Duke of Edinburgh did the same during their state visit to Poland in 1996.
William was greeted by an honor guard and brought the flower assortment to the memorial, where he spent about 10 minutes before leaving.
On the crown was a note that read: ‘In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.’ Passersby greeted William before he was led away.
The images were shared by a local to his Instagram, who wrote next to the photograph: ‘Warsaw can surprise. I had dinner with the Prince today. He joked that he was “wondering what to order.” But the service here is great’
Prince William paid a surprise visit to Poland this week, where he showed his support for British troops stationed near the country’s border with Ukraine. Today, he was seen arriving at a food market (pictured) to meet groups of young Ukrainian refugees, who since fleeing Ukraine have settled in Warsaw.
Pictured: Prince William, Prince of Wales, lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the memorial dedicated to Polish soldiers who lost their lives in the conflict, during the second day of his visit on March 23, 2023 in Warsaw.
Earlier today, the Prince met with the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, in Warsaw.
The president’s office said on Twitter that Duda spoke with Prince William about humanitarian aid for Ukraine. “The Prince of Wales thanked the Poles for their generosity and hospitality,” Duda’s office said.
Poland, the largest country on NATO’s eastern flank, currently hosts more than a million refugees from neighboring Ukraine and has been widely praised for its aid to those fleeing the conflict and for its military support.
Later, the prince will visit the Hala Koszyki food hall to hear from those who left Ukraine after the Russian invasion last year and will meet Duda again, this time at the Presidential Palace.
William said the two-day trip will allow him to personally thank the troops and “underline” his support and gratitude to the Polish people who have helped Ukrainian refugees.
It came after he thanked British troops about an hour’s drive from the Ukrainian border for ‘defending our freedoms’ by ‘monitoring’ the situation in Ukraine.
After arriving at the defense military base in the southeastern Polish city of Rzeszow on Wednesday afternoon, the prince, dressed casually in a black jacket and pants, was shown a missile launcher.
Speaking to the soldiers, he said: “I just wanted to come here in person to thank you for all you’re doing, keeping everyone safe here and keeping an eye on what’s going on.”
‘So, just a big thank you for what you do every day.’
Pictured: Polish President Andrzej Duda (right) and British President William, Prince of Wales (left) speak during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, on March 23.
Yesterday, the Prince of Wales met British troops and thanked them for ‘defending our freedoms’ during a surprise visit to Poland, just a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
He added: “You’re doing a really important job here and standing up for our freedoms is really important, and everyone back home is fully behind you.”
Later on Wednesday he visited a Warsaw office block that had been converted into an accommodation center housing some 300 Ukrainian women and children who had fled the war.
Accompanied by Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, the Prince of Wales spoke to residents of the center and even took part in a table tennis match.
The royal trip, which had not been announced in advance, is taking place under tight security. It is his first trip to Poland since he visited in 2017 with his wife, the Princess of Wales.
