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Beaming Princess Kate chats to Royal fan on the phone as she joins William and Charles at walkabout ahead of coronation
PRINCESS Kate beamed when she chatted to a Royal fan on the phone as she joined William and Charles on a Pall Mall walkabout today.
The Princess of Wales posed for selfies and even joined a fan in a video call before also speaking on another enthusiast's phone.
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The royal was handed the phone to speak to Texas-based Debbie Hoover's aunt, who was in Tennessee with a broken leg.
BBC journalist Chi Chi Izundu reported Debbie's aunt was meant to be with her family at the coronation, but the injury heartbreakingly meant she had to stay back home.
Kate apparently said: "Are you feeling OK?
"Come and say hi Julie when you're back over here but I hope you get better soon."
Read more on the coronation
Charles, William and Kate made the surprise appearance to the delight of huge crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace today.
The trio took time to shake hands with members of the public as people cheered, took selfies and sang God Save the King.
King Charles joked about the weather with adoring fans on the Mall today after they were soaked by heavy rain.
He also asked royalists if they were camping out ahead of his coronation as he shook hands and laughed with them.
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The Princess of Wales described the King's coronation as a "great moment for celebration" as the Prince praised The Mall's "party atmosphere".
The prince and princess posed for selfies on the other side of The Mall to the King, and chatted to people behind crash barriers with Kate telling one person she had an early start tomorrow but the occasion "is a great moment for celebration".
When one woman told William she had flown from Phoenix, Arizona, and would be camping out in The Mall overnight, he replied "No way, well done you."
He added with a smile: "There's not much sleeping going on around here, they're all sat in their chairs. I think there's a good party atmosphere."
With rain forecast for Saturday he put his hands together and said: "I pray you guys stay dry."
Law student Abigail Summers, 21, from Cambridge, on the Mall with her pal Millie Holtz, 21, said: “We said congratulations to him and he said, ‘Are you here tomorrow, did you camp overnight?�?/p>
“He then said, ‘I hope you didn’t get too wet when it rained!�?/p>
“Then he was just laughing. It was amazing and really surreal.�?/p>
Criminology and sociology student Millie added: “It was exciting and quite overwhelming.
“It’s funny seeing someone in real life that you’ve only ever seen on TV.
“He was really friendly and made a lot of eye contact which was nice.�?/p>
Kate told fans: "We’re like swans �?calm on the outside, furiously paddling on the inside."
The King went to one side of The Mall while William and Kate went to another to greet well-wishers.
One woman told Charles "Love you Charlie" while others passed on their congratulations to him.
Royal super fan Carole, from Minnesota, said: "This is the best day of my life. I'm so excited. The best of British.
"My heart is British. They're real people, not Disney characters."
Alison Cowburn, 62, from Derby, who arrived in central London this morning, was in the cheering crowd during Charles' walkabout on The Mall, and shook his hand.
She said: "I said it was very nice to meet him and he said 'have you been camping?'
"I said no we are just down for the day and he said 'nothing so rash as that then'."
On how she felt after the encounter, she said: "Brilliant, so delighted. Absolutely ecstatic."
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Earlier, the King took part a final coronation rehearsal at Westminster Abbey, where a 2,300-strong coronation congregation, and a television audience likely to be in the tens of millions, will watch him being crowned on Saturday.
The royals greeted crowds after the King hosted a special lunch for realm prime ministers and governors general at Buckingham Palace.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were also at the event, which took place 24 hours before the coronation.
Completing the royal contingent were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.
There were 42 attendees in total, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Prime Minister of New Zealand Chris Hipkins.
Guests arrived in the white drawing room before a drinks reception in the music room followed by lunch in the blue drawing room.
Mr Sunak was laughing and chatting with guests while Kate, wearing a white dress, spoke to leaders including Mr Albanese and Mr Hipkins.
Later, Charles, who is head of the Commonwealth, will also attend a Commonwealth Heads of Government leaders' meeting and garden reception at Marlborough House.
Some 100 heads of state will descend on London for the King and Queen Consort's historic coronation on Saturday, with international representatives from 203 countries due to attend.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Germany and Italy's ceremonial presidents Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Sergio Mattarella and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be among those in Westminster Abbey.
Chinese vice-president Han Zheng, who presided over a civil liberties crackdown in Hong Kong, is also on the King's guest list, but the move has been branded "outrageous" by Conservative MPs.
Earlier Charles and Camilla were snapped smiling and waving at fans from their cars as they made their way past the crowds to a final rehearsal at Westminster Abbey.
Police on motorcycles drove ahead of the royals, as they moved past the masses.
Royal Family lovers stood in the drizzling rain, held back behind metal rails, just to catch a glimpse of the pair.
Most held their phones in the air capturing the moment as the cars drove past, while others frantically waved at the King.
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Other enthusiasts were spotted dressed in Union Jacks on The Mall.
As they day went on the crowds were drenched in a downpour, with snaps showing them trying to find shelter as the rain poured.
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