The Queen doesn’t carry any money, except when she goes to church – and neither do most of the royals when on official engagements.
Fortunately the down-to-earth Duchess of Cornwall proved an exception to the rule yesterday when she popped into a cafe and sandwich shop that Hollywood star George Clooney has also visited.
The duchess rummaged around in her clutch bag as she stood at the counter of Social Bite in Edinburgh and pulled out a folded £20 note, along with a £10 note, to buy some drinks and cakes.
As she handed over her £30, she was given a customer loyalty card. ‘Do I get a free coffee?’ she asked jokingly.
Camilla was told that her generosity had meant that her card was already stamped four times, so her next coffee was free.
The cafe employs homeless people and ensures all its profits go to charity.
It also operates a ‘suspended’ coffee and food programme, where customers can ‘pay it forward’ by buying a hot drink or food for someone in need.
Gesturing to her cash, the duchess said: ‘Well I hope that means that someone else gets a lot of free coffees.’
Camilla, who is known as the Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, happily obliged when asked for a selfie, much as Clooney did when he visited the shop in November. Bonnie Burton, the staff member who served the duchess, said: ‘She was really nice. A nice wee woman. Really polite and lovely. She got a loyalty card and she promised she’s coming back.’
Social Bite co-founder Josh Littlejohn said he had been approached by the duchess’s office to see if she could visit the cafe during a trip to Scotland.
Daily Mail