Prince William and Princess Kate Took a Secret Ski Trip

Prince William wearing a blue coat and winter hat and Princess Kate wearing a red coat and white winter hat

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William and Princess Kate have always been avid skiers, and the Prince and Princess of Wales recently made an under-the-radar trip to the French Alps. Per the Daily Mail, William and Kate enjoyed a getaway to Courchevel, a high-end ski resort beloved by royals, celebrities and other VIPs, in January.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were spotted at "a high-end mountainside restaurant," according to columnist Harriet Kean, who noted "even a ham and cheese toastie costs €85 (£74), albeit a 'truffle-infused' one."

William and Kate have been traveling to the French Alps for many years, with the couple once posing for family photographs with a young Prince George and Princess Charlotte at a ski resort in 2016. Last January, the Wales family also traveled to Courchevel, with the trip revealed after invasive photos of them skiing and spending time at their villa were published in Paris Match.

Princess Kate throwing a snowball at Prince William standing in the snow — William and Kate got into a snowball fight during a 2016 family ski holiday in the French Alps.

Prince William and Priness Kate wearing winter coats and hats standing on a balcony overlooking snow — The prince and princess are pictured during a 2018 visit to Norway.

One fan who was dining at the establishment told Kean, "I couldn't believe I was having lunch in the same restaurant as Kate and William," adding, "They looked adorable in their beanie hats."

Meanwhile, an employee at the restaurant said, "They had a very nice time and were very polite."

Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, weren't dining with their parents, but Kean notes it was unclear whether the children had joined William and Kate in France in general.

Their royal ski holiday took place ahead of this month's winter Olympics in Italy, where royals like Princess Anne and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands have been taking in the action. At the moment, Kensington Palace has not announced any plans for the Wales family to attend the Olympics, but with the games concluding on February 22, there's still plenty of time for some royal appearances on the slopes.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.