“Protective” locals let Kate Middleton and Prince William enjoy low-key date nights in Norfolk

"Norfolk is one of the few places they can just enjoy ordinary, every day experiences as a family."

It's been an eventful few weeks for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Between the launch of Kate’s Hold Still photography book, a round of doubles with Emma Raducanu, and a trip down the red carpet with none other than James Bond himself, the typically low-key Cambridges have being enjoying a little more spotlight since IRL events resumed – and we, for one, are very pleased about it.

But when it comes to their well-earned weekends, the hard-working royals are known to head straight to the countryside; swapping their Kensington Palace apartment for Anmer Hall, their Norfolk residence close by Her Majesty's Sandringham Estate.

A gift to the couple from the Queen while Kate was pregnant with Prince George, the couple spent much of lockdown at the picturesque Grade II-listed property, homeschooling their children and attending to royal duties via Zoom.

It's no secret that the couple have a special relationship with Norfolk, with William crediting his late grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh for the area feeling "like home".

The privacy that the couple are afforded in Anmer likely plays a huge role in why Kate and William feel so comfortable there. Case in point: just last weekend, the whole Cambridge clan were spotted enjoying a low-key pub lunch at one of their locals, having swapped their typically formal attire for jeans and T-shirts.

It's not just Sunday lunch that the couple are left alone to enjoy in Norfolk, either. According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, Kate and William are given the privacy to enjoy low-key date nights, too – and it's all thanks to the discretion of the locals.

"The locals are incredibly protective of them, you don't often see people get out their camera phones and record them. They are left to just get on with a family occasion," Nicholl recently told OK!

"If you speak to anyone from North Norfolk, they're incredibly proud that William and Kate are continuing a love affair with Norfolk that goes back generations. Kate and William tend to go to the same places and these are places where they are known and have a good relationship with the landlord or landlady."

She added, "They've been going to these places for a long time, so it's not unusual and it's not difficult for them to go and relax.

"Norfolk is one of the few places they can just enjoy ordinary, every day experiences as a family. William and Kate often go out on date nights and you don't hear about it."

Pub lunches and secret date nights in the rolling Norfolk countryside? Sounds idyllic, frankly.