William stuns customers as he ‘enjoys a great night’ having dinner at an LGBT restaurant in Poland
Prince William stunned Polish diners last night by arriving at an LGBTQ+ restaurant for a meal during a surprise visit to the country.
Photographs from the Butero Bistro in Warsaw showed the Prince of Wales sitting around a table with a group of Kensington Palace staff as he placed an order with a waiter.
The footage was shared by a local, who wrote along with the photo, “Warsaw can surprise. I had dinner with the prince today.’ They were quickly picked up by local media, who shared their surprise at the royal performance.
In a statement to MailOnline, a royal source explained that the 40-year-old William had asked to join Kensington Palace staff for dinner at a local restaurant they had booked nearby.
“The Kensington Palace team booked a local restaurant close to where they were working and the Prince decided to join them,” the source said. He asked what they were doing and then asked to come along. It was a great evening in every way.’
“The team really appreciated him asking if he wanted to join,” the source added.
Prince William stunned Polish customers last night by arriving at an LGBTQ+ restaurant for dinner during a surprise visit to the country (pictured)
Photos from the Butero Bistro in Warsaw showed the Prince of Wales sitting around a table with a group of Kensington Palace staff as he placed an order with a waiter (pictured)
Butero Bistro in Warsaw (pictured) bills itself as “your queer space with comfort food,” while its logo features the colors of the rainbow. It opened last November and promotes itself as an LGBTQ+ friendly place with a neon iridescent 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 supported the community that is so abused by the current authorities in Poland,” they added, referring to the Polish government’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights, which has been criticized by rights groups and the EU.
The bistro profiles itself as ‘your queer space with comfort food’, while the logo consists of the colors of the rainbow.
The downtown Warsaw venue hosts karaoke nights for drag queens and has garnered a cult following for its opposition to the government’s conservative views.
Owner Paweł Zasim, which opened last November and promotes itself as an LGBTQ+-friendly place with a neon rainbow-colored sign, said the restaurant is “an inclusive space where everyone can feel good.”
He said, “You’re looking at a certain courtyard, at a spot under a certain neon sign. You know what you’re signing up for and you either participate or you don’t.’
The simplest item on the menu offers butter-based dishes and 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 – just miles from the Ukrainian border – yesterday before traveling to Warsaw. His visit is shrouded in secrecy and he traveled to the country under massive security.
Today, following his late grandmother, he spoke to 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 a guard of honor and carried the assortment of flowers to the memorial, where he remained for about 10 minutes before departing.
On the wreath was a note: ‘In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice’. Passersby waved to William before he was driven away.
The footage was shared on his Instagram by a resident, who wrote along with the photo, “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 made a surprise visit to Poland this week, where he showed his support for British troops stationed near the border with Ukraine. Today he was seen arriving at a food market (pictured) to meet groups of young Ukrainian refugees, who have settled in Warsaw since fleeing Ukraine.
Pictured: Prince William, Prince of Wales, lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the memorial to Polish soldiers who lost their lives in conflict, during day two of his March 23, 2023 visit in Warsaw
Earlier today, the prince met Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw.
The president’s office said on Twitter that Duda spoke to 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, is currently home to more than a million refugees from neighboring Ukraine and has been widely praised for its assistance to those fleeing the conflict and for its military support.
The prince will later visit the Hala Koszyki dining room to hear from those who left Ukraine after last year’s Russian invasion 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 for 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 town of Rzeszow on Wednesday afternoon, the prince, dressed casually in a black puffer jacket and trousers, was shown a rocket launcher.
To the soldiers, he said, “I just wanted to come here in person to thank you for all you do, keep everyone safe here, and keep an eye on what’s going on.”
“So, just thank you so much for what you do every day.”
Pictured: Polish President Andrzej Duda (right) and Britain’s Prince William, the Prince of Wales (left), talk during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, March 23
Yesterday, the Prince of Wales met British troops and thanked them for ‘defending our freedoms’ during a surprise visit to Poland – just miles from the Ukrainian border
He added: “You do a very important job here and defending our freedoms is very important, and everyone back home supports you completely.”
Later on Wednesday, he visited an office building in Warsaw that had been converted into a shelter where about 300 Ukrainian women and children have fled the war in Ukraine.
Accompanied by Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, the Prince of Wales spoke to residents of the center and even took part in a game of table tennis.
The royal family’s trip, which was not announced in advance, will take place under tight security. It is his first trip to Poland since visiting with his wife, the Princess of Wales, in 2017.