Ever since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the algorithm has been really screwed up. I end up with the most random sh-t on my timeline. Some of it is great – for some reason, in the year 2025, people are still analyzing Mad Men and I love it so much – but some of it is like the worst, most dated and repetitive controversies from years past. Like, why are we still fighting over American tipping culture? There’s been another round of that on feed lately. Yes, Americans tip servers. Europeans don’t get it, and they don’t like to tip. Even when Europeans or Brits tip their servers, it’s nowhere near the percentage we’re used to in America. Like, if I get good service, I’m tipping anywhere between 20-30%. I would only tip 10% if the server screwed up my order. Well, Prince William went out to a pub lunch with eight other people, and William’s “team” paid. They left a £75 tip and the British papers are falling over themselves to praise William’s generosity. Really??
The Prince of Wales surprised staff when he stopped by for a traditional pub lunch and even left a £75 tip at an inn in Wiltshire. Prince William was visiting the town of Mere for official Duchy of Cornwall business when he and several associates called in to The Walnut Tree Inn.
He left staff stunned on Thursday after they realised that a booking for nine people made a week in advance was in fact for royalty. His three security guards sat at one table while William and five others had a working lunch at a separate table.
After he had consumed a homemade burger and fries costing £18.95, bar staff asked the heir to the throne for a quick photo. The future monarch happily obliged and posed with staff member Lisa James and regulars, Nick Lowe and Gary Fermor. He was wearing a smart grey jumper, blue jeans and a pair of green wellies, having just visited a nearby Duchy estate. The royal group were at the pub for 90 minutes.
According to staff, William’s security team paid the tab as well as the generous £75 tip.
William Friend-James, the owner of the Walnut Tree Inn, said: ‘We took a booking about a week ago for nine people on two separate tables but didn’t know who it was. So everyone was a bit shocked when the Prince of Wales walked in. I didn’t recognise who he was with but they were from the Duchy and there were six of them at one table having a meeting over lunch. Wiliam had our homemade burger and fries and a lemonade. Others in his party had the homemade pie and someone had the sea bass. Somebody asked for a photo and his security guards said no but then he walked to the loos by himself and Lisa asked him if he minded having a photo and he said yes. It was a great pleasure to host him.’
A nine-top spread across two tables, enjoying pints, sea bass, desserts and burgers for 90 minutes? The bill was probably well in excess of £300 by my calculations. If that’s the case, then William’s security did tip over or around 20%, so good for them, I guess. It could be that William’s bodyguards are the generous ones, not William. It could be that William thinks this is how he needs to “give back” to communities, as opposed to paying living wages and not profiting off vital services and trapping people in his duchy-slums.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
