London — Prince William and his wife Kate visited a London pub Thursday, and the Prince of Wales stepped behind the bar to pull a pint of "Kingmaker" ale two days before his father King Charles III's coronation ceremony. The Prince and Princess of Wales dropped into the Dog and Duck in central London's Soho entertainment district to chat to representatives from the hospitality industry, which is set for a bumper weekend thanks to the coronation on Saturday.

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William, the heir to the throne, pulled the first-ever pint of Kingmaker, a pale ale brewed to celebrate the coronation.

"You always have the best conversations in pubs  you never know who you are going to meet," he said.

The 40-year-old prince was handed a full cider glass, joking that he would have to mind how much he drank and "get back into work mode."

Kate, meanwhile, said excitement for the coronation was "already starting to build," and that their eldest child Prince George was "excited" about the ceremony after taking part in rehearsals.

George, aged nine, is second in line to the throne. On Saturday he will be one of eight Pages of Honor during the service, joining a procession through the nave of Westminster Abbey and assisting with holding the king's ornate Coronation Vestments, or ceremonial robes.

William and Kate chatted with well-wishers outside the pub, shaking hands with members of the crowd.

The Dog and Duck, originally built in 1734, is one of the oldest pubs in Soho. 

To get there, the couple took their first ride on the Elizabeth Line, the new rail line running beneath the British capital that was named after William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September last year after a record 70 years on the throne.

They rode three stops, chatting to transport workers about plans for the weekend, when tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on the city. Some hardy souls were camped out along The Mall, on the coronation procession route directly in front of Buckingham Palace, days ahead of the event.

When asked about the coronation preparations, Kate replied: "Yes, it's going to be a busy time. We're getting there. I still feel like we're trying to get ducks in a row."

William, like his son George, will have an active role in the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The heir will help his father to don the Golden Imperial Mantle — a floor-length cloak made of cloth of gold that dates back to 1821.

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• King Charles III
• William Prince of Wales
• Kate Duchess of Cambridge
• Britain
• Diana Princess of Wales
• Coronation
• London
• Catherine Princess of Wales