- .Tracy Mitchell had no idea £15 fare was for Prince George's grandparents
- .She patiently waited outside St Mary's and took them to Kensington Palace
- .'It was the most important passenger I’ve ever had,' she said
The taxi driver who picked up Carole and Michael Middleton after they met their grandchild Prince George for the first time has revealed the couple failed to tip her.
But for Tracy Mitchell the £15 fare from the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital to Kensington Palace at 4pm on Tuesday remains the 49-year-old's most incredible journey of her life.
Her part in history started just 15 minutes earlier, when she was asked to head to the private maternity ward in Paddington, west London.
Happy day: The Duchess of Cambridge's thrilled parents Carole and Michael Middleton leave the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, and sitting patiently in her cab was Tracy Mitchell
Incredible: Mrs Mitchell admitted she had no idea her £15 fare was for the Middletons
It was only when she pulled up at the ward that she realised her passengers would be the Middletons, and then exclaimed: 'I wish I’d known - I’d have done my hair'.
Mrs Mitchell's new, bright blue cab, was most likely the reason she was asked, as Mike and Carole arrived in a rather battered black taxi.
An hour later, as the world watched, the Middletons emerged and Carole told the assembled press her grandson was 'absolutely beautiful', with Mrs Mitchell in a white top with sunglasses on her head sitting patiently behind them.
'It didn’t dawn on me that it could be anyone to do with [the birth] or Kate’s mum and dad,' she told the Daily Telegraph.
'It wasn’t until I got there and I was told that it was Kate’s mum and dad I was picking up, well, you really could have knocked me down with a feather to be honest with you. I was really quite taken aback by it'.
Special moment: Prince William and Kate waved and smiled broadly as they carried their son George out of hospital for the first time
The Middletons' visit, the first by Kate and Wiliam's families, kick started whirlwind evening where the Duke, Duchess and baby George went home.
In front of Mrs Mitchell there was a sweetly awkward scene when Kate’s amiable father – rarely heard in public – tried to shoo his wife to their pre-booked taxi as she headed off in the direction of the waiting camera crews, as arranged with the Palace.
After several seconds of to-ing and fro-ing, they finally walked towards the photographers, with Mr Middleton giving an amusing ‘ta-dah’ gesture with his hands.
Looking younger than her 58 years, Mrs Middleton was skittish with excitement, and said: 'They are both doing really well and we are so thrilled'.
Asked how the proud parents were doing, she replied: ‘Fabulously.’
And pushed on what the first cuddle with her grandson was like, Mrs Middleton could not hide her delight. ‘Amazing. It’s all coming back,’ she laughed.
Following a few painful moments when Michael grasped thin air for the taxi's door, the couple were then driven away as they waved from the window.
Shell-shocked: Mrs Mitchell, from east London, didn't receive a tip and went home shortly afterwards for a beer
Later: The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall arrived at the Lindo Wing after the Middletons, in a Jag, not a cab
Their £15 fare to Kensington Palace already paid for, but the Middleton also to hand it over in cash when they arrived.
'They chatted amongst themselves and she spent much of the journey on the phone. When we got to the other end I congratulated them on the arrival,' said east Londoner Mrs Mitchell.
'They said thank you very much. Very down to earth people, they seemed. She was kind of bewildered by it all.'
After one more fare she decided to head home for a celebratory bottle of beer.
'It was the most important passenger I’ve ever had. Our future king’s grand-parents — you don’t get much more important than that other than real royalty,' she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment