Prince William and Kate Middleton go for family day out with George and Charlotte Dressed down in jeans and trainers, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looked every inch the doting parents today as they attended an equestrian event with their children on Saturday. The royal couple treated George, two, and Charlotte, 12 months, to a day at the Houghton International Horse Trials at King's Lynn, Norfolk, just a half-hour drive from their home in nearby Anmer. The family-of-four looked happy and relaxed according to onlookers, who saw them enjoying a picnic with friends, eating chocolate cake from paper plates and cheering on the competitors. And in an adorable touch, the 34-year-old Duchess opted for an ensemble that looked exactly like her son's. Kate put together a laid-back look with a striped Ralph Lauren top and skinny jeans, paired with her favourite Wellington boots from French label Le Chameau. She wore her hair down and pushed back with a leopard print hairband, warding off the chill with a navy jumper slung around her shoulders. But despite the day being so relaxed she still wore her sapphire and diamond engagement ring. Prince George was dressed in a matching navy and white Breton sweatshirt, while William, 33, went for a pale blue cotton shirt. Even the little princess was colour-coordinated, with a blue cardigan and matching bow in her hair. The loving parents kept their children close, with Kate cuddling Charlotte in her lap while William was seen carrying George. After they'd eaten, Kate was seen playfully wiping food from the young prince's mouth. Kate and William are good friends of Harry Meade, who was taking part in the trials, as well as Lord Cholmondeley, who owns the grand house and. They enjoyed the spectacle with their friend James Meade and his wife Lady Laura Marsham, who married in Norfolk in 2013 and included William as one of their ushers. Both Harry and James - a schoolmate of Wiliam's from Eton - come from equestrian royalty as the sons of Richard Meade, Britain's most successful Olympic equestrian. The Lynn News reported that an onlooker described William and Kate as looking, 'very relaxed and were obviously enjoying themselves'. Hundreds of riders and horses flocked to the west Norfolk event to celebrate its tenth anniversary, including overseas competitors. Some riders took up the chance to show off their skills on the cricket pitch on Saturday morning, during a match in aid of Prince Harry’s favourite charity, Walking with the Wounded. The eventers’ team, Houghton International, included Harry Meade, the events’ director and organiser Alec Lochore, and international riders Sam Griffiths, Paul Tapner and Bill Levett. The paper reports that among the Walking for the Wounded players were Ibrar Ali, who had a leg amputated after being injured in Iraq by a roadside bomb in 2007. Matt Fisher, who lost his left leg following a gunshot wound while serving in Afghanistan, also took part. It was a close match with Walking For The Wounded players scoring 117 runs to the eventers’ 116 with an over and a half to go. The Hall, which is a private home but opened up for the public event, hosted 70 trade stands including a vintage zone by Britain Does Vintage. The day out was no doubt a welcome moment of downtime for William and Kate after a busy few weeks in London that saw the royal couple attend a string of events including the Queen's Buckingham Palace garden party as well as the Chelsea Flower Show - their first ever visit to the annual floral festival. Onlookers were thrilled when they overheard the Duke and Duchess affectionately refer to each other as 'darling'. Houghton Hall is one of the grandest homes in the area. Built for the de facto first British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, it is considered a landmark example of Palladian architecture. Grade 1 listed, it's surrounded by 1,000 acres of parkland, which is adjacent to Sandringham House, the Queen's private Norfolk residence where she enjoys spending Christmas.Completed in 1735, the stately home passed to the Lady Cholmondeley in 1797, and it has remained in the family since largely untouched. Houghton still belongs to the Marquess of Cholmondeley, and parts of the structure and grounds are opened to the public throughout the year.

• published: 31 May 2016
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