KICKING BACK ON HER SUMMER BREAK THE PRINCESS OF WALES PARTIES WITH FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS AT HOUGHTON HALL FESTIVAL 25

To the revellers dancing at an all-night music festival, the woman sipping a drink in the DJ tent looked strangely familiar.

- TRACY SCHAVERIEN

However, in her skinny jeans, designer trainers and dark, off-the-shoulder top, the Princess of Wales easily blended in with the well-heeled crowd soaking up the atmosphere at the Houghton Festival in Norfolk.

Kate's impromptu visit not only gave her a rare chance to let her hair down, but was a reminder of the days when she was a footloose girl-abouttown. Before she married Prince William, she was a regular at nightspots including Boujis in South Kensington and Mahiki in Mayfair, where she loved to dance and sip spicy margaritas.

But it seems the 41-year-old mother of three’s party days aren’t entirely behind her – the Princess has often been seen showing off her moves, even on official engagements. She and William danced with villagers in Belize during last year’s tour of the Caribbean, as they had in Tuvalu in the South Pacific during their 2012 visit, when the Princess sported a flower garland in her hair to join in the fun.

And this May, she was spotted singing and dancing in her seat while watching the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle with the royal family.

ONE OF THE CROWD 

Eyewitnesses at Houghton, which is billed as Britain’s only 24-hour festival, say the Princess looked happy and relaxed chatting to a friend, drink in hand, as music pumped out and 12,000 people partied through the night.

“She seemed to be really enjoying herself,” a source tells hello!. “She was dressed casually, but was wearing a splash of red lipstick and a pair of big gold earrings.”