While we're all very accustomed to seeing Kate Middleton with her perfect princess blowout and her beautiful tea-length dresses, she and her husband, Prince William, traded in their usually not-so-casual wear for something decidedly rugged for their latest magazine cover, which is leaps and bounds away from the gloss, pomp, and circumstance that royal fans are used to seeing.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are featured on the summer issue of Mountain Rescue magazine, which People describes as "the only official magazine for mountain rescue in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland." The photo from the cover comes from the duo's visit with the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team back in April. The team was celebrating its 60th anniversary, which made for the perfect moment for Kate and William to check out what the organization does for its community in Wales.
"Having a Royal Patron is a huge honour and MR volunteers appreciate the support of @KensingtonRoyal HRH The Prince of Wales," the organization shared on Twitter. The post also served as the official unveiling of the magazine cover. "@CBMRTCentral Beacons recently hosted a VIP visit — you might recognise a couple of the people on the latest MR Magazine cover."
The team was informed that "the visit is to be as informal as possible, with lots of activity and fun," Huw Jones, the team leader, told the magazine. He added that they were "sworn to secrecy" ahead of the visit.
Technical rescue lead Pete Spearing added, "When introduced, I kept to good British tradition and mentioned the weather, which had turned wet after weeks of dry. I asked them not to slip, and the Prince laughingly confirmed that he wouldn't hold us responsible!"