The Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, on Tuesday as they headed to the King's annual pre-Christmas meal.
However, the royals ended up bringing a surprise plus one with them as well, as they were joined by the children's nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, who has been in their employ since 2014.
Maria Teresa was seen in the back of the car alongside Charlotte and Louis, and she looked stunning for the event, opting to wear a red cardigan with a festive design on its collar.
Who is Maria Teresa?
Maria has worked for the Wales family for over 10 years, joining their team in 2014 when the young Prince George was just eight months old. Maria graduated from Norland College, whose graduates often go on to serve as nannies for royals and A-listers.
Although Maria often stays away from the spotlight, she has been seen supervising the children at family events, including looking after the children at the weddings of their aunt Pippa Middleton to James Matthews and uncle Prince Harry to Meghan Markle.
During Trooping the Colour in 2023, Maria was seen capturing photos on her phone of Kate and her three children as they waited to board their royal carriage ahead of the start of ceremony.
The royal couple don't often speak about their nanny, with their only public announcement being when they confirmed that she had been hired. A statement issued at the time read: "We will not be giving further details on Maria or her employment, except to say that the duke and duchess are of course delighted she has chosen to join them."
Writing in his book, Gilded Youth, Tom Quinn, who has previously written biographies on the aides to the royal family, explained: "Much as she [Princess Kate] would like to be a normal mother who spends most of her time with the children, the huge pressure of royal tradition cannot be ignored and those day and night nurseries and the other children's rooms at Kensington Palace (and more recently Adelaide Cottage and Windsor Castle) did not resound to the sounds of Kate Middleton but rather to the sound of the remarkable bowler hat-wearing Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, a Spanish nanny employed in 2014 when Prince George was just eight months old."
An insider quoted in the book shared that Maria is efficient, good with children and enjoys the "antiquarian" nature of her lifestyle. Another insider told him how the Spanish nanny is highly intelligent, patient and has an instinct for childcare.