The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, was surprised by two of her prep school teachers outside an ice cream parlour in South Wales today.

Kevin Allford and Denise Evans-Allford, who taught Kate, Pippa and James Middleton at St Andrew’s prep school in Pangbourne, Berkshire, travelled from their home in Carmarthenshire in the hope of seeing their former pupil on her visit to Mumbles.

38-year-old Kate exclaimed, ‘it is such a small world’ after she was guided over to Mr Allford and Mrs Evans-Allford, who had passed a note to the royals’ security detail explaining the connection.

Kevin was a sports, French and German teacher at first and Denise taught the junior children until they both later became house parents.

It was the first time they had seen Kate in 24 years.

The trio were reintroduced outside Joe’s Ice Cream Parlour, where William and Kate had popped in to sample the chocolate and vanilla flavours and meet local parents.

Mr Allford, who remembers the Duchess of Cambridge as part of a ‘wonderful class of girls’, said:

“One of the detectives took a note into the ice cream parlour for us and she came out. It is wonderful she gave us so much time. We were talking about happy days that we had.”

Mrs Evans-Allford said the Duchess had told her she wanted to instil in her own children the same life she had enjoyed at St Andrews’.