The Princess of Wales made new friends when she sat down with an elderly lunch group and asked them to pass the crisps.

Kate met diners during their Wednesday lunch in a village hall, where regular Lynda Jones handed over the snack after telling Kate the event “makes a lot of difference if you’ve lost your partner”.

The weekly lunch is celebrating its 60th anniversary and the princess arrived at the venue in Pulborough, West Sussex on a minibus service, which has been running for 50 years, after collecting some of the diners from neighbouring streets.

Chatting at the table, Kate said: “What a lovely way to make friends” as around 50 people in Pulborough village hall enjoyed red pepper and sweet potato soup with hunks of bread, cheese and crisps on the side.

Mrs Jones said: “She asked for some crisps, and I let her (have some). She said she liked it, they were ready salted, crinkle cut.”

“Kate was a natural.”

The Princess of Wales helped to collect passengers ahead of the luncheon (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

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Earlier the princess was very hands-on when the West Sussex Minibus Service collected Stella Drewett, 94, for the lunch, putting a comforting hand on her arm as she left home using a walking frame, and offering a steadying hand as she climbed into the vehicle.

When the princess asked about her trips out for lunch, Ms Drewett quipped that they meant “one day of not cooking”.

On arrival Kate met senior figures from the minibus service and told them: “It’s kind of a lifeline”.

Word had spread about the royal visitor in the village and her route to the car taking her home was lined with charity workers, mothers with toddlers and passers-by.

Kate helps one-year-old Albie Botley-Greenslade jump from a kerb in Pulborough, West Sussex (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

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Kate played a jumping game with two little boys, Arthur, aged three, and his one-year-old brother Albie, who extravagantly jumped off the kerb as their mother Thea Botley, 25, watched.

The princess held Albie’s hand as he repeatedly jumped and Ms Botley said afterwards: “He doesn’t really like people holding his hand so I was quite shocked when he took her hand.

“He doesn’t always like to hold mine.

“She was lovely, I didn’t expect her to be playing with my children.”

Kate meets Jack the cocker spaniel (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

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Amanda Ridley was making a video call to her twin sister and mother as she chatted to Kate, and the princess greeted those online with a “hello”.

She was also taken with Jack, a three-year-old cocker spaniel belonging to Teressa Beacher, crouching down to rub his ears and scratch his head.