Prince's girl jets into SA

2006-11-20 10:44

Marida Fitzpatrick

Johannesburg - Prince William's girlfriend, Kate Middleton, is on a visit to South Africa, apparently to celebrate the 21st birthday of Sir Richard Branson's son.

Beeld newspaper was the only media present when Middleton and her friends landed at OR Tambo on Saturday morning, on the 08:00 Virgin Atlantic VS 601 flight.

Also on board were birthday boy Sam Branson and his sister Holly, 24. Prince William was not with the group of 24 who are here to celebrate Sam's 21st birthday.

Middleton, 24, who was wearing a salmon colour jersey, tight blue slacks and brown leather shoes, was wearing very little make-up.

There was no sign of a bodyguard and she handled her own luggage. Very few people seemed to take any notice or recognised her. Middleton and Branson's daughter Holly politely refused requests for an interview.

Middleton was relaxed and chatted with her friends while they waited for everyone to gather. After a few minutes at the airport they left aboard a bus, which was waiting outside.

One of the women in the group said they were going "on safari".

A Virgin Atlantic airhostess confirmed that the friends were on the flight, but did not want to give further details.

Melanie Wynne-Jones, a passenger on the flight, said the Branson kids and Middleton flew first class and their friends were seated in various rows.

"At one stage Holly walked down the aisles to collect all their friends for drinks at the first class bar on board the plane. But we did not see Kate on the flight at all.

"Only after we had landed I noticed that she was queuing up like everyone else for her luggage," she said.

Wynne-Jones said the airhostesses paid a lot of attention to the Bransons, "but they did not act like spoilt, rich brats - they were just friendly and relaxed".

- Beeld