Kate spent time with residents at a village hall during their Wednesday gathering, where local regular Lynda Jones passed over the snack after telling her that the event “makes a lot of difference if you’ve lost your partner”.

Marking its 60th anniversary, the weekly event saw the princess travel to the venue in Pulborough, West Sussex on a minibus service that has been running for 50 years, having collected some diners from surrounding streets.

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

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.”

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”.

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 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.”