Kate And William Support London Poppy Day

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have surprised hundreds of commuters by joining poppy sellers at a London Tube station.

The couple travelled on a 1960s Routemaster to High Street Kensington station where they met military personnel and volunteers supporting London Poppy Day.

Some 2,000 uniformed personnel, veterans and their supporters have gone out on the capital's streets for the Royal British Legion (RBL) appeal ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

William and Kate were swamped by members of the public taking photographs as they walked along the high street to the station's entrance hall.

Earlier, they welcomed RBL supporters and members of the armed forces to Kensington Palace before boarding the classic bus.

William, who left his post as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot in September, and Kate were greeted at the station by motorcyclists from the RBL's Riders Branch.

They were then introduced to Poppy Day supporters including volunteers and military personnel.

Kate, wearing a red LK Bennett coat, spoke with Corporal Steve Johnson, an RAF recruitment officer from Newcastle who is busking at Tube stations across London to raise funds for the appeal.

"Kate asked what kind of music I'd been playing," he said. "She asked me to play but then said don't because it's too busy.

"Kate was more interested in the music, while William was more concerned with the day itself and how the appeal was going. Lots of people are ecstatic to see them."

William and Kate had earlier boarded the bus at Kensington Palace with dozens of RBL supporters including actress Barbara Windsor and newsreader Alastair Stewart

The couple also met The Poppy Girls, who have produced the appeal's official single The Call (No Need To Say Goodbye).

A series of events are being held across the capital to mark London Poppy Day.

Fundraisers are at 80 Tube and train stations and at hubs including Covent Garden, where a stage has been created for military performances throughout the day.

Organisers are aiming to raise more than £1m.

Elsewhere, the Duke of Edinburgh was accompanied by Prince Harry when he made his annual visit to the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey.

The royals each laid a Cross of Remembrance in front of two wooden crosses from the Graves of Unknown British Soldiers from the First and Second World Wars.

The Last Post was played before a two minutes' silence. Philip and Harry then met veterans from past and more recent conflicts.