Field trips were easily the best part of school—whether it was a museum visit or a day at an amusement park, nothing beat the excitement of escaping the classroom. But let’s be real, none of my school trips ever included a surprise royal guest.

Kate, the Princess of Wales, went back to school Tuesday, joining a group of young students on a field trip. The 43-year-old princess, a mother of three herself, surprised visitors outside the National Portrait Gallery in London when she stepped off a bus with a group of 4 and 5-year-old students from All Souls CE Primary School.

Kate Middleton bonded with a group of young children for a fun art project at the National Portrait Gallery in London on Tuesday, Feb. 4

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have a relatively normal life when they attend the Lambrook School despite being royals, in large part because their parents Kate Middleton and Prince William try their best to support them when they show up for school events and maintain consideration for non-royal parents and their children.

Kate Middleton made an official visit to the National Portrait Gallery today and arrived in a different kind of style. Instead of the usual convoy of royal vehicles, the Princess instead emerged from a bus alongside school children as they excitedly made their way to view a new project in the gallery.