Kate Middleton reportedly broke royal protocol when she ran into an old friend this week.

On Thursday (Feb. 11), the Duchess of Cornwall was on an official visit to Cornwall with Prince William when she recognized a volunteer at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. That volunteer turned out to be her former history teacher, Jim Embury.

Upon recognizing him, Kate broke royal protocol and hugged him.

"The things you taught me, I now teach to my children," Kate told Embury, according to CornwallLive.

Embury spoke to The Daily Mail about the event. He said it was "incredible" to see his former student again.

"It was an incredible meeting and the first time I had seen Kate in 25 years. She hasn't changed, not one bit, and is just like she was — conscientious, considerate and exuberant. She is a wonderful woman," he told the tabloid.

The Duke And Duchess Of Cornwall Visit Falmouth
Chris Jackson, Getty Images
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Embury was not made aware that his former student would be in town until the morning of Kate's visit.

"The prospect of meeting Kate after all these years was very exciting so I went in on my day off," he told Daily Mail.

When asked, Embury declined to say what type of future queen Kate would make.

According to Royal UK, touching and hugging a royal is not necessarily forbidden, but it is an unspoken rule not to make physical contact.

Female members of the royal family are to be addressed as "Your Royal Highness" and, subsequently, "Ma'am."

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