The Kate No One Knows
They pulled it off beau tifully. On June 11, against the backdrop of the G7 world leaders summit in Cornwall, England, Britain’s future queen and America’s first lady stole the spotlight for a morning as they came together for an unexpected joint engagement at a school in the nearby town of Hayle. There, Kate Middleton and Jill Biden ably led a roundtable discussion focused on early childhood issues and the next day published an op-ed they’d co-authored on the subject.
Kate’s full of surprises — and not just when it comes to performing her royal duties. “The way Kate looks, behaves and carries herself in public is the epitome of class. She’s naturally elegant, but the first thing she does when she gets home from an event or public appearance is kick off the heels and change into a pair of jeans and a Zara sweater,” says a source with insight into the private life of the Duchess of Cambridge — the Kate no one really knows. Though the royal, 39, takes great pride in her public role as a duchess who is wife and mother to two future kings, “she also really loves switching off from that world — she makes her own royal rules,” adds the source. “Kate’s more down-to-earth than anyone knows. The parents at St. Thomas’s Battersea, the sch ended by elder children Prince George, 7, and Princess Charlotte, 5, “call her ‘the cool mum.’ They are really taken aback by how normal she is.”
PARTY PRINCESS
Before she settled down with a prince, Kate loved a good party. She still does. But these days, instead of letting loose at London’s most exclusive nightclubs, “she brings the party to her house — Anmer Hall or Kensington Palace,” explains the source of the duchess, whose parents made their fortune with a mail-order party supplies and decorations business. “Friends come over for drinks, dinner or both, or [during lockdown, she’d] organize Zoom parties. Party planning is in her blood. She’s the perfect host.”
And her get-togethers are far from stiff. “She loves breaking out the karaoke machine or themed whodunit games,” notes the source, “and toasting with goblet champagne glasses and smoked salmon canapes. Everyone dresses up, and it’s a whole lot of fun.” Once, adds the source, “she even organized a cocktail-making class at the palace for all of her friends!”
ALL EYES ON HER
Though she has the utmost respect for the royal
Britain’s future queen Kate Middleton has a secret flirtatious, naughty and rebellious side when the world isn’t watching!
rules, she is also aware of which ones are made to be broken. “There have been times when Kate’s snuck out to go on a shopping spree on the King’s Road [in London] with friends,” giving her security team a fright, says the source.
She also knows how and when to turn on the charm. “Men at events always seem quite enamored of her,” says an insider, “and she appears to love to flirt back, in a harmless way.” She’s an expert at keeping things flirty and romantic with William, too, even after a decade of marriage. “She’s got a really naughty sense of humor,” he admitted years ago of Kate’s ability to make him laugh and, according to the source, “she still does.”
William isn’t the only royal who appreciates Kate and all she does. Father-in-law Prince Charles, 72, wouldn’t deny her anything, says the insider. “He’s admitted to friends that William couldn’t have done better,” says the insider, adding that Kate “completely controls Charles at this point. He listens to all of her opinions.”
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II, 95, respects how adaptable she is. “Kate can go from nurturing George, Charlotte and [3-year-old Prince] Louis to leading a royal engagement at the flick of a switch. She can do it all,” says the source. “The queen trusts her implicitly.” According to the insider, the monarch “describes Kate as the voice of reason and has gone to her for advice,” including on dealing with recent family issues. “The queen,” adds the insider, “sees Kate as one of the monarchy’s biggest assets.”