Kate Middleton has been the subject of mistaken identity a number of times during royal outings, with one cheeky child asking her ‘who are you?’ during a school visit
Kate Middleton introduced herself to the school kids by saying she is ‘married to William'(Image: Getty Images)
During official outings and engagements, Kate Middleton often finds herself answering questions about the reality of royal life from curious members of the public.
While most people are thrilled to meet the senior royal, some have been left puzzled by all the commotion. One such instance occurred in 2023 during a visit with Prince William to a primary school in Scotland. The then-Prince and Princess of Wales visited Burghead Primary School in Moray, where they toured the facility, interacted with excited students, and Kate even volunteered to time a bike race between two pupils.
During their interaction with the children, Catherine high-fived one student and remarked, “I really like your school,” before one bold child asked the future Queen, “Who are you?” In a modest and endearing reply, Kate gestured towards her husband and said, “I’m married to William,” deliberately leaving out her numerous royal titles when addressing the young students. Kate’s identity was later questioned by another child at the school, who casually asked her, “Are you a Prince?”
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Shaking her head for clarification, Kate humbly responded, “I’m not a Prince. I’m the Duchess of Cambridge. Lots of people call me Catherine.” When another little girl exclaimed, “She’s a Princess!” Kate sweetly asked her, “Are you? Are you a Princess?” When the girl shook her head, Kate replied, “Aww, you look like one in your beautiful pink coat.”
Catherine meeting pupils from Burghead Primary School (Image: PA)
Later in the day, William was humorously challenged by a cheeky youngster who inquired about his age. When he playfully asked the kids to guess, they estimated him to be 57, prompting a feigned shock from the prince as he exclaimed, “I’m not that old.” Kate has had her fair share of amusing mix-ups during royal engagements, like the time in 2020 when she had a memorable exchange with a care home resident, reports the Mirror.
Back in 2020, Kate and William paid a visit to a Cardiff care facility, reuniting with residents they had previously engaged with via Zoom amidst the pandemic’s early days. During their visit, the royal spoke with 87-year-old Joan Drew-Smith, who didn’t hesitate to critique their bingo calling skills from an earlier virtual game with the residents.
Kate during the visit in Moray in 2023(Image: PA)
William, recalling their previous interaction, joked with Joan, “You may not recognise us, but we played bingo with you and you won. But you said we didn’t do a very good job?” Joan candidly retorted, “No, you did a s*** job,” eliciting laughter from William who replied, “Excellent!”
Joan then directed a playful question at Kate, who was seated beside William wearing a mask, asking, “Is this your assistant?” To which Kate responded with a chuckle, “Well, I’m his assistant! I have been for a long time!” Following Joan’s spirited comments, William expressed his fondness for her to the staff, remarking post-visit, “She’s brilliant.”
Kate and William speak with resident Margaret Stocks during their visit to Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff in August 2020(Image: PA)
Despite her current widespread recognition, there was once a time, before her 2011 wedding to William, when the Princess of Wales could stroll unnoticed. Royal butler Grant Harrold shared a throwback to King Charles’ 60th birthday bash in 2008, revealing that Kate was once “standing alone” without anyone mingling with her.
He recounted to MyLondon, “I went over and chatted to her while we waited for Will to come in and it was quite sweet. But now – could you imagine Kate in the middle of a room and no one speaking to her? It just wouldn’t happen, she’d be mobbed.”
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