Princess Kate Still ‘Struggling’ with One Royal Duty

Princess Kate may look completely at ease while working a packed royal reception, but behind the polished smiles, one part of the job reportedly remains a real struggle.

The Princess of Wales, 44, has admitted that crowded royal events can be difficult because of something surprisingly simple — she has a naturally soft voice.

A senior royal source claimed that while Kate often appears calm and confident in photographs, the reality inside a packed palace reception can be very different.

“There may be hundreds of conversations happening simultaneously, people are constantly moving around, and everyone understandably wants their opportunity to speak to her,” the source said.

According to the insider, Kate simply isn’t someone who naturally raises her voice above a noisy crowd.

That can make conversations difficult — especially because the princess reportedly hates rushing through meetings with members of the public.

Rather than exchange a few polite words and move on, Kate prefers to stop, listen and give people her full attention.

That habit has apparently become something of a joke among those around her.

The source claimed Kate is regularly reminded to speak louder and often spends much longer talking to guests than her schedule allows.

Royal aides have reportedly become accustomed to seeing carefully planned timetables slip because Kate becomes engrossed in someone’s story.

“She has had training in public appearances and how to deal with them, but despite her apparent growing confidence she still prefers to be quiet rather than loud,” the insider said.

Kate herself spoke about the issue during a crowded Buckingham Palace reception last year.

“I find these environments are really hard,” she admitted. “I’ve also got a very soft voice, so I always get told, ‘Speak up a bit louder!’”

The event marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Queen Elizabeth II and was attended by Prince William, King Charles and other senior members of the Royal Family.

Kate wore a lilac Emilia Wickstead dress inspired by the 1940s along with a three-strand pearl necklace that previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth, who died in 2022 at age 96.

One particularly emotional moment came when Kate met retired Metropolitan Police officer Tony Gledhill.

Gledhill was awarded the George Cross in 2008 for his bravery while confronting armed criminals decades earlier.

He told Kate that his wife of 67 years had recently died and that she had encouraged him to attend the palace reception.

Kate responded by hugging him and holding both of his hands as they spoke.

“The Princess was lovely; she was fantastic,” Gledhill later said.

Kate’s tendency to spend extra time speaking with people is nothing new.

Back in the 2016 ITV documentary “Our Queen at Ninety,” she revealed that members of the Royal Family regularly teased her about taking too long during public walkabouts.

“There’s a real art to walkabouts,” Kate said. “Everybody teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting.”

She added that she still needed to learn how to move through the crowds a little faster.

Nearly a decade later, Kate may be one of the most recognizable royals in the world, but it appears her quiet personality — and willingness to stop and listen — still occasionally makes the highly choreographed royal schedule difficult to keep.