Kate Middleton does not shy away from admitting the heartbreaking truth about her struggle with one particular aspect of her royal duties.
The Princess of Wales, who has fully returned to public life after winning her months-long battle against cancer, is still struggling with royal duties.
For Catherine, crowded receptions are “really hard” due to her naturally soft voice. She is not somebody who naturally projects her voice across a crowded room.
So being heard above all that noise can seriously be challenging for one of the royal family’s much adored Princesses, according to palace insiders.
When she steps out to perform royal duties people constantly move around her and want to avail the opportunity to speak to her.
Kate takes conversations extremely seriously and doesn’t like making somebody feel they have simply been processed as part of an engagement.
“That can make these events harder because Catherine’s instinct is to stop, listen properly and give people her full attention rather than exchange a few words and immediately move along, one insider told Radar.
“It’s become something of a running joke because she is regularly encouraged to speak louder and occasionally spends considerably longer talking to guests than the schedule allows,” they added.
“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.”
Catherine once herself acknowledged the difficulty while talking to women attending a reception at Buckingham Palace in 2025, marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Princess of Wales had returned to public duties following a three-week Easter break when she opened up while speaking with guests inside the busy palace, saying: “I find these environments are really hard. I’ve also got a very soft voice, so I always get told ‘Speak up a bit louder!'”
2026-09-16 12:52:00
