Members of the British royal family don’t talk about their personal lives. It’s kind of one of their rules. So if there’s drama going on behind the palace doors, you won’t catch the royals posting about it on social media or going to the press. But sometimes – just sometimes – a royal will accidentally let their true feelings show. And that’s exactly what happened when Kate Middleton was in public just days after “Megxit.” It’s no surprise, then, that Kate’s candid confession got people talking.

Kate was visiting Bradford, England, with Prince William at the time. But perhaps they should have stayed at home. After all, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had literally just made the remarkable announcement that they would be stepping down as senior royals. That revelation had sent shockwaves throughout the rest of the Windsor clan – and Kate clearly wasn’t ready to be discreet in public.

It’s possible that the wounds were still quite raw. Harry and Meghan had gone into detail about their decision on Instagram, after all. The couple said it took “many months of reflection and internal discussions” to go through with Megxit. They even called the royals an “institution” and said that they wanted “to become financially independent” from the Queen. It was pretty shocking.

It seemed, too, that Harry’s mind had been made up after he had become a father. The statement mentioned that he and Meghan wished to raise their son “with the space to focus on the next chapter.” And what would that next chapter look like? Well, Harry and Meghan mentioned a “new charitable entity” as well. Naturally, then, people were eager to hear how William and Kate felt about the whole thing.

But William didn’t speak directly to the media about Harry’s sudden exit. According to The Sunday Times, though, he did confide privately in a friend. Apparently, the prince said, “I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives, and I can’t do that anymore; we’re separate entities. All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we’re all singing from the same page.” Yet there was no word on what Kate thought.

But a statement released by the Queen suggested that she had come to terms with the bombshell announcement. On January 13, 2020, she announced, “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.” The Queen did also note that they would have liked things to have remained as they were. Yet it seemed Harry and Meghan couldn’t be talked around.

“Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives,” the statement went on. And while the statement said there would be “a period of transition,” it seemed clear that this was a major turn of events. “These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done,” it read. So with all this royal drama going on, you may well have missed Kate’s bombshell.

And as she and William walked around Bradford, all the talk was about how the couple seemed to be holding up in the wake of Megxit. “[William] didn’t let it show that the drama had been going on. I love the royal family, and I was really impressed with him,” student Rukhsar Parveebn told People. He wasn’t the only one commenting about the couple, either.

“[William] has got to carry on, business as usual,” Julie Astbury said to People. “His mother was always my favorite, and we have gone on to William and Harry and their children. It’s sad. But we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors.” But what about Kate?

Well, Kate looked as well put-together as she usually is on official engagements. She wore a custom-made coat from Alexander McQueen – the same fashion house that had created her wedding dress. Kate also sported an inexpensive dress from Zara and finished off the ensemble with a pair of Gianvito Rossi shoes. But looks can be deceiving.

Yet, at first, the royals had plenty to do and see on their visit to Bradford. There was a discussion about women in STEM subjects at City Hall, for instance. But Kate and William were greeted by a big crowd, including children from local schools. And while a police officer kept the kids entertained by singing “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” the crowd couldn’t be kept waiting forever.

So the royal couple eventually greeted the crowds outside. There, the duchess complimented the waiting children on how they looked in their school uniforms, and she received some flowers from well-wishers. Kate added to her collection of blooms, too, when William adorably handed her a single rose that he had been given. There was still no hint that Kate would soon drop a major bombshell.

After that, the royal couple went to the local restaurant MyLahore to learn about the charity work that the eatery takes part in. Kate and William even tried their best at making milkshakes and spoke to the apprentices from Bradford College who were working in the kitchens. Everything was going as planned...

The duke and duchess also met Amir Khan – the youngest British person to become an Olympic medalist in boxing. The boxer talked to William about his work in mental health. And this was relevant to the prince’s interests. Along with Harry and Kate, William helped form the Heads Together campaign. This is intended to get people to talk about mental health conditions and to reduce the stigma surrounding such issues. It couldn’t have been more relevant to the crisis currently affecting the royals.

After that, Kate and William visited one of the city’s Khidmat Centres, which offer workshops and support to vulnerable people. And there the pair received yet another gift: a spectacular dessert by Bradford cake maker Siama Ali. The elegant gateau featured edible photographs depicting important moments in the duke and duchess’ lives. So far, so good.

Then Kate was given presents for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. They were knitted hats, each emblazoned with one of the young royals’ names. That got the mom of three to share the first tidbit about her personal life. “I tried knitting when I first had George. I tried to knit him a very special jumper, but I got halfway down, and it splattered,” she told the women at the center.

Kate also interacted with young children later on in the trip. That was when she and William saw members of projects that had been helped by the local charity Better Start Bradford. In particular, the royals talked to people who were part of the “Older Yet Wiser” scheme, which assists grandparents who care for their grandchildren. And then Kate and William began to let their secret slip.

It appeared that Kate was very taken with an 18-month-old called Sorayah Ahmad – judging by her behavior at a sing-along session, anyway. Sorayah’s grandmother Maryiam later told Hello! magazine, “I almost started crying; it was very, very emotional. Kate was joining in with the nursery rhymes and dancing with Sorayah.” So Kate was clearly on an emotional high.

Finally, the royal couple closed their day with a meeting with the organization Near Neighbors. And it was here that William made an interesting comment. “It’s sometimes trying to get people to understand that it’s okay to have these challenges,” he said. “We just need to deal with them, and we need to move forward rather than just be stuck in paralysis and pretend they don’t happen, which is no good.”

But while some took those words to be a comment on the Harry and Meghan situation, that seemingly wasn’t the case. Of the remarks, the Daily Mail reported, “Aides last night said [that William] had not intended to make a direct reference to the royal crisis but accepted parallels could be drawn. In the past, senior royals have used public engagements to allude to major issues.” So what was the truth?

People watching the royals for any signs of their true feelings also paid close attention to their body language. Blanca Cobb, an expert on the matter, analyzed the duke and duchess’ movements for Cosmopolitan magazine. She concluded that the pair were definitely feeling some level of stress – even if they weren’t saying it out loud.

Cobb said, for example, that both Kate and William had been holding their hands near their stomachs while they had been chatting to the public. She added, “When you’re unsettled about something, you might cover a vulnerable part of your body as if shielding yourself. What’s interesting is that William is doing the same.”

The body language expert went on, “It’s unusual to see William and Kate with such rounded shoulders. It could be that they’re figuratively feeling the weight or pressure of the situation with Harry and Meghan, so it’s weighing them down a bit. I think the rounded shoulders are more pronounced at this event than at other past events.”

All in all, it was a very interesting day for fans of the royals. But arguably the most intriguing tidbit of them all came from the mouth of Kate, and it wasn’t actually anything to do with Meghan and Harry. While speaking to a young man with special needs, the duchess let slip something about herself and William.

What happened? A man named Josh Macplace told Kate that he had sent her cards following the births of all three of her children. Then Kate said in return, “I don’t think William wants any more.” And although the remark was only made as part of a casual conversation, it was still a pretty shocking piece of information to put out there.

This isn’t the first time that the subject of more children has come up for Kate, either. For instance, in February 2019 the duchess was charmed by a cute five-year-old while visiting Ballymena in Northern Ireland. She even told the child’s father, “He’s gorgeous. It makes me feel broody.” But when Kate was asked if that meant she wanted another baby, she answered, “I think William would be a little worried.”

One reason why William could be concerned is that Kate’s previous pregnancies have taken a real toll on her health. While she was expecting George, Charlotte and Louis, you see, she suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum – or an extreme form of morning sickness. In some cases, hyperemesis gravidarum can even weaken a pregnant woman’s body to the extent that they require hospital treatment.

And in September 2017, when Kate was pregnant with Louis, William met another person who had suffered through hyperemesis gravidarum. On that occasion, the prince hinted at the severity of Kate’s condition, telling the mom that while his wife had tried ginger biscuits to stop the sickness, it hadn’t worked. He added, “There’s not much ginger can do to stop that. We’ve done all that.”

Kate has been candid about the difficulties of motherhood, too. Not long after she visited Bradford, she traveled to Cardiff and opened up to a children’s center staff in the Welsh city. And during that chat, the duchess discussed the problems that she had encountered when George had been just a baby.

Kate told the people at the center, “It was the first year, and I’d just had George – William was still working with Search and Rescue – and we came up here, and I had a tiny, tiny baby in the middle of Anglesey. It was so isolated, so cut off. I didn’t have any family around, and [William] was doing night shifts.”

And back in 2017, the duchess had alluded to further troubles in a speech at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Indeed, she claimed that although she found being a mother “wonderful and rewarding,” it had also “been a huge challenge.” Yes, even with the vast amount of support available to Kate, she’d still had to deal with some of the conundrums that regular moms face.

Kate explained, “Nothing can really prepare you for the sheer overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother. It is full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love and worry all mixed together. Your fundamental identity changes overnight. You go from thinking of yourself as primarily an individual to suddenly being a mother, first and foremost.”

Then, in February 2020 Kate was interviewed for a podcast called Happy Mum, Happy Baby, and during the conversation she was surprisingly candid about her experiences of pregnancy and motherhood. The duchess told host Giovanna Fletcher, “I got very bad morning sickness, so I’m not the happiest of pregnant people.”

Kate also revealed how the hyperemesis gravidarum had affected her husband. She said, “Being pregnant and having a newborn baby and things like that impacts everybody in the family. You know, William didn’t feel he could do much to help, and it’s hard for everyone to see you suffering without actually being able to do anything about it.”

That wasn’t all, as Kate additionally claimed that she had engaged in “hypnobirthing” while in labor. She went on, “There’s levels of [hypnobirthing]. I’m not going to say that William was standing there, sort of, chanting sweet nothings at me. He definitely wasn’t! I didn’t even ask him about it, but it was just something I wanted to do for myself.”

Then the royal explained what it had been like to present George and his younger siblings outside the Lindo Wing on the days when they had been born. Showing the baby to the press and photographers is expected of royal mothers – although Meghan famously bucked the trend after the birth of her son, Archie.

Speaking of unveiling George to the world, Kate said that she had found it all “slightly terrifying.” She added, “For [William and I] to be able to share that joy and appreciation with the public, I felt was really important. But equally, it was coupled with a newborn baby and inexperienced parents, and the uncertainty of what that held, so there were all sorts of mixed emotions.”

What’s more, it turned out that the two royals had tried to learn the basics of childcare even before George had arrived. Kate revealed, “We’d even tried to practice with a little baby, like a little doll, at home, but you know it just never works out the way you planned it. So, it was quite hard to do that on the world’s stage, but no, [William] did a very good job.”

In the same interview, Kate also mused on what she would want her kids to remember about their childhoods, saying, “Those moments with me as a mother, but also the family going to the beach, getting soaking wet, filling our boots full of water – those are what I would want them to remember. Not a stressful household where you’re trying to do everything and not really succeeding at one thing.”

So, those fans hoping for a new lot of royal babies may inevitably be disappointed. Harry and Meghan don’t appear to want an overly large family, either, as they’ve since claimed that ideally they would have only one more child. And now, of course, it seems more and more unlikely that Kate will have another little prince or princess running around. Perhaps, then, we’ll just have to settle for watching George, Charlotte, Louis and Archie grow up.

And while surprisingly few details of the couple’s private lives have been revealed during this time, we do know a little about what goes on behind closed doors. Apparently, for example, Kate and William have interesting – if slightly out of the ordinary – ways of making sure that their kids stay in line.

Those who follow the royal family will know that the duke and duchess have three children: Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte. And the young royals have made quite an impression on the public – not least because they seem to exhibit impeccable behavior while out and about.

However, someone claiming to be in the Cambridges’ circle has come forward to reveal precisely how William and Kate parent their children. And perhaps what’s most surprising is that the parents of three don’t follow what one may expect from a royal mom and dad. Instead, they rely on unconventional techniques to ensure that their kids are always polite with others.

But way before Kate and William became a mom and dad, up to two billion people in 180 countries reportedly tuned in to watch their April 2011 wedding. Many of those viewers may have been anticipating a baby announcement to come soon after that, although that news wasn’t actually broken until December 2012.

And the revelation that there was a new prince or princess on the way actually emerged before the end of the first trimester. The early reveal came because Kate had hyperemesis gradivarium – or acute morning sickness. The Duchess of Cambridge even had to go to the hospital for the condition, which she experienced towards the start of her pregnancy.

But it seems to have all been worth it, as in July 2013 Kate and William welcomed their first child: a son named Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. As the newborn entered the world, he automatically became third-in-line to the British throne – just behind grandfather Prince Charles and William.

Then, just over a year later, the Cambridges announced that they were adding to their family. Once again, Kate experienced intense morning sickness that forced her to cancel a slew of events. Nonetheless, her and William’s first daughter – Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge – arrived safely in May 2015.

And when the duchess had to bow out from a royal engagement in September 2017, Kensington Palace confirmed what many people had suspected. Kate was not only expecting again, but she was also struggling with severe morning sickness for a third time. From that pregnancy came the royal couple’s third child and second son – Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge – in April 2018.

Any parent would have trouble juggling three kids, and venturing out in public with children can be hard. But William and Kate’s trio have often received accolades for their good behavior. And according to The Sun, they’re often the same behind closed doors – at the exclusive Hurlingham Club where the Cambridges hang out, for example.

One of the social club’s members told the newspaper that George, Charlotte and Louis act “impeccably” at the exclusive gathering spot. The source added, “The family often dine there al fresco and use the club’s sporting and play facilities. There [are] no tantrums or food throwing, and the children eat what is set before them.”

The royal children apparently act humbly as well. The Hurlingham Club insider said, “They queue up with the rest of the kids and parents in the Harness Room restaurant and ask for no special favors.” These qualities would, of course, come down to the way in which William and Kate raise their offspring. Yet while the couple haven’t actually given many specifics on their parenting style, they have dropped a few clues here and there.

Speaking more generally about his kids, William told GQ in 2017, “I want to bring up my children in a happy, stable, secure world, and that is so important to both of us as parents. I want George to grow up in a real, loving environment. I don’t want him growing up behind palace walls; he has to be out there.”

That said, the Cambridge children aren’t perfect all of the time. For all of their moments of humility and sweetness, they do sometimes act out – and often the cameras are there to capture those outbursts. One such incident occurred on the family’s tour of Germany and Poland in 2017.

The last stop of the Cambridges’ trip had them visiting the Airbus hub, where George and Charlotte had the chance to investigate the aviation company’s helicopters. The young prince seemed to love the stop-off and slipped into a pilot’s helmet for the occasion; his sister, too, appeared excited at first.

Then, after Kate took a children’s book and paper out of Charlotte’s hand, the princess threw a tantrum on the tarmac. Yet this move didn’t appear to ruffle the duchess’ feathers, as she was seen swiftly bending down to try and calm the little girl before lifting her off her feet and moving on.

On at least one occasion, though, Kate appeared to handle a tantrum of George’s in a more brusque manner. This flare-up happened at her sister Pippa’s 2017 wedding, at which the little prince served as a pageboy. After acing the ceremony, though, he got into trouble for copying his little sister, who had walked across the train of their newlywed aunt’s dress.

And Kate didn’t let George’s naughty behavior slide. Instead, photos seem to show the duchess giving her son a steely talking-to – one that made the then three-year-old burst into tears. After that, he proceeded to sulk beside his mom, while his little sister – who had arguably got her sibling into trouble – apparently remained cheerful.

But other photos and videos have shown the duchess’ softer side when dealing with her brood. For instance, at the 2018 Trooping of the Colour – an annual celebration of the reigning monarch’s birthday – Charlotte seemed to fall while watching the military display for the Queen. And Kate didn’t hesitate to step in and help her visibly upset daughter.

Kate seemed to bolster Charlotte with some kind words, in fact, before patting her daughter’s back to soothe her. Other photos show the duchess holding the young girl in her arms. And fans who saw the moment play out live lauded Kate’s response. According to the Daily Star, one said in 2018, “I’ve seen Princess Charlotte falling down and bonking her little face on the balcony... Was my livestream crazy or is [no one] acknowledging the Duchess of Cambridge’s great parenting?”

Perhaps that’s no surprise, though, as Kate has long supported several charities and organizations that aim to improve children’s early years. The royal family’s official website notes that she “devotes her time to supporting a number of charitable causes and organizations – several of which are centered around providing children with the best possible start in life.”

And, apparently, Kate hopes that, with the right support, children across the United Kingdom will have an easier time segueing into adulthoods that are equally as successful. In 2018 the duchess even announced that she had formed a steering group of experts to guide her efforts with children – specifically in the time before birth and up to five years of age.

The experts’ insights would help Kate to further improve the work that she and The Royal Foundation do for young children. And she also stands as an advocate for kids’ positive mental health. Indeed, the duchess has highlighted how poverty, addiction, neglect, illness and abuse can all have lifelong impacts on young people.

Furthermore, Kate has seemingly made it her mission to promote mental health as something that children feel comfortable discussing. Removing any stigma may help others seek help or involve themselves in the lives of affected young people, after all. And with that kind of assistance, little ones should have the tools they need to succeed.

Of course, Kate and William still have three children to care for on their own, even as the duchess continues with her charity work. Yet while the pair still manage to keep the specifics of their family lives private, those who know them have spoken out about the unconventional ways they use to raise the princes and princess.

For instance, in June 2020 a source revealed to The Sun that Kate and William forego “the naughty step” – a technique that other parents have long used to discipline bad behavior. Typically, a child will sit on a step or in another designated area after they act out – often remaining there for one minute for each year of their life.

The Cambridges have come up with an unusual alternative to this method, though. The insider said, “There’s no ‘naughty step,’ but there is a ‘chat sofa.’ The naughty child is taken away from the scene of the row or disruption and talked to calmly by either Kate or William.”

And, allegedly, the Cambridges make a point to not raise their voices while disciplining their children – something they also expect of George, Louis and Charlotte. The source continued, “Things are explained and consequences outlined, and they never shout at [the kids]. Shouting is absolutely off-limits for the children, and any hint of shouting at each other is dealt with by removal.”

The insider went on to claim that Kate proved stricter than William. And, apparently, both of them have worked with their nanny, Maria Borrallo, to ensure that she maintains their standards when she’s in charge. The source told The Sun, “Maria is firm, but she never acts unilaterally with the children on discipline.”

Still, the public would be hard-pressed to know exactly when the Cambridges or their nanny are being unyielding with their kids. As the insider put it, “Kate and William – along with Maria – are strict with the children but have this magic ability to appear not to be.” And the royal couple have reportedly come up with a genius way to hide their disciplinary moments from onlookers.

According to a March 2020 report in The Sun, Kate relies on code words to subtly tell her children to calm down in public. Yes, the duchess supposedly says “Let’s take a break,” with this indicating to Charlotte or George that they need to take their behavior down a notch.

And while the duchess uses the same phrase at home, she has further options there to help her children calm down. Specifically, she points them toward quieter, more soothing activities. So, George or Charlotte may stop to play or read on their own before rejoining the fray – at a much more relaxed level than before.

Plus, Kate appears to also use a few physical techniques to keep her little ones in line. Dr. Rebecca Chicot – author of the manual The Calm and Happy Toddler – explained to The Sun, “[Kate] seems to be good at making warm contact ‘touch to the head,’ which is a nice connection.”

Chicot continued, “[Kate] gets down to [her kids’] level to talk to them but lets them be children. She has a lovely balance of sensitivity and gentle boundaries. [The duchess] doesn’t expect them to behave like little adults and knows that children go through perfectly natural stages like tantrums.”

Chicot added that, ultimately, the duchess’ parenting style represents how others should be raising their broods. She went on, “Kate is a sensitive and warm mom. This is called an authoritative style of parenting that is now encouraged.” It’s a very different approach to the ones that the royal family may have taken in the past, too.

Chicot continued, “This [style] is compared to an autocratic parenting that was encouraged in some circles in Victorian times – [for example, that] children should be seen and not heard.” By contrast, both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge make a point to listen to their children rather than silencing their thoughts or stifling their feelings.

Yet while The Sun’s anonymous source compared William and Kate’s parenting to “a military operation,” they added that it would be hard for anyone on the outside to see it that way. The insider claimed, “You would never guess [this], because [Kate and William] work ferociously hard on their children’s upbringing and [make] it seem relaxed and happy for the three of them.”

The source concluded, moreover, that this parenting style allows the Cambridges to be “very good at listening to the children, but [also] being firm.” And, combined, all of these techniques seem to have worked – from an outsider’s perspective, anyway. After all, onlookers have lauded George, Charlotte and Louis’ wonderful behavior in public spaces.

Still, William and Kate have still struggled with parenting on occasion, and the Duke of Cambridge admitted as much in a Zoom call with chef Charlie Farrally in May 2020. On that occasion, the prince explained that mealtime could be an ordeal with his brood – and likely among other families, too, “[depending] on what’s on the table.”

William went on to say, “If parents put something on that children love, dinner time goes on very well. But if you put something on the table they don’t want to [eat], that’s another ball game.” Fortunately for him, though, he and Kate have plenty of ways to calmly deal with fussy eaters – as well as other common childhood problems.

And Kate’s apparent patience and wisdom as a mom may have guided her in more ways than one. Not only is she effectively able to parent her children, but she can also use her know-how to assist in early childhood research and development in the United Kingdom. That’s something that will benefit many little ones – including George, Charlotte and Louis – for years to come.