How Kate Middleton's Close Friends Really Feel About Her

Catherine, Princess of Wales is a member of one of the world's most high profile families, and most of us know her from her public appearances and when she chooses to share her life with the world — like when Kate announced that she'd been diagnosed with cancer on social media. Ever since Kate married Prince William in 2011 in what has become one of royal fans' favorite weddings, she's someone that many of us may feel like we know, at least, a bit about thanks to all her public appearances. But what about those who actually know her? From what her friends have said about her to the press over the years, we know a bit more about how her loved ones feel about her, and it's a lot of good things — she's down to earth, a hard worker, and a dedicated mom.

As a royal family member, Catherine, Princess of Wales has worn a number of expensive outfits while at a fancy event — just look at the stunning gold Jenny Packham dress that Kate wore to the James Bond movie premiere in 2021. But she's very much not always in full glam when she's not at work, especially at the morning school drop off. "There are no blow-dries — it's always hair up in a ponytail," a friend told People in 2020. "She's either in her gym clothes, or a dress and sneakers, very little makeup, apologizing as she's late for the school run before dashing off." That sounds like pretty much any mom, and it goes a long way to showing just how relaxed and casual Kate is behind the scenes.

Catherine, Princess of Wales also has more to her job as a working royal than just showing up for red carpet appearances, and her friends have confirmed that Kate is someone who will get the job done despite what some critics might say. In 2023, some were arguing that Kate should be doing more international trips; however, her friends came to defense. "If the accusation is that Kate isn't pulling her weight, that is absurd and everyone who knows them knows it," one friend revealed to The Daily Beast. "She works incredibly hard [and] real people understand that you have to prioritize your children at that age."

Understandably, Kate was out of the public eye for months through a large part of 2024 while she underwent cancer treatment. But a friend told The Daily Beast in 2024 that Kate was anxious to get back to work. How poor could her work ethic be if she wanted to get back to it!

When Catherine, Princess of Wales is joined at events by her three young children, she seems to be like any mom trying to keep her kids well-behaved in public, like when she had her hands full with Prince Louis at the Platinum Jubilee. She could, if she wanted, keep her children more with royal nannies, but her public appearances with her kids seems to match the kind of mom that her friends reveal she really is behind the scenes. One friend of Kate's told People that when it comes to Kate and William's home life: "It's a normal, busy family home with kids running around and knocking things over. There's no airs and graces."

And just because her kids are pretty high up on the royal succession list (currently two, three, and four), she doesn't give them any special treatment. "When you see her behind closed doors with the children, she's a very confident mom, and she's no pushover. The children get told off if they act up," according to People. This matches with what friends said even before Kate had kids. Those close to her were confident that she'd be a good mom, and that she'd want to bring them up as normally as possible. It sounds like Kate hasn't let becoming a royal princess go to her head, and her friends defending her and supporting her over the years goes a long way to showing her quality as a person.