The Middleton Family Tradition That Intimidated Prince William

Meeting a partner's family can be nerve-wracking, especially if they have a tradition that's sacred to them. Some families are big on cooking, and it may not be a great look if a new person joining the brood isn't a whiz in the kitchen. While William, Prince of Wales didn't run into that specific issue when he met Catherine, Princess of Wales' family, he did experience another problem. According to Princess Kate's brother, James Middleton, their family is extremely competitive card game players, especially with the game Racing Demon.

According to James, who appeared as a guest on the "Walking the Dog" podcast, the family would play games after dinner and William apparently found it more ruthless than fun. The poor guy would come up with reasons to leave or tasks he needed to do once the cards appeared. James said, "It was after family dinner, we would be sat there and the cards would come out, and [he would] perhaps see if Ella [the dog] needed a walk or make an excuse to get down from the table."

Prince William is no stranger to awkwardness, so this sounds like it's par for the course. 

Prince William may not have been up for Kate Middleton's merciless family game nights, but he is totally down to go head-to-head with his wife. According to Fox News Digital, author Christopher Andersen claims that William and Kate's secret to a successful marriage is their competitive personalities (via New York Post). William may not want to go full-on battle mode with his in-laws, but he is game to act like that with Kate. In fact, many of Prince William and Princess Kate's competitive moments have been captured on camera.

"William and Kate's card games are so heated and all-consuming that William makes excuses to avoid being sucked in. But away from his win-at-all-costs Middleton in-laws, William has never shied away from going up against Kate in a contest," Andersen said. But the royal couple doesn't just stop at card games; they are reportedly competitive about everything — something Kate and William have passed onto their three children. However, Andersen noted this can result in major fights over rule breaking and not playing fairly.