Kate Middleton’s Sharp Comeback to Assistant Mix-Up Sparks Royal Eye-Roll
Somehow we’ve managed to sink even lower in the celebrity trenches—because here’s Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, juggling a full-time monarchy gig and still getting mistaken for Prince William’s assistant. It went down back in August 2020 during a pandemic-era visit to Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff, and yes, it’s every bit as cringeworthy as it sounds. William, masked up for COVID safety, was admitting that face coverings make bingo calls a bit of a muffled mess. Cue lifelong bingo champ Joan Drew-Smith, who bluntly pointed at Kate and asked, “Is that your assistant?” Naturally, Kate didn’t just stand there; she quipped, “Well I am your assistant! I have been for a long time!” as Hello! magazine later detailed. Charming? Barely. Revelatory? Absolutely—for anyone keeping score of how royals get reduced to glorified event planners.
If you’re scratching your head wondering how the future king ends up being introduced like some corporate CEO, you haven’t been paying attention. The Duchess of Cambridge has been moonlighting as William’s sounding board, unofficial PR rep, and tiara adviser since they tied the knot in April 2011. This isn’t some new “dynamic duo” highlight—it’s the same tired script: Kate supports, William leads, tabloids swoon. Back in November 2023, while mingling with schoolchildren in Scotland, Kate again leaned on the script: “Who am I? I’m married to William,” she deadpanned to Burghead Primary students, cementing her role as royal sidekick rather than co-star.
Let’s be frank: nothing about this smacks of spontaneous charm, more like practiced improvisation to distract us from the fact that our institutions are still clinging to archaic gender roles. Penny Junor of PEOPLE weighs in, calling Kate a modern-day Philip to her own Queen, dutifully in the wings. Meanwhile, William marches ever closer to the throne, leaving Kate to handle the good-cop routine whenever the cameras come out. They did resurface together in May 2024 at the HMS Glasgow ship-naming in Scotland, where Kate poured whisky and channeled Diana-level style. But don’t get too excited—half-term break has them on low-power to maintain “family time” with Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. How touching, though you’ll excuse us if we can’t muster much enthusiasm for the next coronation prep.
Everything feels pre-packaged, from Kate’s quips to William’s stern wave. We’ve seen this movie before, and spoiler alert: it ends with another public engagement and another round of press fawning. At this point, patience is a myth and faith in monarchy reforms is on life support. Bookmark this for the inevitable “I told you so” moment when the next royal gaffe hits the headlines. This will definitely age well… said no one ever.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Hello! magazine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
