Kate’s 5-Word Comeback After She Was Mistaken for William’s Assistant
The royal family is usually all business, but every once in a while, fans get to see them having a bit of fun. In fact, Kate Middleton once showed off her great sense of humor after someone mistook her for Prince William’s assistant.
According to Hello! magazine, the hilarious incident occurred in August 2020, when the Princess of Wales and her husband visited the Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff, Wales. The couple wore face masks during the meeting, as it took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have to wear masks because of the virus, but it’s difficult to hear sometimes when you can’t see someone’s mouth,” William told the residents, which included a woman named Joan Drew-Smith with whom the couple previously joined for a game of bingo.
Without missing a beat, Drew-Smith then pointed to Kate and asked William, “Is that your assistant?”
Kate laughed and said, “Well, I am your assistant! I have been for a long time!”
William later told the staff that he loved Joan, calling her “brilliant” and saying he wished “everyone was as honest as her.”
Renewed interest in the humorous moment followed an April 2025 report in The Times, which revealed that Kate “has always seen her role as a supporting one.”
“She is understood to have been inspired by the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, who made an individual contribution while being very clear that his role was to support the monarch,” a source close to the royal couple claimed. “For Kate, that means acting as a gatekeeper to ensure that William can do his work while also finding time to be a hands-on father, and that everyone understands that this is the deal. It’s ‘the long game.'”
