Kate Middleton Had A Hilarious Five-Word Response After She Was Mistaken for Prince William’s 'Assistant'

The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, is known to always carry herself with grace and poise in public but even she has her fair share of mishaps. Despite being perhaps one of the most recognized couples, while visiting the Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff, she was once mistaken for Prince William's assistant. The mix-up took place when the royal couple met resident Joan Drew-Smith. Joan looked at Middleton and asked William, "Is that your assistant?" Middleton laughed it off and handled the whole thing with class, instead of getting upset.

Middleton's response was both playful and self-deprecating. She told William, "Well, I am your assistant," and added with a grin, "I have been for a long time!" It is this very 'keep calm and carry on' attitude that the late Queen Elizabeth II reportedly admired about Middleton, as per the Mirror UK. Middleton and William first crossed paths in 2001 while studying at the University of St Andrews. Even though the two were initially just casually dating, the Queen wanted to make her feel welcome. 

Royal author, Katie Nicholl, discussed the same in her book Kate: The Future Queen. She revealed that the Queen granted Middleton a rare privilege during her first visits to Balmoral, the royal family's estate in Scotland. "Until now the Queen had met Kate only fleetingly at the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips, but she went out of her way to make her feel welcome, giving her permission to take pictures at Balmoral," Nicholl wrote. This gesture meant a lot because the Queen spent her whole life in the spotlight and didn’t often let her guard down around anyone outside her close family and friends.

William and Middleton eventually tied the knot on April 29, 2011. In the years that followed, it became clear that the Queen really liked Middleton's calm company. The more time they spent together, the more the Queen appreciated how steady and cool Kate was in different situations—a boon for the preservation of the monarchy— just like she had been for so many years. Royal commentator, Duncan Larcombe, noted, "I think she [Queen] would have been tremendously proud of how she has dealt with it, especially with such a brave video," alluding to Middleton's cancer announcement earlier this year. 

Former BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, also observed, "I think William, in particular, would have found his grandmother's presence reassuring and she would have given him wise counsel. I suspect she would have told him to do exactly what he is doing: putting his family first until things improve," as per OK! magazine. In her first public appearance after her diagnosis, body language expert, Judi James, also reflected on Middleton's 'calm determination' and genuine happiness despite the horrible health scare. She said, "We can see how Kate is performing a subtle but authentic-looking smile that has an air of not just happiness but also calm determination."