From the outside, Prince William and Kate Middleton are prime examples of prim and proper. And though the two even manage to sneak in some PDA from time to time, their picture-perfect smiles and even color-coordinated ensembles make it seem like there are never any problems in the Wales household. But, according to royal author Tom Quinn, their real selves are quite different from their public personas.
Per the author of Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family, the Prince and Princess of Wales aren’t strangers to big fights and all-out arguments. “It’s not all sweetness,” Quinn told the Fox News Channel. “They have terrible rows where they throw things at each other. Kate might seem to be a very calm person, and William also. But it’s not always true. Because the big stress for William and Kate is that they’re constantly surrounded by [palace aides]. It’s like a Jane Austen novel.”
Despite his claims, however, Quinn said the royal couple’s misunderstandings aren’t any more than any other couple. “Of course, privately, William and Kate, like all couples, fall out, row, shout at each other and say unkind things to each other,” he said, noting the Middleton “is an appeaser by instinct” while “William always gives way” and “hates confrontation.”
“Kate is very much the calm one,” Quinn said, adding that she’s been described as having a “Buddhist calm.” “William is the one who’s a bit hotheaded,” Quinn added. “We see an example of that in Harry’s book… But Kate is very level-headed. She’s the one who will pour oil on troubled waters and go, ‘Let’s not stir things up.’”
Luckily for fans of the parents of three, Quinn also dished some sweet things about the royal couple too. For example, Middleton calls William “babe” while he calls her “Babykins” and “Duchess of Doolittle.” The latter nickname is reportedly a “gentle dig” after Middleton was criticized by the late Queen Elizabeth II for not having a full-time career before the couple married in 2011.
In addition, the two reportedly keep it light-hearted when it comes to jokes about William’s thinning hair too. Per Quinn, while William fusses over Middleton’s “endless mane of hair,” she calls him “baldy.”
Whether it’s the “terrible rows” or the “gentle digs,” it’s safe to say these two are quite different than what we expected behind closed doors. So much for the perfect public person, right?
Prince William & Kate’s ‘Terrible Rows’ & What They’re Like Behind Closed Doors. Prince William & Kate’s ‘Terrible Rows’ & What They’re Like Behind Closed Doors