Royal Author Says Princess Kate Treats Prince William “Like the Fourth Child Because He’s Prone to Tantrums”

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 15 October 2023

By this point, it’s pretty widely known that Prince William has a temper. The Mirror reports that William and wife Kate are said to throw cushions at each other when they argue, and that, after over 20 years together, Kate has devised a clever technique for dealing with William’s so-called “emotional outbursts.”

Royal author Tom Quinn said that Kate treats William like “the fourth child because he’s prone to tantrums.” (William and Kate share kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.) Quinn said the couple have “terrific” squabbles: “They have rows,” he said. “It’s not a perfect marriage.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton at a royal engagement

And, though some couple’s arguments may be harsh, that’s not so for the Prince and Princess of Wales. Their heated arguments involve letting frustrations out by “throwing cushions at each other, not vases,” Quinn said.

Despite moments of raised voices, it’s always kept under control, Quinn said.

Prince William and Kate Middleton at an engagement together

Occasional arguments aren’t the only way William and Kate are just like the rest of us. During their engagement interview, William revealed that he and Kate have “a very fun time together” and that they have a “good sense of humor about things,” which is “a hint that they tackled any disagreements in a lighthearted way,” The Mirror writes.

Prince William and Kate Middleton at World Mental Health Day event

“We’re down to earth,” William said himself in their 2010 engagement interview. “We take the mickey out of each other a lot, and she’s got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.