The Princess of Wales always appears to be the picture of poised perfection during public engagements. Ever since she was welcomed into the royal family when she got engaged to Prince William in 2010, she has rarely put a foot wrong – so it’s something of a relief to learn that she is just like us in some ways.
In a previous interview with The Times, podcaster Giovanna Fletcher, who had Princess Kate as a guest on her parenting podcast in 2020, gave a rare insight into what Princess Kate is really like, and her anecdote proves that the future Queen is more like us than we originally thought.
Giovanna and Kate have spoken several times (Instagram)
“She told me that she was notoriously bad at keeping an eye on her phone,” Giovanna wrote. “She always loses her phone. All of her Christmas presents that year were related to her keeping track of her phone… It was all about her not losing her phone.”
A new challenge
This could be more of an issue than ever due to the Wales family’s new home, Forest Lodge, which is bigger than their previous home, Adelaide Cottage – giving the royal more nooks and crannies to misplace her mobile.
Forest Lodge boasts eight bedrooms, while Adelaide Cottage had four – quite the upgrade!
Forest Lodge, formerly known as Holly Grove in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire, 2018. (Getty Images)
Princess Kate’s dislike of digital
Given how vocal the Princess was last year about her dislike of phones, it’s no surprise that she isn’t glued to her own.
She and Prince William have both openly shared their desire to reduce their children’s screen time, with the Princess of Wales speaking about the dangers of screen time in October 2025, via an essay entitled The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World.
“While digital devices promise to keep us connected, they frequently do the opposite,” the Princess wrote in the essay published in collaboration with Prof Robert Waldinger from Harvard Medical School.
Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William have strict rules for their children at home (Getty Images)
“When we check our phones during conversations, scroll through social media during family dinners, or respond to e-mails while playing with our children, we’re not just being distracted, we are withdrawing the basic form of love that human connection requires,” she wrote.
The Waleses have gone so far as to ban Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis from having phones. Speaking to actor Eugene Levy on his Apple TV+ show, The Reluctant Traveler in October last year, William revealed: “None of our children have any phones, which we’re very strict about.”
Strict rules at home
It isn’t just when it comes to technology that the Prince and Princess of Wales have strict rules for their children. Royal biographer Robert Hardman wrote in his book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, that they like their kids to muck in at home too, due to keeping their staff at Forest Lodge to a minimum.
“The couple did not seek to boost the staff numbers” after moving out of Kensington Palace, he wrote. While their team “does include a ‘yeoman’, a multi-tasking attendant who looks after everything from luggage to uniforms,” their day-to-day household is very low-key. “It’s very much them at home with the kids.”
Prince William gives his children strict tasks at home (Getty Images)
Prince William also expects his three children to partake in household chores. In an interview with the BBC ahead of the Earthshot Prize, the future king revealed that his kids are in charge of recycling.
“We go through all the basics of recycling, making sure we minimise water use, and turning off lights when we leave the house and things like that. I think every family has these conversations. You just try to do what you can,” he said.
