Princess Kate's hilarious response to a child asking her age is going viral

Kate Middleton
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales never fails to get the world talking, from her fashion statements to her public outings. However it is her sweet interactions with children that has made her the most news, with Kate Middleton dubbed "the children's princess".

This came about after Princess Kate's attendance at the reopening of London's Young V&A children's museum after its renovation this summer, with photographs of the children in attendance showering her with hugs going viral. 

"It was a pleasure to see how this special museum has been revamped with the help of local school children, parents and teachers this morning, ahead of its opening this Saturday," announced the Princess of Wales in a statement at the time, alongside a series of photographs from the day.

The most talked-about part of the day however was when a young child reportedly asked her age, with the Young V&A museum intended for children.

Without missing a beat, the Princess of Wales responded: "I'm 41. Shhh … don't tell anyone".

This is not the first time that the Princess has fielded funny questions from young children, famously asked during her visit to the Orkney Islands in 2021 whether she was "the Prince".

"Are you the Prince?" the boy asked, to which Kate laughed and replied: "I'm not the Prince, no".

She continued: "I'm the Duchess of Cambridge, but people call me Catherine".

Kate Middleton talking to children

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Another sweet anecdote about the Princess saw her approach a young boy on the train last year, mistaking him for being lost. 

Times columnist Matthew Syed was in the bathroom on a train to Birmingham when he heard a "nice" woman approach his son Ted who was waiting outside. It wasn't until he left the toilet that he realised that the woman in question was Kate Middleton.

"As I am doing my thing, I hear him talking to a woman in the vestibule. 'Are you here alone?' she asks. 'No, my dad is in there' – he says, pointing to the lavatory", Matthew Syed recalled in his column.

He described hearing them have a "whale of a time" and laughing together, but when he exited the toilet to thank the kind stranger, he realised it was Kate.

"'Did you realise who that was, son?' I ask him. 'No idea but she was really nice,' he responds."

Well, this is lovely.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.