The Princess of Wales has revealed a surprisingly relatable and "notoriously bad" personal habit that ended up dictating her Christmas presents one year.
A Forgetful Princess
In a candid revelation, it has emerged that Kate Middleton, the mum-of-three, has a persistent habit of misplacing her mobile phone. The detail came to light in a new interview with author and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher, the winner of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!.
Giovanna, who hosted Kate on her popular Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast back in 2020, shared the anecdote with The Times. "Kate told me that she was notoriously bad at keeping an eye on her phone," Fletcher revealed. "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."
The princess's forgetful tendency is apparently a well-known source of amusement within her family, who regularly tease her about it.
Balancing Tech in Modern Family Life
Interestingly, this personal struggle with keeping track of her device exists alongside Kate's thoughtful and public concerns about the impact of technology on family connections. The princess has recently spoken out about what she terms an "epidemic of disconnection" fuelled by smartphones and gadgets.
In a co-authored essay with Professor Robert Waldinger of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, Kate argued that society must prioritise investing in real-world relationships. She wrote that while digital devices promise connection, they often become "sources of constant distraction," leaving people physically together but mentally absent.
"Our smartphones, tablets, and computers have become sources of constant distraction, fragmenting our focus and preventing us from giving others the undivided attention that relationships require," the Princess of Wales stated.
A Royal Approach to Children and Phones
This philosophy extends directly to parenting within the Wales household. Prince William disclosed last year that their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, do not own personal mobile phones.
He admitted the rule was becoming "a little bit of a tense issue" with their eldest, George, who is now 12. However, William explained a potential compromise for when George moves to secondary school: a basic phone without internet access. "I think the internet access I have a problem with," the Prince of Wales said during a visit to Rio de Janeiro for his Earthshot Prize.
This family stance underscores a deliberate effort to shield their children from online risks while navigating the pressures of modern childhood, a challenge that will resonate with many parents across the UK.
