Prince William and Kate Middleton Gave a Radio Host Who Teased Princess Charlotte on the Air a Talking to

British radio host Greg James shared a story of a recent encounter with Prince William and Kate Middleton at Kensington Palace in which the royals called him out for a segment he did on their daughter, Princess Charlotte.

The Royal Family Attend Church On Christmas Day
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  • During a recent reception at Kensington Palace, Prince William and Kate Middleton confronted a British radio host about his coverage of their family.
  • The host, Greg James, revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had listened to a segment in which he teased Princess Charlotte for shaking hands with her headmistress at school.
  • James declined to shared exactly what Will and Kate had to say about the commentary. 

Have you ever experienced that awkward moment when you say something snarky behind someone's back and then realize later that they totally know you said it? Now, can you imagine how amplified that embarrassment would be if the targets of said snark were members of the royal family and they called you out on your comments during a visit to Kensington Palace?

That's exactly what British radio host Greg James went through recently when he met with Prince William and Kate Middleton.

James, who hosts BBC 1’s Breakfast with Greg James, recently visited Kensington Palace with Radio 1’s Teen Heroes. During the visit, Will and Kate low-key called him out on some comments he made on the air about their daughter, Princess Charlotte.

The incident in question went down when James teased Charlotte on air for shaking hands with the headmistress of her school on the first day of the new school year.

Barbour - Presentation - LFWM January 2019

'British radio host Greg James.'

(Image credit: David M. Benett)

"They were listening on the morning Charlotte went to school,” James told The Mirror of his awkward encounter with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. According to James, he "saw the photo during the show and said, ‘Who the hell shakes hands with their teacher on the first day?'"

So what did Will and Kate have to say about the less-than-nice comments? James didn't say exactly, but he did reveal that the royal couple confronted him about it at the Kensington Palace meet and greet.

"They said: 'We were listening on the morning of little Charlotte’s first day, and we want to talk to you about the handshaking thing.' I went: ‘Oh God, no!'" the radio host explained "They’d heard me saying, ‘this school was so posh they had to shake hands with their teacher every day. They were not like that in my day. You were pleased if you got a smile.'"

Even though the host declined to share the specifics of what Will and Kate said about his Charlotte commentary, he did confirm that he and the royals are all good now.

"I’m sure it’s all absolutely fine," he insisted.

Phew.

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Weekend Editor at Cosmopolitan

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.