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

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.”

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.

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.

“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.”