Prince William and Kids Were Left Waiting for Princess Kate Because of Habit Royal Family “Teases” Her About

Her reason for the moment was especially touching.

Princess Kate walking in front of Prince George, Prince William and Princess Charlotte
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William and Princess Kate brought all three of their children to the Commonwealth Games for the first time on Saturday, August 1, and along with commenting on Prince Louis’s cute reactions, fans couldn’t help but notice that chatty Kate got left behind by her family at one point.

In a video shared by Hello! magazine, the Prince of Wales was pictured getting into a waiting car with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis after their day out in Glasgow, Scotland. But the Princess of Wales was nowhere to be found until the camera panned over to her talking away to Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy by the side of the road.

The Princess of Wales has admitted that she often gets caught up talking to people for too long during royal events, but this time, there was a very meaningful reason she was making her family wait. Hoy announced in 2024 that he was diagnosed with terminal stage four prostate cancer, and fans pointed out that the princess, who is now in remission from cancer herself, was likely talking about their shared struggles.

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Princess Kate, Prince Louis, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince William walking with Sir Chris Hoy at the Commonwealth Games

Sir Chris Hoy (far right) is pictured with the Wales family on Saturday, August 1 at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Princess Kate talking to athletes from England and Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

The Wales family meets athletes from England and Scotland at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate talking to an athlete at the Commonwealth Games

The Princess of Wales meets a Welsh athlete at the Commonwealth Games.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“Once you’ve been touched by cancer you will never rush a conversation with someone who is going through it,” one fan commented on the video, while another added, “That’s good as thats one thing he does not have is time and that’s why she understands.”

Princess Kate has talked about her love of a long conversation in the past, sharing in the 2016 documentary Our Queen at Ninety that members of the Royal Family poke fun at her for her chatty ways.

“There’s a real art to walkabouts, everybody teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting,” she said. “I still have to learn a little bit more, and to pick up a few more tips, I suppose.”

In this instance, however, it’s safe to say that the Prince of Wales completely understands.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.