Princess Kate Has a Pretty Smart Trick to Not Be Recognized in Public While on Vacation

Sometimes even royalty want a slice of normalcy.

Kate Middleton tersely smiles at an engagement
(Image credit: Getty)
Rachel Burchfield
By Rachel Burchfield
published

The Wales trio—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—are on summer holiday from Lambrook School until September 6. Typically, the three—along with, obviously, their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales—use this time to not only go to Balmoral (the traditional end-of-summer getaway for members of the royal family) but also somewhere else on vacation, usually tropical. While on these trips, Kate likes to go out by herself, The Mirror reports—especially to museums and art galleries—and, the outlet reports, uses a special tactic so she won’t get recognized. (She is, after all, one of the most famous women in the world.)

Kate Middleton at Wimbledon 2023

(Image credit: Getty)

We feel a bit guilty spoiling Kate’s secret, but, according to royal expert Tina Brown, Kate enjoys a slice of normalcy by going out early in the morning, before 8 a.m., so she could beat the public. These solo outings, Brown writes in her book The Palace Papers, are done to “nourish her life”; and, while this trick works most of the time, she was once spotted at a David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy by a surprised royal aficionado.

“I miss my history of art,” Kate reportedly told the fan, per The Daily Express. “It’s what I do to get my fix.” Kate studied art history at the University of St. Andrews, graduating in 2005. 

Kate Middleton at the Chelsea Flower Show

(Image credit: Getty)

In addition to being an art enthusiast, Kate is actually quite the artist herself. Her sketches were on display in the program for younger sister Pippa’s wedding in 2017, where she drew St. Mark’s Church, the location where the ceremony was held, on the front cover.

Kate wears a tan coat, blue earrings, and a smile at an engagement

(Image credit: Getty)

So, if you know Kate and crew will be in town, avoid the museums and art galleries early in the morning—a future queen is trying to tap into a long-held passion, and would prefer to do it in peace.

Rachel Burchfield
Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more. 

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