Princess Kate "Treats Prince William Like the Fourth Child" Because of His "Tantrums," Palace Insider Claims

This is... quite something.

Prince William, Kate Middleton
(Image credit: Getty)

Prince William and Princess Kate have basically been together for two decades now, so you can be sure that their relationship lays on a steady foundation of love and respect.

Nevertheless, as is the case in any marriage, the Prince and Princess of Wales definitely also have their ups and downs—including the fact that William's temper sometimes makes him act like a child, at least according to one source.

Speaking to Express, royal author Tom Quinn shared tidbits from a conversation he had with an insider who previously worked in the then-Cambridges' Kensington Palace household.

"Kate treats him [William] like the fourth child because he's prone to tantrums," the source apparently told the author.

The Waleses are parents to Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. As for the prince's temper, it's not the first time it has been commented upon: He has previously been called "short-tempered," and has been said to have "extreme mood swings."

These moods can apparently affect his marriage to Kate, with Quinn explaining, "They do have rows. It's not a perfect marriage. They have terrific rows."

"But, where some couples have a row and throw heavy vases at each other, William and Kate throw cushions at each other. It's always kept under control."

In order to deescalate things, the Waleses apparently adopt the late Queen's mantra of "never complain, never explain."

For Quinn, this plays out as follows: "Because William adopts the manners and ways of behaving of his grandmother and Kate is very good at not complaining, both of them have stuck to the thing that made Queen Elizabeth II such a remarkable monarch," he said.

"They very rarely complain and when they do it's always in measured terms."

Sounds like there's some merit to their method!

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.