Kate Middleton has cheeky response to being mistaken for Prince William’s assistant

Kate Middleton is a royally good sport.

The Princess of Wales once cracked a joke after being mistaken for her husband Prince William’s employee.

While visiting the Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff, Wales, in August 2020, resident Joan Drew-Smith asked the Prince of Wales, “Is that your assistant?” 

Middleton cheekily told her partner, “Well, I am your assistant. I have been for a long time!”

She, notably, has been married to William since May 2011 — and in a relationship with him since 2003.

The princess “has always seen her role as a supporting one,” The Times reported last year, alleging she acts as “a gatekeeper to ensure that William can do his work while also finding time to be a hands-on father” to their three children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.

Middleton’s support also includes public-facing duties on behalf of the royal family.

Earlier this week, she traveled to to Reggio Emilia, Italy, alongside the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

The princess launched the foundation, which raises awareness of how childhood experiences can impact their lives later on, in 2021.

This visit marked the royal’s first international trip since she was diagnosed with cancer in March 2024.

At the time, Middleton announced she was undergoing treatment.

By September, she had completed the “incredibly tough” chemotherapy — and, four months later, Middleton revealed she was in remission.

Middleton has since returned to her royal duties with several public appearances over the past year, including the 2025 Royal Garden Party, Wimbledon and Trooping the Colour.

While visiting the Colchester Hospital in July 2025, Middleton opened up about her life post-treatment.

“You have to find your new normal and that takes time,” she said.

“It’s a roller coaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be,” Middleton continued. “The reality is you go through hard times.”

Her father-in-law, King Charles, was also diagnosed with cancer in 2024 but has “responded exceptionally well to treatment.”

In October, while on Eugene Levy’s “The Reluctant Traveler,” William said watching his family members battle the disease has taken him “into some pretty not-great places.”