A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Princess Kate

Palace insiders give a peek into what Kate Middleton is really like behind the scenes

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Kate Middleton was in her element. Witnesses described the Princess of Wales — embracing the “Barbiecore” trend in a pastel pink Alexander McQueen pantsuit (the blazer has now sold out online) — as “humble and down-to-earth” when she visited two London charities on May 25 to support early childhood development. “She feels passionately about the cause, so she loves these kinds of royal engagements where she gets to interact with kids and converse with people one-on-one,” says a palace insider. “She prefers that to giving speeches, which still give her anxiety, and superficial photo ops, like cutting a ribbon. Those are the parts of her job she hates.”

Fortunately, she’s about to start her vacation. “Her royal schedule is currently free, and after the past couple of months, she needs it,” says the insider. Between Kate’s typical 16-hour days, which are dictated by her three children’s jampacked schedules, and the flurry of events surrounding King Charles’ coronation in May, the princess has had a lot on her plate. “Her daily life is already so hectic, and she’s always got to be ‘on’ when she’s serving in an official capacity — you definitely only see the side of her that she wants you to see,” says the insider. “She’s looking forward to some private time in the country where she can let her guard down and really be herself with her family.”