Kate, the Princess of Wales', reaction to Prince William's cookery skills has become the focus of a new viral video, after a compilation of the competitive couple's head-to-head moments during royal engagements was posted by fans on social media.
William and Kate have both demonstrated their skills in the kitchen during public appearances over the course of their 12-year marriage, with Kate often coming out on top.
The princess' passion for baking has been discussed on a number of occasions, notably during meetings at engagements with The Great British Bake Off television judge Dame Mary Berry.
William was overheard complimenting his wife's skills during an engagement in January. He was discussing his own kitchen prowess during a visit to a youth charity near Windsor Castle, Berkshire in England. "I do a bit of cooking, not much, though," he said, before adding: "Catherine's very good though."
"I do a mean steak," William added. "My sauces come out quite dry or lumpy—I've got to work on those!"
Uploaded to TikTok by user katemiddleton.fp on July 30, the new viral video showing Kate's giggling reaction to William's cookery attempts during engagements has been viewed over 216,000 times on the platform so far.
The footage contains clips of the couple taken over the past six years, opening with a video of Kate laughing at William's attempt to form a pretzel during an official visit to Germany in 2017.
On a stop in the southwestern German town of Heidelberg, the couple were invited to try and form the traditional bread, which is done using one swift technical movement. William found himself unable to master the trick, while Kate appeared to be more successful than her husband.
@katemiddleton.fp No importa cuando sea, Kate siempre se va a reir de William 🤣💓 #princesskate #princewilliam #katemiddleton #couple #fyp #tiktok #edit ♬ sonido original - Princess Catherine
The second clip was captured in 2021 during a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. It showed the couple making chapatis, a type of flat bread, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse while meeting women from the Sikh community.
The prince and princess were each tasked with forming and cooking their own chapati. Kate was seen methodically forming her bread into a perfect circle, with William jokingly asking for tips.
The third clip of the viral video was released in 2023 as part of a short film marking the 75th anniversary of Britain's National Health Service (NHS). William and Kate surprised staff members and patients at a specially organised tea-party event marking the occasion, with the royals helping to set up and icing cupcakes.
The prince's effort with an icing bag was not as precise as Kate's, with the princess seen laughing at her husband.
The TikTok clip has received almost 18,000 likes and numerous comments, many of which have praised the royal duo for their ability not to take one another too seriously.
"Always there to laugh at him. love it," wrote one user of Kate. "Adorable."
"Work goes best with humor," posted another, with a further comment reading: "I love them so much."
William and Kate's competitive nature has extended beyond the realms of the kitchen when out and about in public.
The couple have had a number of head-to-head moments during engagements, including a relay-race-sprint with Prince Harry (which he won) in 2017. More recently, there was a sailing race in the Bahamas on a visit to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
William ended up winning the race in March 2022. At a reception afterwards, he referenced his win, telling dignitaries how the island's racing reminded him of his grandfather, Prince Philip, who had died a year earlier.
"Catherine and I were thinking about him today as we celebrated the return of sloop sailing here by racing off Montagu Beach. He would have been in his element!" William said. "As for the race result? Discretion is the better part of valor. Particularly if you have won, and your wife has come last."
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
